When photographic Modernism took hold in the 1920s, its sharp, unadorned style forcefully rejected the soft-focus, painterly look of Pictorialism. The new movement dismissed its predecessor as outdated and misguided, pushing Pictorialism to the margins of sentimental poor taste.

Doris Ulmann felt the loss of an imagined simpler time and tried to preserve it with her camera. In addition to her subject matter, she preserved time honored print processes that lent a tactile depth and muted subtlety to her clear, modernist compositions resulting in a singular pictorial voice that both honored the past and embraced the future. Her portraits capture lives of dignity and resilience at a time of hardship. These are not nostalgic curiosities but plainspoken encounters with Depression-era Americans whom Ulmann approached with openness and respect, elevating overlooked lives through quiet strength and the enduring beauty of platinum and photogravure.

Pencil signature "Doris Ulmann" lower right, printed by the artist, original mat having pencil inscription on verso including description.