It was a full house tonight at the DeGoyer Library’s Defined by Light: Photography’s First 75 Years exhibit. A group of almost 80 people came to see the unveiling of the exhibit. It showcased Jack and Beverly Wilgus’ special collection of images and objects that date back to before the invention of photography.

Audience members were amazed at how many different photography tools the collection had, which included early daguerrotypes and camera obscuras.

Elizabeth Kaetz is a member of Colophon: Friends of the DeGoyer Library and was very impressed by how complete and diverse the exhibition was.

She said the exhibition was very informative, because she learned things about photography she had never heard of before. However, her favorite part of the exhibition was a photograph that amused her.

“It gave me a chuckle,” she said. “It’s the three men eating watermelon.”

The Stanley Marcus room filled with excitement when it was announced that the Wilgus couple would be donating their 40-year-old collection to SMU.

Although audiences were captivated by the collection, it was the animated and energetic elderly couple who sparked laugher throughout the library.

Thanks to a Q&A; session conducted by Anne E. Peterson, the exhibit’s curator, everyone at the event was able to get to know the couple a lot better.

Jack and Beverly met as students in the Art Institute of Chicago and developed a relationship thanks to their common love for history and photography. Throughout the years, the two have gathered 30 thousand photographs and other objects relating to photography for the purpose of teaching.

“I know we have slides but the object is always better,” said Beverly when they asked her why she was carrying around all the photography machines. “A picture of a daguerrotye or one in a book is not the same as the object.”

The exhibit will be open from Oct. 23 thru Dec. 19.