Aaron Siskind

Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters

Maker

Aaron Siskind (American, 1903-1991), (RISD Faculty 1971-1976, Photography)

Title

Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters
from the series "Harlem Document"

Year

1932-1940

Medium

Materials/Techniques

Techniques

Dimensions

Image: 14 x 23.5 cm (5 1/2 x 9 1/4 inches)

Credit / Object Number

Credit

Gift of Matrix Publications, Inc. and Alpha Partners

Object Number

83.031.38

Type

Exhibition History

Collective Recollection
Jul 27, 2018 – Jan 20, 2019

Label copy

Here a gentle tension is created by the figures meeting the gaze of the camera with apparent distrust. This photograph depicts the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters, the first labor organization led by African Americans to receive a charter from the American Federation of Labor. Aaron Siskind was a young white photographer working with the Photo League, a left-leaning social-documentary group in New York, when he produced the series Harlem Document. Although Siskind intended these photographs to advocate for improved living conditions, they were often used in ways that reinforced negative stereotypes about the neighborhood.

Image use

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In copyright This object is in copyright

Tombstone

Aaron Siskind (American, 1903-1991)
Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters; from the series "Harlem Document", 1932-1940
Gelatin silver print
Image: 14 x 23.5 cm (5 1/2 x 9 1/4 inches)
Gift of Matrix Publications, Inc. and Alpha Partners 83.031.38

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