W. Eugene Smith
The Thread Maker

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Artist W. Eugene SmithAmerican, 1918–1978

CultureAmerican

Titles

The Thread Maker
from the series Spanish Village

Date1950

PlaceSpain

MediumGelatin silver print

DimensionsImage: 9 1/4 × 6 11/16 in. (23.5 × 17 cm)
Sheet: 9 1/4 × 6 11/16 in. (23.5 × 17 cm)
Mount: 18 × 14 in. (45.7 × 35.6 cm)

Credit LineMuseum purchase funded by the Museum Collectors

Object number85.112

Not on view

Explore Further

Department

Photography

Object Type

PHOTOGRAPHS

DescriptionOne of the most influential photojournalists of the 20th century, W. Eugene Smith pioneered the form of the photo essay as we know it today. A Life photographer from 1939 through 1955, he spent weeks immersing himself in the lives of his subjects to develop an intimacy that captured an essential truth. Smith crafted complex stories that spanned many pages to engage the viewer, forging emotional connections and inspiring social consciousness. His 1950 photo essay “Spanish Village,” documenting the hardships and rhythms of daily life in rural Spain under General Francisco Franco’s dictatorship, was one of his most famous.
Provenance[Charles Isaacs Photographs, Inc., Malvern, Pennsylvania]; purchased by MFAH, 1985.
Exhibition History"Patrons Choice: The Silver Anniversary of The Museum Collectors, The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston," The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, September 18, 2004 - January 30, 2005. Millennium Gallery and Public Corridor.

“Made for Magazines: Iconic 20th-Century Photographs,” The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, February 9–May 4, 2014.
Inscriptions, Signatures and Marks

verso top right corner in pencil " FF "
upper center " for Al Woolley / Spanish Village : Spinner "
upper right POLLACK[scratched through] "
lower center " Vlly 1967 / PERHAPS BEST PRINT "

verso upper center a stamp " THIS PHOTOGRAPH TAKEN AND COPYRIGHTED / CREDIT / © W.EUGENE SMITH "
a second stamp " THIS PHOTOGRAPH MAY NOT BE / REPRODUCED WITHOUT WRITTEN CONSENT OF / W.EUGENE SMITH "
a third stamp boxed in ink with ink additions " COLLECTION OF / A.E.WOOLLEY, PhD / 803 EDGEMOOR ROAD / CHERRY HILL, NEW JERSEY 08034 "

Cataloguing data may change with further research.

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