The Letterbox

1894, printed 1929/1934

Alfred Stieglitz

Associated Names
Alfred Stieglitz

Artist, American, 1864 - 1946

This is a photograph of two children interacting with a mailbox. The children are standing against the exterior wall of a building, with one child reaching up to the mailbox affixed to the wall. The mailbox has the words 'Psykbredkasten' and a decorative design. The wall is textured, with windows above the mailbox. The scene captures the interaction with a sense of curiosity and innocence associated with childhood. The photograph appears to be from an earlier era.

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Artwork overview

  • Medium

    gelatin silver print

  • Credit Line

    Alfred Stieglitz Collection

  • Dimensions

    sheet (trimmed to image): 22.3 x 16.8 cm (8 3/4 x 6 5/8 in.)
    mount: 34.6 x 27.1 cm (13 5/8 x 10 11/16 in.)

  • Accession Number

    1949.3.156

  • Stieglitz Estate Number

    61C

    Part of Stieglitz Key Set Online Edition

    Learn more

  • Key Set Number

    184

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. 184.

Inscriptions

by later hand, on mount, lower right verso, in graphite: F

Wikidata ID

Q64034718

Scholarly Remarks and Key Set Data

Remarks

For more information about this photograph, see Key Set number 181.

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

Stieglitz Collections

A corresponding print was given to the following institution(s) by Alfred Stieglitz during his lifetime, or was received or acquired from the estate:

Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library, Yale University, New Haven, YCAL MSS 85, box 123, folder 2462

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