42nd Street, Midget Movies, New York
| Artist | Louis Faurer (American, 1916–2001) |
|---|---|
| Title | 42nd Street, Midget Movies, New York |
| Date | Ca. 1948, printed 1990s |
| Medium | Gelatin silver print |
| Dimensions | Image: 12 1/4 × 8 3/16 in. (31.1 × 20.8 cm) Sheet: 14 × 11 in. (35.6 × 27.9 cm) |
| Credit Line | Gift of Harvey Osterhoudt, Eskenazi Museum of Art, Indiana University |
| Accession Number | 99.32 |
| This artwork is currently off display. You may be able to see this artwork by filling out an art viewing room request. | |
A man seen from behind hunched over a five cent arcade titled "Midget Movies." His reflection is partially visible to the left of the image.
Although Louis Faurer began his career as a fashion photographer, he is best known for his New York City street scenes—particularly Times Square at night. Following in the documentary tradition of the New York Photo League, Faurer combined a gritty objectivity with a humane approach to his subjects. It was, however, his sense of irony—such as the macabre disappearance of the man’s head in this picture–which appealed to younger street photographers like Robert Frank (with whom Faurer shared a darkroom), Diane Arbus, and Lee Friedlander. Faurer’s voyeuristic approach enabled him to explore some of the psychological tensions and contradictions found in American society.
Provenance research is ongoing for this and many other items in the Eskenazi Museum of Art permanent collection. For more information about the provenance of this artwork, please contact the department curator with specific questions.
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"42nd Street, Midget Movies, New York | Collections Online." Collections Online. Sidney and Lois Eskenazi Museum of Art, Indiana University, 2025. https://artmuseum.indiana.edu/collections-online/browse/object.php?number=99.32