In 1989, Margaret Morton and I met when I was Curator of Prints and Photographs at the Museum of the City of New York and she had begun to photograph the structures built by people living in Tompkins Square Park across the street from her apartment. We became friends, and in 2002, she asked me to be the executor of her estate. She knew I believed in her work and that my curatorial experience would help me preserve it. Since Margaret’s sudden death in 2020, her estate has been settled and, according to her wishes, a trust has been set up for the care, preservation, publication, promotion, and display of her photography.

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The Margaret Morton Archive represents the first stage in this process. Our team consists of Stephanie Neel, an experienced archivist; photographer Xuemeng Zhang; and me. Together we are working to organize, rehouse, scan, and catalog Margaret's work. The Archive is located at Mana Contemporary in Jersey City, New Jersey. A cultural center that supports artists in myriad ways, Mana is an ideal home for us. 

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Like the archive, this website is a work in progress. As we process the collection, we will add to the site. 

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What is a Temporary Archive? 

Once the archive is set up, curators and librarians will be invited to discuss donations to public institutions. Exhibitions, programs, and publications may follow. The ultimate goal of the Margaret Morton Archive is to disperse it. 

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Bonnie Yochelson