Impossibly Modern 1930s Fashion and Ad Photos

The influence of the early fashion and commercial photographer Paul Outerbridge on the artists of his time, and for generations afterward, is difficult to overstate: Marcel Duchamp even kept one of his photos in his studio. His careful composition and witty eye — and, crucially for the era, his experiments with color — lend a striking modernity to photos eight or more decades old, like this one: “Girl in Bathing Suit,” c. 1936.

A show of Outerbridge’s work opens tomorrow, and runs through Sept. 30, at Bruce Silverstein Gallery, 535 West 24th Street, New York, brucesilverstein.com. —  ALEXANDRIA SYMONDS