Symbols of Progress
Associated with the turn-of-the-century movement known as Pictorialism, in which photographers created softly focused, ethereal depictions of human figures and landscapes, Kemmler was one of many photographers who changed course to embrace the Machine Age. This photograph connects industrialism with progress and evokes a triumphant, even utopian—if rather impersonal—state of existence. Symbols of Progress celebrates the stark, sleek elegance of industrially produced forms, while its low vantage point accentuates their powerful reach toward the sky like cathedral spires.
Artwork Details
- Title: Symbols of Progress
- Artist: Florence Kemmler (American, 1900–1972)
- Date: ca. 1929
- Medium: Gelatin silver print
- Dimensions: 34.8 x 27.4 cm (13 11/16 x 10 13/16 in.)
- Classification: Photographs
- Credit Line: Ford Motor Company Collection, Gift of Ford Motor Company and John C. Waddell, 1987
- Object Number: 1987.1100.431
- Curatorial Department: Photographs
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