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Where was this taken?

Aaron Siskind's photograph shows everyday life in Harlem in the 1930's. Siskind was interested in using documentary photography to highlight and push for social change.

To me, it really shows an urban woman taking control of her life and surroundings. What do you see in this work?

I see positive assertiveness.

Absolutely! The woman here really grabs our attention and seems so very realistic.

Although Siskind was trying to bring attention to the social issues in Harlem at the time, such as poverty, she isn't really shown as someone who's downtrodden by her struggle. I like her confident pose and the way her body is framed by the window.

Furnished room? Aaron Siskind? Tell me more!

Oh my, I love that Siskind photograph so much. It shows a random, everyday life scene in 1930s Harlem, but it's like the rest of the neighborhood (and the world even!) doesn't exist: all you see is the boy, the woman, and the shadowy face in the window.

It's the kind of perfect snapshot of normal life in New York that one gets after living here for a while. Siskind himself was born on Manhattan's Lower East Side and studied uptown at City College.

Street Scene 2

Aaron Siskind

Photography

Taken in 1940, these photographs capture women in Harlem who rejected the limitations of domesticity. In Street Scene 2, there is a clear assertiveness about the standing woman, with her left arm holding a stack of newspapers and her right hand on her hip. In Lady and Lamp, the subject’s reclining posture and distanced gaze are juxtaposed with her formal attire, suggesting the need to unwind after a long day of work.

Like other New York City neighborhoods at the time, Harlem was still recovering from poverty, overcrowding, and other devastating symptoms of the Great Depression. Details in these photographs, such as the ripped fabric on the arms of the chair and the “Furnished Room” si, hint gently at the harsh conditions that these modern urban women were up against.

ARTIST Aaron Siskind, American, 1903–1991

MEDIUM Gelatin silver print

DATES 1940

DIMENSIONS Sheet: 13 7/8 x 10 7/8 in. Image: 10 3/4 x 8 1/2 in.

SIGNATURE Signed lower right: "Aaron Siskind"

COLLECTIONS Photography

ACCESSION NUMBER 1989.193.12

CREDIT LINE Gift of Dr. Daryoush Houshmand

MUSEUM LOCATION This item is not on view

RECORD COMPLETENESS

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