Pennsylvania Station

Public Domain

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Images(2)

Artist Drahomir Josef Ružicka(American, born Bohemia, 1870–1960)American, born Bohemia, 1870–1960

CultureAmerican

Titles

Pennsylvania Station

Date1921

Place depictedNew York City, New York, United States

MediumGelatin silver print

DimensionsImage: 13 1/8 × 10 1/8 in. (33.3 × 25.7 cm)
Sheet: 13 1/8 × 10 1/8 in. (33.3 × 25.7 cm)

Credit LineGift of Mike and Mickey Marvins

Object number2014.953

Not on view

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Department

Photography

Special Collections

Marvins Family Collections

Object Type

PHOTOGRAPHS

DescriptionWhile practicing medicine in New York City, Drahomír Josef Růžička was also a serious amateur photographer. He was a member of the Pictorial Photographers of America and regularly exhibited his photographs in its annual salons. A naturalized American, Ru˚žicˇka returned frequently to his native Czechoslovakia in the 1920s and 1930s, opening discussions about shifts in American photographic aesthetics and instigating parallel shifts in Czechoslovakia. He used soft-focus lenses, which added a romantic flavor to his images, and was particularly known for his mastery of dramatic light situations. His photograph of Pennsylvania Station, one of his most famous, is a classic example of his style.
ProvenanceAuction; purchased by Michael Marvins and Michele Marvins, Houston; given to MFAH, 2014.
Exhibition History“A Photographer’s Collection: Gifts from Michael and Michele Marvins,” The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, April 4–July 5, 2015.

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