Girls at Isleta Day School

Girls at Isleta Day School

c. 1936

Photo by Peter Sekaer

I chose this photograph, Girls at Isleta Day School (c. 1936), because the subject appeared to be playful and full of energy.  I appreciated the sight of healthy looking Native American children playing during the depression era in contrast to many of the other less hopeful photos taken in the United States during this time.  I was further drawn to the photographer, Sekaer, because “he sought to capture the real world with photographs that combined artistic expression with a personal commitment to social change.” (Peter Sekaer, Wikipedia)  He worked for the Rural Electrification Administration (REA) from 1936 – 1942 and photographed Navajo and Pueblo Indians for the Office of Indian Affairs in 1940.  More research would have to be done but it is possible that the photo was taken in 1940. 

This photograph is an example of the “1930’s meaning of a documentary photograph: a subjective interpretation of a social circumstance.” (Ritzenthaler and Vogt-O'Connor, 2006, p. 12)  In a bleak, dry landscape there is a tense and archetypal struggle over forces of nature and culture that are greater then one’s own individual self.  Young children represent an innocence and playful energy in the struggle.  There may be added significance that the children are female.  The girls are also wearing modern dress and shoes, which conform to white culture, while playing a traditional game.  The school is fenced in and landscaped with trees, which are layers of containment and control over Nature and the Native culture.  Sekaer has chosen a vantage point that skews the lines of the tug-of-war and the horizon, thus aligning the human attempt to achieve balance in the process of acculturation.  How did Sekaer feel about the agenda of his employer, The Office of Indian Affairs?  Did he compose the photo in such a way to critique that agenda?

1. Peter Sekaer. In Wikipedia. Retrieved January 27, 2013, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_Sekaer

2. Ritzenthaler, Vogt-O'Connor, Zinkham, Carnell, & Peterson (2006).  Photographs: Archival Care and Management. Chicago: Society of American Archivists. 

Hoe Sharpener and the Line

Title: Hoe Sharpener and the Line
Creator: Danny Lyon
Date: 1967-68
Collection: George Eastman House Collection

I chose this image because I was struck by the composition. I love how the man in the foreground draws the eye, and how the stark white of his outfit is contrasted by the dark background. I also like how his relative stillness is contrasted by the obvious labor his peers are engaging in behind him. It doesn't look like the photographer placed his subjects, so it has a bit of spontaneity to it. This type of picture makes me wonder about the men in it -- what are they hoeing? Who are they? Why are they at this place at that time?

Giza: Western Cemetery

Title: Giza: Western Cemetery; G 4630, G 4730
Date: 1914
Description: Cemetery G 4000: street between G 4630 (to W) and G 4730 (to E), men at work
Repository: Museum of Fine Arts, Boston 

        I found this photo in the Harvard-MFA Giza Expedition Collection. I chose it because I studied Near Eastern Archaeology as an undergraduate and have spent time working in archaeological archives with photos similar to this one. Both early and modern archaeological excavations extensively use photography as a way to document location and to complement written documentation. So many of these photos, however, have become historic images themselves. When this photograph was taken, the theories and practice behind the discipline of archaeology were much different than they are today. It offers a glimpse into a practice that, while aiming to discover the ancient, has become dated itself. 

Portrait of Simone Téry with Doris Stevens

Portrait of Simone Téry (left) with Doris Stevens (right) at the First World Conference on the Codification of International Law.   March-April 1930.  Nederlandsch Foto-Bureau (Haarlem, Netherlands).  From the Schlesinger History of Women in America collection.

The images of members and associates of the Inter American Commission of Women caught my attention both because I had been unaware of the efforts of this international women's rights organization beginning in the 1920s, and because the women depicted are so diverse and their individuality comes through so clearly.  This portrait is one of the more personal; the contrast in the dress styles and manner of addressing -- or not addressing -- the camera between the French writer Simone Téry and the American suffragist and organizer Doris Stevens particularly struck me. 

Berlin Wall

Glinn, Burt. BERLIN/ RUSSIA/ POLAND. GERMANY, BERLIN, 1961. Waving to the east as the wall goes up.

The Berlin Wall has always been very intriguing to me; it's hard to believe there was a physical barrier in the middle of a country, suddenly separating loved ones, sabotaging the economy, and destroying countless lives, all for a political agenda. This photograph is a heart-wrenching representation of the physical separation those people experienced. The framing of the picture is interesting with the flags of the Soviet Bloc on the right and the wall through the middle. This woman might not know those gentlemen, but she is obviously very emotional. I can imagine she has some loved ones on the other side of the wall, and judging by the size of those concrete slabs, this is probably the last time she'll be able to see over it. She's watching her life change as the wall is slowly erected, and there is nothing she can do to stop it.

Israel, 1982

Micha Bar Am, Israel.Sinai.the Taba beach. ISRAEL. Taba Beach resort, a tourist sunbathing as a Bedouin woman looks for clients for camel rides. 1982.

