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Image Not Available for Being a salesman is easy. It's fun to manipulate people, to get a reaction, to find out where they're at. I used to be in mangagement; I hated it. All I want to do is sell furniture. Tri-Valley Area, Northern California
Being a salesman is easy. It's fun to manipulate people, to get a reaction, to find out where they're at. I used to be in mangagement; I hated it. All I want to do is sell furniture. Tri-Valley Area, Northern California
Image Not Available for Being a salesman is easy. It's fun to manipulate people, to get a reaction, to find out where they're at. I used to be in mangagement; I hated it. All I want to do is sell furniture. Tri-Valley Area, Northern California

Being a salesman is easy. It's fun to manipulate people, to get a reaction, to find out where they're at. I used to be in mangagement; I hated it. All I want to do is sell furniture. Tri-Valley Area, Northern California

Artist Bill Owens (American, born 1938)
CultureAmerican
Date1976
MediumGelatin silver print
Dimensions8 × 10 in. (20.3 × 25.4 cm)
SignedSigned in graphite on verso
PortfolioWorking
Credit LineGift of Dr. Daveed Frazier
Object number2021.62.77
Not on view
ProvenanceSold to Dr. Daveed Frazier from Michael Mattis, 2015 | Donated to Chrysler Museum of Art from Dr. Daveed Frazeir, 2021Published ReferencesIllustrated: Bill Owens: Working, fotofolio, 2008, p. 21 variant; Bill Owens: Working [I Do It For The Money], Simon and Schuster, 1977, pl. 43
Image Not Available for Being a broker is the old "buy'em low, sell 'em high game. After the one o'clock bell, brokers have fifteen minutes to close their market orders. This is done by shouting your bids and positioning your hands. Palms out means sell, palms in means buy. I can assure you it's a fun game to win. San Francisco, California
Bill Owens
Being a broker is the old "buy'em low, sell 'em high game. After the one o'clock bell, brokers have fifteen minutes to close their market orders. This is done by shouting your bids and positioning your hands. Palms out means sell, palms in means buy. I can assure you it's a fun game to win. San Francisco, California
1976
Image Not Available for The summer review "Broadway's Best" was held at the ampitheater. Learning my dance routine, getting my costume ready, and learning my sons was a lot of work. It's too bad the community didn't support our efforts. Attendance was poor. I guess people have other things to do, but we still had a great time putting on the performance. Tri-Valley Area, Northern California
Bill Owens
The summer review "Broadway's Best" was held at the ampitheater. Learning my dance routine, getting my costume ready, and learning my sons was a lot of work. It's too bad the community didn't support our efforts. Attendance was poor. I guess people have other things to do, but we still had a great time putting on the performance. Tri-Valley Area, Northern California
1969-1975
Image Not Available for I’m a train conductor. I love railroading, it's exciting. Each trip is different and I never know where I'm going. My dad and his brothers my wife, her dad and her brothers were all railroaders. It runs in the family
Bill Owens
I’m a train conductor. I love railroading, it's exciting. Each trip is different and I never know where I'm going. My dad and his brothers my wife, her dad and her brothers were all railroaders. It runs in the family
1975, printed 2006
Image Not Available for I’m a supervisor for a drayage company and tonight we're moving an oil-derrick platform. It's 116 feet long and weighs 186 tons. It will take us three hours to go six miles. I don't think I could work sitting at a desk. My next job will be moving oil-refinery equipment to Saudi Arabia. Tri-Valley Area, Northern California
Bill Owens
I’m a supervisor for a drayage company and tonight we're moving an oil-derrick platform. It's 116 feet long and weighs 186 tons. It will take us three hours to go six miles. I don't think I could work sitting at a desk. My next job will be moving oil-refinery equipment to Saudi Arabia. Tri-Valley Area, Northern California
1976
Photograph by Ed Pollard, Sony a7R II 2023.
Bill Owens
Leslie Salt worker harvesting salt. My job is now doomed as cheap salts are coming to America from all over the world. People don't know that most salt isn't used to eat but for the manufacturing of plastics. Tri-Valley Area, Northern California
1976
New photography by Shannon Ruff captured with a digital camera-2007.
Philp and Solomons, Washington, D.C.
What Do I Want, John Henry, Warrenton
November 1862
Image Not Available for (Skeet Shooters) My son Marc is the only serious black junior shooter in the Pacific International Trapshooting Association. I think trapshooting is a socially healthy sport, and if Marc becomes the best in his class, it would be good publicity fo the P.I.T.A. and for black people in gerneral. Tri-Valley Area, Northern California
Bill Owens
(Skeet Shooters) My son Marc is the only serious black junior shooter in the Pacific International Trapshooting Association. I think trapshooting is a socially healthy sport, and if Marc becomes the best in his class, it would be good publicity fo the P.I.T.A. and for black people in gerneral. Tri-Valley Area, Northern California
1969-1975
Image Not Available for I can take six months or more of on-the-job training to become a microelectronics assembly technician. Only young people can do this work as your eyes don't last. The circuit I'm working on is part of a guidance system for military aircraft. I ride horses an play tennis to relieve the tension
Bill Owens
I can take six months or more of on-the-job training to become a microelectronics assembly technician. Only young people can do this work as your eyes don't last. The circuit I'm working on is part of a guidance system for military aircraft. I ride horses an play tennis to relieve the tension
1976
Image Not Available for Like every body else, I am caught up in the rat race. I work eighty hours a week and with my real estate investments earn $100,000 a year. I just got divorced. In the insurance business, the public thinks we promise the moon but we can only deliver half a moon. Tri-Valley Area, Northern California
Bill Owens
Like every body else, I am caught up in the rat race. I work eighty hours a week and with my real estate investments earn $100,000 a year. I just got divorced. In the insurance business, the public thinks we promise the moon but we can only deliver half a moon. Tri-Valley Area, Northern California
1975
Photograph by Ed Pollard, Sony a7R II 2023.
Bill Owens
My dad always had a smile on his face so we named the company "Kruger & Sons, Home of the Happy Pickle." We are the most efficient pickle-packing plant on the West Coast, processing eight to ten million pounds of cucumbers each year. I started sorting pickles when I was ten years old. Dad would bring them home from work. Tri-Valley Area, Northern California
1975
New photography by Shannon Ruff captured with a digital camera-2007.
Maxfield Parrish
I Slid The Book Off Its Desk
1897
Image Not Available for Rotary started in 1905 when a number of businessmen formed a club for mutual helpfulness. The club location was to "Rotate" meetings and the name began. Today Rotary is a club built on four avenues of service, Club, Community, Vocational and International (752,000 members in 150 countries). Rotary is still growing and adds more than one new club to its membership each day. Tri-Valley Area, Northern California
Bill Owens
Rotary started in 1905 when a number of businessmen formed a club for mutual helpfulness. The club location was to "Rotate" meetings and the name began. Today Rotary is a club built on four avenues of service, Club, Community, Vocational and International (752,000 members in 150 countries). Rotary is still growing and adds more than one new club to its membership each day. Tri-Valley Area, Northern California
1969-1975
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