With the impending dissolution of the Photo League and failure of PM newspaper where he was a staff photographer, Morris Engel used his free time to document the life of a shoeshine boy who lived on East 10th Street. The series ultimately earned Engel a position at Ladies Home Journal and an assignment entitled How America Lives. Though the main subject of this photograph is the shoeshine boy—here addressed by a police officer—it also effectively captures the dynamism and diversity of the New York City streets.
		Morris Engel (b. 1918) Shoeshine Boy with Cop, 1947 Vintage gelatin-silver print, mounted on masonite, 13 _ x 10 _ in. (33.7 x 26 cm) The Jewish Museum, New York. Museum purchase, Photography Acquisitions Committee Fund, 2000-63 © Morris Engel