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Girl at Gee’s Bend

Arthur Rothstein

Artwork Details

Girl at Gee’s Bend
1937, printed 1975
Arthur Rothstein
gelatin silver print on paper
19 15/16 in x 15 15/16 in (50.6 cm x 40.5 cm);24 1/8 in x 20 1/16 in (61.3 cm x 51 cm)
Museum purchase made possible by the W. Hawkins Ferry Fund
2000/2.5

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Description

Subject Matter:

Arthur Rothstein worked as the first hired photographer for the Farm Security Administration and is considered among America's premier photojournalists. Throughout his career, he photographed a range of subjects with social commentary being a primary concern. One of his early projects was photographing tenancies in 1937 and effects of the Resettlement Administration in the South. This photograph of a young girl at Gee's Bend, Alabama, illustrates the living conditions of the settlements, while also providing a moving commentary on social inequality through the framing of the young girl next to a newspaper advertisement of a prosperous blonde, white woman. 

Physical Description:

A photograph of a young girl looking out of a window in a log cabin. The inside of the wooden window is pasted with newspaper advertisements.

Usage Rights:

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