Online Archive of University of Virginia Scholarship
Framing the City: Documentary Photography in 1930s New York City643 views
Author
Schnurr, Kathleen, Architectural History - School of Architecture, University of Virginia
Advisors
Wilson, Richard, Department of Architectural History, University of Virginia
Abstract
This thesis examines three documentary photographs of the Williamsburg Bridge in 1930s New York City, with the goal of exploring the way photographs were used to communicate a view of urbanism and the built environment. These photographs were produced by Eugene de Salignac, Berenice Abbott, and inspectors from the Tenement House Department to serve as visual records and relate information. The Williamsburg Bridge anchors the discussion in a common subject, to allow the diverging uses and intentions of each photograph to emerge. These photographs reveal highly individualized interpretations of an evolving urban landscape, subject to shifts from social, political, economic, and architectural changes.
Degree
MARH (Master of Architectural History)
Keywords
Berenice Abbott; Eugene de Salignac; New York City; Williamsburg Bridge; Tenement House Department; Great Depression; documentary photography
Language
English
Rights
All rights reserved (no additional license for public reuse)
Schnurr, Kathleen. Framing the City: Documentary Photography in 1930s New York City. University of Virginia, Architectural History - School of Architecture, MARH (Master of Architectural History), 2015-04-30, https://doi.org/10.18130/V3GQ2N.