This photo struck me immediately, even as a thumbnail. I liked the contrast of the dark shadows over the woman and her camel against the light color of the ground behind them. I also like the contrast of the two women, one very covered up and one wearing almost nothing, one clothed traditionally while the other is in very modern attire. To me, it represents the struggle of maintaining a traditional way of life against the inexorable encroachment of modernity, and the way the Bedouin woman has managed to balance the two by making a living combining the old and the new.

AFGHANISTAN Steve McCurry

Creator:  Steve McCurry. 
Title: AFGHANISTAN. AFGHANISTAN. Kabul. 1992. A widow who is forced to beg comes out of  a restaurant after having just received some money from a patron. 
Date: 1992
ARTstor Collection: Magnum Photos

I picked this photograph because of the color balance. I am not exactly sure what the color balance is, but it is what grabbed me. The photos that surrounded this when I was browsing were in black and white, so this photograph stood out even more to me. I especially like the way the photographer framed the photograph. He could have made the the door the center focus, but by putting it just off to the side, it feels more spontaneous. Also, I enjoy how, technically, it is an action shot. This woman is in the process of stepping down and by waiting to get that exact moment, the photographer captured part of her clothes beneath the burqa, which is a rare sight.

At first glance, this looks to be just an average Afghan woman leaving a building, but after reading the detailed title, I noticed more things. First was just how dirty her burqa is, second, was how tattered the burqa is. I did notice that there was something in her hand, but not being familiar with currency in Afghanistan, I did not know it was money until it was pointed out. To say women have it easy in Afghanistan would be a fallacy, but knowing that this photo was taken in 1992, around the Afghanistan Civil War, and knowing what I do about future events in Afghanistan, I cannot help but feel sorry for this woman.

Once I read who took the photo (Steve McCurry), I had a better sense of what was being captured here and how dangerous it must have been to secure the image. Of course I knew McCurry from his "Afghan Girl" photo, and so I knew how much time he puts into his shots. I believe he mentioned once that if you wait long enough, people will forget that you have a camera. I think he must have waited a long time for this one because begging requires someone to forgo their pride and for this woman to not have hidden the cash right away tells me that she might be unaware that McCurry is around. I am also more appreciate of this photograph because I know that McCurry willing entered Afghanistan to capture the human conflict, just not the death and destruction. This image is heartbreaking and profound, and yet is not overdone or too stylized. McCurry is known for humanizing war, and I think he hit the nail on the head with this photograph.

Great-Britain. England. London, 1959

Creator: Sergio Larrain
Title: Great-Britain. England. London.
Date: 1959

I was drawn to this image because of the photographer's apparent spontaneity. I get the impression that it wasn't until the birds took flight that the photographer reached for his camera, hoping to capture the moment before it was too late. In this spur of the moment shot, he might have been unable to steady himself or adjust his camera settings before clicking the shutter, as evidenced by the motion blur of the scenery, not just the birds, due to a slow shutter speed and a moving camera. But the lack of focus lends a soft and ghostly quality to the scene, and creates a fantastic sense of unrest.

"Burlesque of The Merry Widow and the Devil", 1909.

Creator: Byron Company (New York, N.Y.)
Title: Plays, "Burlesque of The Merry Widow and the Devil".
Date: 1909
Description: A scene from Weber's Burlesque of the Henry W. Savage production of Lehar's "The Merry Widow" and a production of "The Devil," presented at Webers Theatre in 1909.
Repository: Museum of the City of New York

Everything about this photograph intrigues me - the burlesque costumes, the elaborate set, the poses. The actual photographer is unknown (although their name may be written in the lower left hand corner...it is hard to make out), as well as the artist who has put their hand to the photo. According to the Internet Broadway Database, this production ran for only a week and a half at Webers Theatre from 1/18/1909 - 1/30/1909. The four women are smiling and are clearly being posed for the photo, perhaps as part of a promotional piece. Two of the women are looking towards the camera, while the other two are posing in another direction. Was this intentional, or was something also being done over there (for example, a sketch)?

Henri Cartier-Bresson, 1962.

Creator: Henri Cartier-Bresson, Title: IRELAND. 1962. Province of Leinster. Kildare County. Seminary at Maynooth., Date: 1962

Although my knowledge of photography is minimal, I have come to know and appreciate the photographs of Henri Cartier-Bresson since my initial exposure to him several years ago. In our first class there was brief discussion about the importance of having a quick eye and instant reflexes as a photographer, in order to capture a certain essence, feeling, moment, etc. From this, I remembered Cartier-Bresson and his talent for doing just that.

The photograph above grabbed my attention while I browsed the results of my ArtSTOR search because 1. it's my first time seeing this particular one, and 2. it's not very often that one gets to see an image of priests disrobing at the foot of Christ in preparation for what I assume will be a fun game of soccer. I also found it interesting that it would be much more difficult to date this photo if not for the contrasting non-priestly attire. The spacing of the subjects, foliage, and other objects is such that they aren't visually crowding each other, and the candidness of the shot makes the image that much more interesting.

