The Letterbox

1894

Alfred Stieglitz

Associated Names
Alfred Stieglitz

Artist, American, 1864 - 1946

This is a photograph of two children in traditional clothing mailing a letter. The scene depicts two young girls standing by a wall-mounted mailbox. The older one is on her tiptoes reaching up to post a letter while the younger one watches. Both are barefoot and dressed in traditional, dark-colored dresses with white blouses underneath, adorned with intricate patterns. The mailbox features decorative elements and a painted illustration. The stone wall behind them has windows with shutters, one of which is open, revealing a blurred figure observing the scene. The ground is slightly uneven, with small debris scattered about.

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Artwork overview

  • Medium

    platinum print

  • Credit Line

    Alfred Stieglitz Collection

  • Dimensions

    sheet (trimmed to image): 21.1 × 15.9 cm (8 5/16 × 6 1/4 in.)
    page size: 34.8 × 27 cm (13 11/16 × 10 5/8 in.)

  • Accession Number

    1949.3.155

  • Volume Title

    Sun Prints, 3

  • Stieglitz Estate Number

    61C

    Part of Stieglitz Key Set Online Edition

    Learn more

  • Key Set Number

    181

Associated Artworks

See all 29 artworks
There is an image of a man from the mid-torso up. He is turned slightly to the side but gazes directly at the viewer. The man has a full, thick beard and mustache, with short, wavy light-colored hair. He wears a dark coat with a high collar, buttoned at the front. There is no visible jewelry or objects being held. The background is plain and dark.

Professor Vogel

Alfred Stieglitz

1886

This photograph depicts an old stone building facade. The structure has a central archway with a balcony above it, adorned with potted plants. Clotheslines with drying laundry are visible. The stone walls appear weathered and textured. A cobblestone pathway adds to the historic feel. Wooden beams support the structure above the archway.

A Nook in Pallanza

Alfred Stieglitz

1887

The image displays a sepia-toned scene by a lakeside where women in period clothing wash clothes. The perspective is from the shoreline, showing the activities near the water. The overcast sky blends into distant mountains, which dominate the background. A large sailboat and smaller wooden boats are docked at the shore, with a man carrying a basket onboard. In the distance, a group of people stands by railings extending into the lake, lined with trees. The image has a muted tone with grey-scale, highlighting the historical aspect. The water reflects the sky, contrasting against the rocky shore.

Washerwomen at Lake Como

Alfred Stieglitz

1887

The image shows a man leaning his head on his hand, positioned with his face resting on his left hand. He has a mustache, thin-framed eyeglasses, and thick, greying hair that curls slightly at the edges. He is dressed in a formal jacket, a white shirt, and a black bow tie. The background is a soft, dark blur.

Alfred Stieglitz

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Artwork history & notes

Provenance

Georgia O'Keeffe; gift to NGA, 1949.

Associated Names

Bibliography

2002

  • Greenough, Sarah. Alfred Stieglitz: The Key Set: The Alfred Stieglitz Collection of Photographs. Washington, 2002: vol. 1, cat. 181.

Inscriptions

by Alfred Stieglitz, on interleaving tissue, lower right, in graphite: "The Letterbox."

Wikidata ID

Q64037757

Scholarly Remarks and Key Set Data

Remarks

For Stieglitz's description of Gutach, where this view was made, see Key Set number 171.

Other Collections

A print corresponding with this photograph can also be found in the following collection(s):

Collection of Michael Mattis and Judith Hochberg, New York (signed, titled, and dated on the overmat)

National Gallery of Art, Washington, 2006.3.1.9

Richard and Ellen Sandor Family Collection (inscribed: The Letterbox—Alfred Stieglitz / Original Platinum Print—1894)

Lifetime Exhibitions

A print from the same negative—perhaps a photograph from the Gallery’s collection—appeared in the following exhibition(s) during Alfred Stieglitz’s lifetime:

1895, Paris (no. 574, as La Boîte aux lettres, platinum)
1895, Bridgeport (as Letterbox)
1896, Berlin (as Am Briefkasten [The Letter Box])
1896, New York, The Camera Club of New York (as The Letter Box, lantern slide)
1897, New York, Knickerbocker (as The Letter Box, lantern slide)
1898, New York, American Institute (no. 184, as The Letter Box, silver medal)
1898, Philadelphia (no. 200, as The Letter-box)
1899, New York (no. 7, as The Letterbox, 1894–1899, platinum direct)
1934, New York (no. 14, as The Letterbox, 1894)

Lifetime Publications

A reproduction of this work appeared in the following publication(s) during Alfred Stieglitz’s lifetime:

The Photographic Times 26 (January 1895): opp. 1 (ill., A Happy New Year)

Picturesque Bits of New York and Other Studies (New York, 1897): unnumbered (ill., The Letter Box, photogravure)

Camera Notes 2:1 (July 1898): 11 (ill., untitled)

Charles DeKay, “The Photographer As Artist,” The New York Times Illustrated Magazine (4 June 1899): 7 (ill., The Letter Box)

Theodore Dreiser, “The Camera Club of New York,” Ainslee’s Magazine 4 (October 1899): 330 (ill., The Letter Box)

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