Jerome Liebling (1924-2011)

Women at Parade, New York
1947
11” x 14”
Gelatin Silver Print
Gift of Gerald Lotenberg ‘49, 2001

My name is Sam and I am a graduate student in Baruch’s Arts Administration program. Women at Parade, New York is a black and white photograph depicting four older women observing an unknown parade in New York City. We do not see the parade, only the four women. The two women on the left appear to be talking to each other while the two on the right look onward. Each woman holds something in her lap. From left to right it is a purse, an umbrella, a coat, and another purse. Jerome Liebling grew up in Brooklyn the son of Jewish immigrants from Europe. His goal as a photographer was, “to figure out where the pain was, to show things that people wouldn’t see unless I was showing them.” His poignant and unflinching portraits of people counter directly to the mundane and brutal bruising sustained during the Depression and further on. While some may not see the significance of these women, Liebling stated, “my sympathies have always been with the everyday people. They are the center of my photography.”