Morris Engel (American, 1918-2005)
Shoeshine Boy with Cop, 14th Street, New York, 1947
- Gelatin silver print
- 13 5/16 x 10 3/8 in. (33.8 x 26.4 cm)
- The Jewish Museum, New York
- Purchase: Photography Acquisitions Committee Fund, 2000-63
Not on view
Shoeshine Boy with Cop, 14th Street, New York
Shoeshine Boy with Cop, 14th Street, New York
- Describe how the space of the composition is divided. Where do you see vertical lines repeated?
- Describe the facial expression of the young man sitting at the left of the image.
- Why might the photographer have chosen to capture the main action of the scene in the reflection of the mirrored wall rather than snapping an image of it directly?
[The cops may have stopped him from doing so; it better evokes the sense of stumbling upon action in the city; it gives a broader sense of the setting this way; it allows you to simultaneously see people’s reactions/non-reactions, etc.] - What do you imagine may have happened just before this photograph was taken? What do you think might happen next?