Leningrad, 1965

Morath, Inge, USSR. Leningrad. Khalturin Street. 1965. Magnum Photos

I was drawn to this image, taken in Leningrad (St. Petersburg), in part because the lone figure in the foreground is so compelling.  In the distance, numerous people and cars are visible--the road appears to be a main thoroughfare in what is obviously a very large city.  Yet despite this, the man shovels alone along an empty stretch of road.  The perspective from which the picture was taken reminds me of how alone and apart one can feel even when surrounded by others.  It is even more striking when one considers that the setting is the Soviet Union.

Unidentified Woman Munitions Worker, c. 1941-1946

Photo Courtesy of the Schlesinger Library, Radcliffe Institute, Harvard University

What drew me to this photo is all of its nuances.  Not only is this woman working when most stayed home but she's working in a munitions factory, gaging and assembling ball cartridges.  She doesn't have a uniform and works in a simple dress, kitchen apron, and heavy gloves.  And while the work isn't glamorous, she still presents herself very nicely with well-styled hair.  It's an interesting juxtaposition of female ideals, strong and capable yet very feminine. 

Nakaragi Shrine, autumn maple trees in Nakaragi-no-mori (Nakaragi Forest)

Boggett, David. Nakaragi Shrine, autumn maple trees in Nakaragi-no-mori. 20th century. 

This image epitomizes the awestruck beauty of Mother Nature.  The photographer captures all stages of coloration maple trees offer. This place is a Shinto shrine, in which the beautiful setting facilitates peace and tranquility for the sometimes chaotic mind.  The various colors provide order and sequence, while the limb in the foreground give depth.  It would seem impossible to look at this beautiful image and not forget the harsh perceptions humans invoke on themselves; the realities of human nature, the violence from news media, or the narrow-mindedness that usually plague human judgement.  This image reminds us that you only need to step outside of whatever paradigm you may be stuck with and see what is truly around you. 

Jagannatha Temple Thoroughfare Food vendor selling sweets, 1978, Bonnie G. MacDougall

Title: Jagannatha Temple Thoroughfare Food vendor selling sweets  

Date :  1978

Location: Puri, Orissa, India

Repository: Bonnie G. MacDougall (original photographs)

There is no information of the creator. According to the description, this picture is taken at the main thoroughfare near a temple in India. The part of the photograph that caught my attention is the fact that the sales person is a boy and the foods he is selling. The boy, who seems nine or ten years old, sits alone and waits for customers. I am not sure what are the products, but the description of the photo says they are sweets. I think they are dried fruits and donuts. This photo shows the street foods of India at that time and child labor. There are no other peddlers in the picture, but I can assume there should be a lot more sales people around there.

Hine, Lewis. Steel Mill, ca. 1907 - 1910

The point of view of this image captures the almost inconceivable scale of the blast furnaces, smokestacks and conveyor belts of a steel mill.  The foreground railway lends perspective and distance.  These mills were extraordinary feats of construction in aggressive pursuit of an industrial dream.  The size of the buildings represents the unshakable confidence the American steel industry had in its own future, a future which is now associated with dying mill cities and rusted, abandoned, yet compelling sites.

Fein, Nathaniel, Babe Ruth bows out. 1948. George Eastman House

For me the the low angle and rear vantage point from which this photograph was taken bestow Ruth as a symbol of worship and place the viewer at his feet. The vantage point that Fein chose gives us a behind the scenes glimpse. We can see the other photographers setting up to take similar angled shots but from our vantage point we see a slight weakness, Ruth is still imposing and commands the stadium but he stoops ever so slightly, his arms at his side his bat no longer feared but acting as a cane--he looks weary, defeated.

He stands on the baseball diamond in the stadium aptly called 'the house that Ruth built' for the final time as his number is retired.  Ruth would die two months later.

Welcome to LIS 471 Spring 13 blog

Here's some more information about the second part of the assignment that is due next week:

Register yourself for ARTstor if you haven’t done so already.

•Select one 20th century documentary photograph from the collections available thru ARTstor, save a copy to your computer and then post it on the class blog 4with a credit line and a brief comment about why you selected this image.

There are literally thousands of documentary photographs on ARTstor in addition to all the photographs documenting works of art - for this assignment I'm not so much interested in the works of art as I am in the other kinds of photographs. You might start by looking at the collections listing - follow the link on the welcome page after you sign in:

 Some of the collections that you might find appropriate for this assignment include the incredible Magnum collection, the George Eastman House collection, and the Museum of the City of New York collection. Sites documenting architecture and the environment would also be appropriate. The main point is to familiarize yourself with the resources so enjoy browsing through some great images.

 

 

 Here's a photograph I found browsing the Museum of the City of New York's Byron photographs:

 

Photograph by Byron Company (New York, N.Y.) of the Criterion Theatre, 1514-16 Broadway, "Beggar on Horseback". ca. 1924. Museum of the City of New York (93.1.3.159)