ICP Exhibition Traces 80 Years of American Labor Through Photography
The 'American Job: 1940–2011' exhibition at the International Center of Photography in New York highlights organized labor in the United States through more than 130 black-and-white photographs. It begins with images from the mid-1940s, such as Arnold Eagle's 1944 work 'Changing Shift in a Shipyard' and visuals from the 1947 CIO rally. Women's contributions are emphasized with Seymour Snaer's 1947 strike photo, alongside pieces by Nina Leen and W. Eugene Smith. The civil rights movement is depicted through Ernest Withers' 1968 image of Memphis strikers and the activism of the United Packinghouse Workers. The narrative diminishes after the 1980s, concluding with Joseph Rodriguez's 'East Side Stories' and Accra Shepp's portraits from Occupy Wall Street. This exhibition is on view until May 5, 2025.
Key facts
- Exhibition 'American Job: 1940–2011' at International Center of Photography, New York
- Features over 130 gelatin silver prints from ICP's collection
- Chronologically surveys 80 years of American labor history
- Highlights women's role, including 1947 telephone workers strike
- Includes civil rights-era images by Ernest Withers
- Covers postwar strikes, 1980s decline, Occupy Wall Street
- Runs through May 5, 2025
- Contextualizes current high union support in the U.S.
Entities
Artists
- Arnold Eagle
- Seymour Snaer
- Nina Leen
- W. Eugene Smith
- Freda Leinwand
- Ernest Withers
- Joseph Rodriguez
- Accra Shepp
- Franklin D. Roosevelt
- Emmett Till
- Maude Callen
Institutions
- International Center of Photography
- Congress of Industrial Organisations
- National Federation for Telephone Workers
- United Packinghouse Workers of America
- Memphis Department of Public Works
- ArtReview
Locations
- New York
- United States
- South Carolina
- Mississippi
- Memphis
- Los Angeles
- Zuccotti Park
- Lower Manhattan