The Street – Design for a Poster
Alfred Stieglitz
Description
As Stieglitz photographed New York’s transformation into the modern cosmopolitan center, he spent much time working at the street level. He undertook challenges photographing the city under adverse conditions, in rain, in snow, and at night. In some instances, Stieglitz’s original negative included a much larger scene than was finally reproduced. A strong appreciation of Japanese aesthetics can be found in this image. The white expanse of the snowy street to the left is balanced by the dark silhouettes of the horse-drawn cab and tree to the right. This beautifully balanced composition is further enhanced by the overlay of Japanese rice paper that frames the image.
Carole McNamara, Assistant Director for Collections & Exhibitions
on the occasion of the exhibition New York Observed: The Mythology of the City
(July 13 – September 22, 2003)
Subject Matter:
In this photograph, horses pull carraiges up and down the street as one figure walks toward the camera on the sidewalk. Due to the soft focus and snowy weather, the scene is rendered in soft tones, resulting in an idyllic scene of city life. This photograph depicts at cityscape at 30th Street and Fifth Avenue, close to Savoy Hotel, where Alfred Stieglitz resided with his wife at that time, Emmeline Obermeyer. Stieglitz used a Bausch & Lomb Extra Rapid Universal lens to take this photograph and won the grand prize of $300 in the “Bausch & Lomb Quarter-Century Competition” in 1903. It was the first of his photographs published in his publication Camera Work and went on to be exhibited many times in the United States and Europe.
Physical Description:
A winter city scene with figures walking on snow-covered streets and riding horse-drawn carriages.
Usage Rights:
If you are interested in using an image for a publication, please visit https://umma.umich.edu/request-image/ for more information and to fill out the online Image Rights and Reproductions Request Form.