A second-generation portrait
photographer, Zalman Kaplan documented his family and the people living in the
small, prosperous town of Szczucyn, Poland. This image is of Kaplan's wife
Ethel (seated on the right), his son Marvin, and two daughters, Regina (in the
white dress) and Fanya. Kaplan's other son, Philip, to whom this photograph was
sent, was away in the army.

Until the 1930s, Kaplan completed
all sittings by natural light. His interior studio was fitted with large
skylights and windows to allow for the extensive light necessary for making
portraits. It was also furnished with props, including elaborately painted backdrops
and drapes. A courtyard was used for making outdoor portraits, and the
negatives, on glass plates, were contact printed in daylight.

This photograph is a testament to
Kaplan's ability to make beautiful prints under relatively harsh conditions.
The print has a glowing quality that belies the natural lighting and approaches
the surface richness often found in platinum photographs. The quality of the
image is enhanced by the delicate retouching Kaplan and his daughters used, as necessary,
on all of Kaplan's negatives.

Kaplan's son Marvin changed his
name, in 1929, to Kaye Marvins and became a third-generation portrait
photographer. Marvins and his brother Philip were the only family members to
survive the invasion of Poland in 1939.