American Portraits 1979 - 1986

By Leon Borensztein

After immigrating to the United States from Poland, Leon Borensztein got a fly-by-night job as a traveling portrait photographer, visiting homes and businesses across the country and making portraits in the style of the Sears Portrait Studios for working-class clientele. During these sessions, Borensztein would set up a generic backdrop behind the subject, while moving the camera back far enough so that the camera captured glimpses of the subjects' personal spaces or belongings. The resulting body of work provides a rich sociological document; individually, these are some of the most compelling and touching portraits of their time. Leon Borenzstein is an internationally renowned photographer whose work has appeared in Life, Harper's, The New York Times Magazine, and Vogue International. His photographs can be found in the collections of major museums such as the Art Institute of Chicago, Biblioteque Nationale, Paris, Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, and the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art. The recipient of a Guggenheim Memorial Fellowship, Borensztein lives and works in Oakland, California.

Item Number: B8045

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Product Information:
Images: 60 duotone plates
92 pages
Hardcover, 11 x 13 in