Jerome Liebling
Boys Playing in an Abandoned Building
1947
Paper Mat: 20” X 16”
Gelatin Silver Print
Gift of Gerald Lotenberg ’49, 2001

Harlem born photographer, Jerome Liebling, is well known for his candid shots of New York City. In 1947 Liebling joined The Photo League, a group of socially conscious photographers, who wandered throughout New York City capturing the cities unseen corners.

In the black and white photograph, Boys Playing in an Abandoned Building, Liebling captures one of those hidden moments in New York. The photograph features five white children playing on a boarded building. Together the boys stand proudly above the city street that lies beneath them. The three boys in the forefront of the photo, smile largely, they lean their bodies against the wooden barricades. There are two other boys who stand behind the wooden barricades, they use the top of the fencing to rest their heads on their shoulders. The group of children, who likely lived in poverty, use the city streets and buildings to create adventures for themselves throughout the day.

Jerome Liebling passed away in Northhampton, Massachusetts in 2011. Throughout his life he received numerous awards and today he is celebrated for his works. Many prestigious institutions have decided to purchase Liebling works for their collections, some of these institutions include the Modern Museum of Art, Boston Museum of Fine Arts, the Corcoran Gallery and The Jewish Museum.