Sid Grossman
Advance Division of the U. N. I. A. at 42 W. 133 St.

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Images(3)

Artist Sid Grossman(American, 1913–1955)American, 1913–1955

CultureAmerican

Titles

Advance Division of the U. N. I. A. at 42 W. 133 St.
from the series Harlem

DateMay-June, 1939

Place depictedNew York City, New York, United States

MediumGelatin silver print

DimensionsImage: 10 5/16 × 13 9/16 in. (26.2 × 34.5 cm)
Sheet: 10 5/16 × 13 5/8 in. (26.2 × 34.5 cm)

Credit LineMuseum purchase funded by Betty and Frederic Fleming

Object number81.117

Not on view

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Department

Photography

Object Type

PHOTOGRAPHS

Description

In 1936 Sid Grossman and Sol Libsohn cofounded the Photo League.
Grossman, like the League itself, was dedicated to photographing the everyday
lives of the working class, using his camera as a tool to illuminate the joys
and struggles found in New York City’s streets. The son of Austrian Jewish
immigrants, Grossman championed the medium as a social document. In 1939 he
began photographing

African American life in Harlem, capturing the vitality of its public
spaces. Grossman’s concern for the dignity of all people is evident in the beautifully
varied individuals and buildings captured in this scene.

ProvenanceMiriam Grossman Cohen; purchased by MFAH, 1981.
Inscriptions, Signatures and Marks

Inscribed in pencil, verso, top left: New York, Harlem, W.P.A./ / neg. in Mus. of City of // New York // p 3852-61 // A
Stamped in red and black ink, verso, lower right: Sid Grossman –PHOTO LEAGUE //
Inscribed in black ink, verso, lower right: 31 E. 21 St. // N.Y.C.
Inscribed in black ink, verso, bottom right edge: Harlem

Cataloguing data may change with further research.

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