Supreme Court Gallery hosts Leahy photo exhibition

January 25, 2023  |  By Waterbury Roundabout 

Inauguration of President Bill Clinton (center) with outgoing President George H.W. Bush (left) and Chief Justice William Rehnquist (right). Photographed by Sen. Patrick Leahy January 1993

The Vermont Supreme Court Gallery reopens Feb. 1 for a long-awaited exhibition of photographs by former U.S. Sen. Patrick Leahy. 

“The Eye of Senator Patrick Leahy” is a unique collection of photos the state’s longtime senior senator captured from his vantage point as an eyewitness to history over his 48-year career in Washington D.C. 

The exhibition will be on view starting Thursday, Feb. 1, through March 29. The court’s gallery will be reopening its doors to the public for the first time since the July 2023 Montpelier flood. 

As an avid lifelong amateur photographer and member of the U.S. Senate, Leahy had rare access and perspective that this collection demonstrates. Vermont’s longest-serving U.S. senator, Leahy represented Vermont from 1975 to 2023.

Second inauguration of President Ronald Reagan in January 1985 with First Lady Nancy Reagan and Chief Justice Warren E. Burger administering the oath of office. Photo by Sen. Patrick Leahy

This exhibition intimately depicts politicians, human rights leaders, and artists many other figures who Leahy encountered during his nearly five decades of events and personal interactions in the nation’s capital. The show also highlights everyday people from around the world who have inspired him. 

In a statement for the exhibit, Leahy describes what sparked his interest in photography. “As the son of a printer in Montpelier, I learned early about the power of the printed word and the printed image, and a lifelong interest in photography was born the first time I picked up a camera,” he said. “Photographs can at once be both timely and timeless. They enhance our understanding beyond the ability of words alone.”

Leahy’s photos have been published in newspapers and magazines, including Time, U.S. News and World Report, and other national and international news publications.

Sen. Patrick Leahy behind a camera. Photo by Robert Deutch, USA Today

Leahy and his wife Marcelle are expected to attend an opening reception on Thursday, Feb. 1, from 4:30 to 7 p.m. The following evening there will be another reception as part of Montpelier’s Art Walk, Friday, Feb. 2, from 4:30 to 7 p.m. 

Gallery hours: 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday (closed during lunch hour). Information will be posted on the Vermont Supreme Court Gallery’s website.