New York City, circa 1940
Unique, mounted vintage gelatin silver print
Print: 7 ¾ × 5 ⅛ in.
Mount: 13 ¼ × 10 ⅞ in.
Inscribed on verso: "only 1" and "for Larry, Helen Levitt"
February 11, 2024
Helen Levitt's ability to capture fleeting moments of gesture was peerless. This photo contrasts the restless energy of the three wiry young boys with the strong yet stooped presence of the iceman who has placed two large (and no doubt rapidly melting) blocks of ice in front of them. This photo also captures a fleeting moment for New York City itself.
The iceman is as good a symbol as any for the ever-changing nature of the city. Lower income neighborhoods like East Harlem, or “El Barrio,” where Helen Levitt preferred to photograph, would have been among the last places in Manhattan to adopt electric refrigeration, air-conditioning, and television. A decade later, the theater of street life that Levitt celebrated and preserved for future generations had virtually disappeared, largely migrating indoors.
This unique print, from Laurence Miller's personal collection, was recently featured at El Museo del Barrio, in an energy-packed exhibition titled Something Beautiful—Reframing La Colección.
