Scanned from a slide by Adam Pape. Color corrected by Pat Cagney.

Woman and Cigarette Holder, Waldorf, Astoria, New York

Artist William Klein (American, b. 1928)

Date1955

MediumGelatin silver print

DimensionsOverall, Image: 15 5/8 × 11 15/16 in. (39.7 × 30.3 cm)
Overall, Support: 21 15/16 × 17 15/16 in. (55.7 × 45.6 cm)
Overall, Mat: 23 15/16 × 19 15/16 in. (60.8 × 50.6 cm)

ClassificationsPhotography

Credit LineMuseum purchase in memory of Alice R. and Sol B. Frank

Object number92.16.1

Terms

Woman
Smoking

On View

Not on view

DescriptionThis is a vintage gelatin silver print, which means it was made at about the same time as the negative.

Label TextWilliam Klein American (b. 1928) Woman and Cigarette Holder, Waldorf, New York, 1955 Gelatin-silver print Purchase, Horace W. Goldsmith Fund 92.16.1 Though his mastery of the 35mm medium may be compared to Henri Cartier-Bresson's, William Klein was much more interested in the photographer's effect on situations than the willfully invisible Cartier-Bresson. Klein's provocative and grittily engaging "street photography" challenged traditions of elegance, discretion, and formal quality. His books - New York (1956), Rome (1958), Moscow (1962), and Tokyo (1964) - resemble psychological portraits of cities more than photojournalistic documentation. This photograph was made while Klein worked for Vogue (1955-65), a body of work that expanded the boundaries of fashion photography. Edited By: GLY Edited Date: 11/07/2003