The Cleveland Museum of Art

Collection Online as of March 29, 2023

Men Seated on Park Bench, New York City

1936

Ilse Bing

(American, 1899–1998)

America

Vintage gelatin silver print

Image: 28.2 x 24.9 cm (11 1/8 x 9 13/16 in.); Paper: 28.2 x 24.9 cm (11 1/8 x 9 13/16 in.); Mounted: 41.6 x 34.9 cm (16 3/8 x 13 3/4 in.)

Gift of George Stephanopoulos 2016.455

© Estate of Ilse Bing

Location

not on view

Description

France and the United States were still enduring the Great Depression in 1936. In the United States, while most of the major economic indicators had returned to the levels of the prosperous late 1920s, unemployment remained high. These men may be office workers on a break, enjoying a pleasant spring afternoon in the park, or among the many citizens who still could not find a job.

Inscriptions

Inscription

Commercially imprinted on verso of photograph: “Agfa-Brovira” Written in pencil on verso of photograph: “IB238CNY 2/8/92” Written in black ink on recto of photograph: “Ilse Bing/1936” Written in pencil on verso of mount: “IB238CNY 2/8/92” Written in pencil on verso of mount: “NY130” Written in pencil on verso of mount: “BE023”

Ilse Bing

American and German photographer, born 1899 or 1900, died 1998
Exhibition history

Ilse Bing: Queen of the Leica. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (March 7-October 11, 2020).

Source URL: https://www.clevelandart.org/art/2016.455