Adlai Stevenson's Shoe

September 1, 1952

William M. Gallagher

Associated Names
William M. Gallagher

Artist, American, 1923 - 1975

Associated Press

Publisher

This is a photograph of two men seated on a leather chair or couch. The photograph has been taken from the floor level, looking up at the men. The man on the left appears to be reclining back with his legs crossed, dressed in dark pants and a dark shirt or jacket with a large watch or bracelet and several large rings. The man on the right takes up most of the photograph, with his head in the upper right corner and his feet in the bottom left. He wears light pants and a light shirt with dark dress shoes. His legs are crossed, and the bottom of one of his shoes is visible. The bottom of the shoe is worn and dusty, with a small hole. This man is looking through several papers he holds in his hands. Both men have pale skin and dark hair, and the man on the right appears slightly older than the man on the left, with a slightly receding hairline. The shoe of another person is visible in the bottom right corner, and the floor is dark wood. The photograph appears mostly black and white, although the wall behind the men is a teal color with patches of purple.
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Artwork overview

  • Medium

    gelatin silver print with applied color

  • Credit Line

    Gift of Mary and Dan Solomon

  • Dimensions

    image: 21.5 × 18.5 cm (8 7/16 × 7 5/16 in.)
    sheet: 21.5 × 20.6 cm (8 7/16 × 8 1/8 in.)

  • Accession Number

    2018.177.619

Artwork history & notes

Provenance

Catherine Ryan; Mary and Dan Solomon, Monarch Beach, CA; gift to NGA, 2018.

Associated Names

Inscriptions

retouching across recto in black, grey, and white paint; by unknown hand, center left in graphite perpendicular: 22; on verso, by unknown hand, top right in black ink: 83; upper left in graphite: latest / 3 col; upper left stamped in purple ink: DEAD; by unknown hand, upper center illegible and obscured printing notes in graphite circled; center left printed in black ink on applied newspaper perpendicular: This famous prize winning picture of Adlai Stevenson / was made in Flint, Mich., in 1952. It bared a worn shoe / sole at a Labor day [sic] rally. Stevenson was the Democratic / candidate for president in 1952. / --AP Wirephoto; center left stamped in red ink on applied newspaper perpendicular: TH JUL 15 1965 / SENTINEL; center printed in black ink on applied newspaper perpendicular: Here are the winners of Pulitzer prizes for the best newspaper cartoon and [crossed out in graphite] / news picture of 1952. Edward D. Kuekes of the Cleveland (Ohio) Plain Dealer [crossed out in graphite] / won the cartoon award for "Aftermath," showing two soldiers carrying a buddy [crossed out in graphite] / in a litter across a snowy battlefield. [crossed out in graphite] The news photography prize was won by / William M. Gallagher of the Flint (Mich.) Journal. His picture shows former / Gov. Adlai E. Stevenson [circled in graphite] campaigning for the presidency with a hole in his shoe.; center stamped in purple ink on applied newspaper perpendicular: MAY 5 1953; center Associated Press copyright stamp in red ink perpendicular; center right printed in black ink on applied newspaper perpendicular: --AP Wirephoto / Probably the most famous photograph of Stevenson was this 1952 cam- / paign picture of him with a hole in his shoe. It won a Pulitzer prize for / William Gallagher, photographer for the Flint (Mich.) Journal.; center right stamped in purple ink on applied newspaper perpendicular: WE JUL 14 1985 LAT 2; center right stamped in purple ink: DEAD; lower right: 1965 JUL 14 PM 12:28 / RECEIVING; by unknown hand, lower right in graphite perpendicular: 15066

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