The Letterbox

1894, printed 1895/1896

Alfred Stieglitz

Associated Names
Alfred Stieglitz

Artist, American, 1864 - 1946

Two young girls stand side by side. The taller girl on the right is reaching up to a wall-mounted mailbox, holding a letter, while the shorter girl on the left looks on. Both wear traditional dresses, have hair tied back, and are barefoot. The taller girl has braided hair, and the younger one has a similar hairstyle. The background displays an exterior building wall, open windows with shutters, and an older man peeking out from one of the windows. The mailbox is decorated at the top and labeled "Pöst [unreadable] Kasten." The setting seems to be outdoors against the building's wall, with a dirt ground.
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Artwork overview

  • Medium

    platinum print

  • Credit Line

    Patrons' Permanent Fund

  • Dimensions

    image: 21.2 × 16.5 cm (8 3/8 × 6 1/2 in.)
    page size: 34 × 27.3 cm (13 3/8 × 10 3/4 in.)

  • Accession Number

    2006.3.1.9

  • Volume Title

    Sun Prints, 5

Associated Artworks

See all 25 artworks
The image depicts a man in formal attire. He has a serious expression, a mustache, and light-colored, styled back hair. He is wearing a dark suit with a vest, a white shirt, and a dark bow tie. The background is plain.

My Father

Alfred Stieglitz

1894

The image depicts a countryside landscape with a horizon near the upper third, showing trees and buildings. The picture appears to be a photograph with a monochromatic color palette of grey and brown. In the foreground, a white cow grazes next to a small wooden fence. Clusters of trees and fences lead towards the horizon, where residential buildings are nestled among them. More rooftops and trees can be seen in the distance against a sky with clouds.

Outskirts of Paris

Alfred Stieglitz

1894

The image shows a boy sitting on a set of stone steps. He has short, curly hair and a serious expression. He is wearing a worn jacket over a shirt with missing buttons, and his pants are rolled up on one leg. The background has a textured wall.

Venetian Gamin

Alfred Stieglitz

1894

Artwork history & notes

Provenance

Alfred Stieglitz; Selma Stieglitz Schubard; private collection; private collection; NGA purchase 2006.

Associated Names

Inscriptions

on interleaving tissue, lower right, in graphite: "The Letterbox"

Wikidata ID

Q64037608

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