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Atlas— Frank #1, from the series "Working People"

A work made of gelatin silver print.

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  • A work made of gelatin silver print.

Date:

1978/79

Artist:

Milton Rogovin
American, born 1909–2011

About this artwork

Milton Rogovin was a lifelong champion of working and everyday people. “The rich have their photographers,” he said. “I photograph the forgotten ones.” An optometrist in Buffalo, New York, Rogovin was politically active, and he turned to photography in the late 1950s as a way to speak out about his community. Rogovin photographed people near his Lower West Side office, returning to photograph the same individuals over the decades, ultimately producing a body of work remarkable for its straightforward approach and sympathetic rapport. In 1975, Rogovin closed his optometry practice to photograph workers in Buffalo’s steel mills, contrasting images of labor to those of life at home. Here Rogovin shows Frank Andrzjewski, Jr., a steelworker at Atlas Steel who enjoyed spending time outdoors with his family. After Atlas Steel closed, Frank’s wife got a job and left the family, and he raised his two children alone.

Status

Currently Off View

Department

Photography and Media

Artist

Milton Rogovin

Title

Atlas— Frank #1, from the series "Working People"

Place

United States (Artist's nationality:)

Date  Dates are not always precisely known, but the Art Institute strives to present this information as consistently and legibly as possible. Dates may be represented as a range that spans decades, centuries, dynasties, or periods and may include qualifiers such as c. (circa) or BCE.

Made 1978–1979

Medium

Gelatin silver print

Dimensions

Image: 17.8 × 17.7 cm (7 1/16 × 7 in.); Paper: 25.1 × 20.2 cm (9 15/16 × 8 in.)

Credit Line

Gift of Pierre Cremieux and Denise Jarvinen in memory of James Wood

Reference Number

2012.858.1

Extended information about this artwork

Object information is a work in progress and may be updated as new research findings emerge. To help improve this record, please email . Information about image downloads and licensing is available here.

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