Although the technology to produce color prints was widely available as early as the 1940s, for many years black and white remained the only accepted medium for fine art photography. Serious photographers held color in low esteem, seeing it as the language of the family snapshot, the tourist postcard or the consumer advertisement.

Intrigued and inspired to develop a new vocabulary, Stephen Shore, Joel Meyerowitz, and William Eggleston began to actively explore the medium of color photography in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Here are some of their fascinating pictures.

From the Car, New York Thruway, 1975. (Photo: Joel Meyerowitz)

 

New York City, 42nd St and Fifth Ave, 1974. (Photo: Joel Meyerowitz)

New York, 1976. (Photo: Joel Meyerowitz)

 

New York City, 1974. (Photo: Joel Meyerowitz)

 

Dusk, New Jersey, 1978. (Photo: Joel Meyerowitz)

Florida, 1968. (Photo: Joel Meyerowitz)

 

Truro, 1976. (Photo: Joel Meyerowitz)

 

Car and Bicycles in Garage, Memphis, TN, 1970. (Photo: William Eggleston)

 

Torch Cafe billboard, Mississippi, 1973. (Photo: William Eggleston)

 

Brown house in sunshine, Memphis, TN, 1971-74. (Photo: William Eggleston)

 

Couple in Red Car at Drive-In Restaurant, Memphis, TN, 1965-68. (Photo: William Eggleston)

 

Los Angeles Airport, California, 1974. (Photo: Joel Meyerowitz)

 

New York City, 1974. (Photo: Joel Meyerowitz)

 

Bay Theater, Second Street, Ashland, Wisconsin, July 9, 1973. (Photo: Stephen Shore)

 

Camel Coats, 5th Avenue, New York City, 1975. (Photo: Joel Meyerowitz)

 

Miami Beach, Florida, November 13, 1977. (Photo: Stephen Shore)

New York City, 1974. (Photo: Joel Meyerowitz)

 

West 9th Avenue, Amarillo, Texas, October 2, 1974. (Photo: Stephen Shore)

 

La Brea Avenue and Beverly Boulevard, Los Angeles, California, June 21, 1975. (Photo: Stephen Shore)

 

U.S. 1, Arundel, Maine, July 17, 1974. (Photo: Stephen Shore)

 

St. Louis, 1977. (Photo: Joel Meyerowitz)

 

Empire State Series, Diner on 12th Avenue, New York City, 1978. (Photo: Joel Meyerowitz)

 

Center Street and West Third Street, Little Rock, Arkansas, October 5, 1974. (Photo: Stephen Shore)

 

East Walnut Street, Roswell, New Mexico, September 26, 1974. (Photo: Stephen Shore)

 

Conoco Sign, Center St, Kanab, Utah, August 9, 1973. (Photo: Stephen Shore)

(via Edwynn Houk Gallery)