Inside the Edit: Dolores Allen Littles, Time-Life, and the Island
Inside the Edit: Dolores Allen Littles, Time-Life, and the Island
During the mid-20th century, Life magazine and Time–Life Books shaped how millions saw the world. This exhibition centers on Oak Bluffs resident Dolores Allen Littles, whose decades in the Time Inc. photo department — rising from the clip desk to photo editor and later Director of Photography at Time–Life Books — made her one of the rare Black women shaping national visual narratives in that era.
Her Vineyard story begins with a first trip in 1950, inspired by Ebony, to the welcoming Shearer Cottage in Oak Bluffs. The Island became both refuge and professional hub to Time Inc. leaders such as Ralph Graves, the last managing editor of weekly Life, and Maitland “Mait” Edey, editor-in-chief of Time–Life Books.
Through Littles’s life, visitors will meet the photographers behind the images, explore the craft of photo editing, and see how the Vineyard nurtured a community of Life photographers, editors, and others.
DETAILS
| From | May 30, 2026 |
|---|---|
| To | October 4, 2026 |
| Location | Hollinshead, Cox, and Fleischner Galleries |
Photograph by Chester Higgins