In Luxembourg, two museum spaces with permanent photography exhibitions opened in recent years; Château de Clervaux and Waassertuerm+Pomhouse. The former is an old castle built in the 12th century and displays The Family of Man. The latter is a renovated industrial building and displays The Bitter Years. These two photography exhibitions were organized for the Museum of Modern Art in New York by Edward Steichen, and afterwards their photo pannels were bequeathed to Luxembourg, his country of birth, as the Steichen Collections.

This paper is intended to discuss the Steichen Collections from the perspective of Public Diplomacy. First, casting a new light on the so-called FSA photography which was originally propaganda for the New Deal Policy, its decisive influence on Steichen is confirmed. Secondly, focussing on the historical contexts of the original exhibitions in New York and the re-exhibitions in Luxembourg reveals that there are considerable differences among their meanings. Thirdly, examining the reception of these exhibitions, including the criticisms and the ways of re-exhibiting, shows that the Steichen Collections illustrate the fundamental difference between Propaganda Art and Public Diplomacy with Art. In addition, this paper attempts to suggest a new attitude in a recent photography exhibition as a fruit of critical discussions about The Family of Man and The Bitter Years.