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Waiting Their Turn, Children’s Clinic, Moscow

Margaret Bourke-White

Artwork Details

Waiting Their Turn, Children’s Clinic, Moscow
1931; printed circa 1950s
Margaret Bourke-White
gelatin silver print on paper mounted on masonite
6 ft. 11 in. x 60 ft. (210.82 x 1828.8 cm)
Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Carl R. Withers
2003/2.74

Description

Subject Matter:

This photograph depicts women, men, and children sitting on a bench, all wearing coats and other clothing for cold weather. They wait in line at a children's clinic, sitting in front of a large-scale painting of Lenin, who stands with his hands in his pocket. Lenin's portrait is painted in a Socialist-Realist style. The hammer and sickle symbol repeats itself above the painting and in the background. The woman on the left holds the shoulders of one of her children. The child to the immediate right sits next to the man in the photograph, who, like Lenin above, also has his left hand in his pocket. Next to the man sits another woman, whose child appears to have a head injury as his head is heavily bandaged. This photograph was taken on Bourke-White's second trip to Soviet Russia, in which she focused on human interest articles for a series of six articles for The New York Times

Physical Description:

A photograph of people waiting in line to enter a children's clinic. There are two women, one man, and three children sitting on a bench in front of a large-scale painting of Lenin.

Usage Rights:

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