Billy Name was the in-house archivist at Warhol’s Factory and his photographs from this period (1964-68) are one of the most important photographic documents of any single artist, ever. Milk Gallery’s current exhibit, Billy Name: The Silver Age, coincides with next month’s release of a book the same title. It’s filled with Warhol’s “superstars” at The Factory, which Name famously covered in tin foil.

Billy Name arrived in New York City as William Linich. He met Warhol while working at Serendipity 3 and the two struck up a friendship –as well as a brief romance– which led to Name’s attraction to photography. The images included in both the show and the book were mostly taken with Name’s now-lost Honeywell Pentax, which was a gift from Andy. Billy started to distance himself from Warhol not long after the Factory relocated to Union Square. After Warhol was shot by Valerie Solanis, Billy was the first to get to Warhol and he held him crying. Andy said, “Don’t make me laugh Billy, it hurts too much.” After Andy had recovered, Billy left a note on his door in the Factory;

“Dear Andy, I am not here anymore, but I am fine. Really.
With love, Billy.”

Billy Name: Silver Age is at the Milk Gallery in New York City through December 7.

RIP. The contact sheet is dead. I spent a LOT of time in my life looking at these. As a former Art Director, I got to look at them, good ones, more than most people, I guess – from Helmut Newton, Bruce Weber, Duane Michaels, Irving Penn. But now, with digital photography, they are no longer “a thing”. A new exhibit, “Magnum Contact Sheets” reveals just how photographers that shot for the venerable agency, Magnum, have captured and edited their best shots the better part of the 20th century. It’s the photographer’s first look at what they’ve captured on film, and gives the viewer a look inside how they shoot and think and what’ ends up being THE shot. This show includes both celebrated icons of photography and lesser-known surprises and functions as an “epitaph” to the long-lost contact sheet. This exhibition expands upon the exhibit of the same name that premiered at the ICP in 2012. Its runs through July 6. And you can purchase a limited edition book and enlarged versions of these shown here. I’m seriously thinking about Elizabeth Taylor by Burt Glinn.

The Misfits (John Huston, Clark Gable, Marilyn Monroe) by Eve Arnold

Elizabeth Taylor on the set of “Suddenly, Last Summer” by Burt Glinn

BILLY NAME'S ICONIC PHOTOS OF THE SILVER AGE AT MILK

MILK GALLERY: MAGNUM CONTACT SHEETS