Berenice Abbott, 1898-1991Penn Station Interior, New York City, July, 19361936
1936
About the Item
- Creator:Berenice Abbott, 1898-1991 (1898-1991, American)
- Creation Year:1936
- Dimensions:Height: 16 in (40.64 cm)Width: 20 in (50.8 cm)
- Medium:
- Period:
- Condition:
- Gallery Location:New York, NY
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU118526014692
Berenice Abbott, 1898-1991
While photographer Berenice Abbott has wrongly never been heralded as one of the defining giants of 20th-century photography, she is widely known, indeed celebrated, for her iconic portraits of some of the most glamorous denizens of 1920s bohemian Paris.
And although less familiar, Abbott’s photos of the deserted streets, aging tenements and rising office towers of Depression-era New York have been critically recognized as nothing short of groundbreaking. Additionally, her relatively obscure work as a science photographer has received an admiring reappraisal in recent years. Recognized for having dramatically advanced the medium’s aesthetics and techniques (earning four patents along the way), not to mention the ambition of her subject matter — the principle laws of physics — she has been favorably compared to two early masters of modernist experimentation: her mentor Man Ray and László Moholy Nagy.
In 1918, at just 19, freckled, androgynous and with cropped hair, Abbott fell in with a crowd that included the lesbian writer and illustrator Djuna Barnes and the Dadaists Man Ray and Marcel Duchamp. They encouraged her to follow them to Paris and study with the renowned sculptor Antoine Bourdelle. Unable to pay for her training, and barely surviving, Abbott took a job as Man Ray’s assistant. The miracles of the darkroom quickly converted her to photography, as did her paycheck, and Man Ray tutored her in its fundamentals.
By 1926, Abbott had set up her own studio with backing from Peggy Guggenheim, the American heiress and art patron. André Gide, Jean Cocteau, Janet Flanner and James Joyce were among the luminaries and socialites who came for sittings. Her subversive lens made for riveting portraits.
A number of Abbott’s images of New York appear to have been shot by drone or, in the technological equivalent for the day, a dirigible. They actually entailed her stationing herself precariously on the rooftops and ledges of the skyscrapers along Wall Street and Midtown.
That feat recalls the famous photograph of Abbott’s contemporary and fellow Ohioan Margaret Bourke-White taking a shot of the New York skyline astride one of the metallic eagle heads atop the Chrysler building. One can only wonder if a photograph of Abbott in a similarly heroic pose would have helped her recognition as the trailblazing documentarian she was.
Find Berenice Abbott photography on 1stDibs.
- ShippingRetrieving quote...Ships From: New York, NY
- Return PolicyA return for this item may be initiated within 7 days of delivery.
- Fulton Street Fish Market, New York City, circa 1930By Berenice Abbott, 1898-1991Located in New York, NYCa. 1930 Gravure print from The Limited Editions Club edition of The Bottom of the Harbor, Joe Mitchell Image: 5 x 6 inches UnsignedCategory
1930s Other Art Style Black and White Photography
MaterialsSilver Gelatin, Photogravure
- Visiones Marinas, MexicoBy Flor GarduñoLocated in New York, NY2019 Gelatin silver print, vintage 16 x 20 in. Signed in pencil on versoCategory
2010s Black and White Photography
MaterialsSilver Gelatin
- Penn Station Interior, New York City, July 1936By Berenice Abbott, 1898-1991Located in New York, NY1936 Silver print mounted on 20x24-inch ragboard 16 x 20 in. Stamped "Berenice Abbott, Abbott Village, Maine 04406"Category
1930s Black and White Photography
MaterialsSilver Gelatin
- Pyramid of Khephren, EgyptBy Marilyn BridgesLocated in New York, NY1993 (printed later) Gelatin silver print 20 x 24 in. Signed in pencil on versoCategory
1990s Black and White Photography
MaterialsSilver Gelatin
- El Perro VeinteBy Manuel Alvarez BravoLocated in New York, NY1958 Gelatin silver print, printed later 7 1/2 x 8 3/4 in. Artist's signature in pencil on versoCategory
1950s Other Art Style Black and White Photography
MaterialsSilver Gelatin
- Flatiron Building, New York City, 1938By Berenice Abbott, 1898-1991Located in New York, NY1938 Silver print on 16 x 20-inch mount 11 x 14 in. Signed and stamped Berenice AbbottCategory
1930s Other Art Style Black and White Photography
MaterialsSilver Gelatin
- GOAT: A Tribute to Muhammad Ali - CHAMPS EditionBy Jeff KoonsLocated in Long Island City, NYArtist 1: Jeff Koons, American (1954 - ) Artist 2: Howard L. Bingham, American (1939 - ) Title: GOAT: A Tribute to Muhammad Ali - CHAMPS Edition Book: Hardcover Book in Clamshell Box, signed and numbered on Frontispiece by Artists and Muhammad Ali Koons Sculpture Title: Radial Champs Sculptures: Blow Up Dolphin, Tire Sculpture...Category
Early 2000s Pop Art Figurative Sculptures
MaterialsSilver Gelatin, Wood, Acrylic Polymer
- Ozzy Osbourne and Andy WarholBy Andy WarholLocated in Belgravia, London, LondonUnique Gelatin Silver Print Paper size: 8 x 10 inches Framed size: 23.75 x 25.25 inches Provenance: Private collection, New York This work originates from the Estate of Andy Warhol, and thence, the Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts. This work comes with a certificate of provenance and an entry into the Catalogue Raisonne held by the Warhol Foundation.Category
20th Century Modern Black and White Photography
MaterialsSilver Gelatin
- Simon Le BonBy Andy WarholLocated in Belgravia, London, LondonGelatin Silver Print Paper size: 10 x 8 inches Framed size: 26.5 x 22.5 inches Dated 'Apr 29 1982' on the reverse Provenance: Private collection, New York This work originates from the Estate of Andy Warhol, and thence, the Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts. This work comes with a certificate of provenance and an entry into the Catalogue Raisonne held by the Warhol Foundation.Category
20th Century Modern Black and White Photography
MaterialsSilver Gelatin
- Photographs and Etchings, Jim Dine and Lee Friedlander Portfolio 1969By Jim DineLocated in Long Island City, NYArtist: Jim Dine, American (1935 - ) and Lee Friedlander, American (1934 - ) Title: Photographs and Etchings Year: 1969 Medium: Portfolio of 16 Diptychs of Gelatin Silver Prints and ...Category
1960s Contemporary More Prints
MaterialsEtching, Silver Gelatin
- Lightning Strikes, New Mexico 2014Located in Santa Fe, NMSir Roger Deakins, Cinematographer and Photographer. Byways, Damiani Books. Lightning Strikes, New Mexico 2014, available in several sizes, please inquire.Category
2010s Landscape Photography
MaterialsSilver Gelatin
- Alfred StieglitzBy Imogen CunninghamLocated in Santa Fe, NMThe image of Alfred Stieglitz standing in front of Black Iris III painted by Georgia O'Keeffe in 1926. When Imogen Cunningham took this picture in 1934, the painting was hanging in S...Category
Mid-20th Century Portrait Photography
MaterialsSilver Gelatin