Figure 8
date: label: date made
content: before 1937
name: label: maker
content: Fassbender, Adolf
notes: label: Description
content: From <i>Pictorial Artistry: The Dramatization of the Beautiful in Photography</i>
label: Description
content: "Winter in Central Park, New York City. Early morning, only a few people realized that there would be ice and snow in the Park. The haze was lifting and I found this young lady busy making her perpetual Figure 8. Ice skating is real fun at the foot of the city skyscrapers. It is real fun, too, taking pictures on such an exhilarating morning, except for the comfort of my finger tips and toes.
label: Description
content: In the distance is Columbus Circle if one wishes to penetrate the thin haze which lingers like winter’s icy breath over the town.
label: Description
content: Composition:
label: Description
content: The open space between the figures and the tree in the foreground provides an excellent entrance to the wintry scene, which is enhanced by the interesting group of modern skyscrapers in the background. The tree on the lower right is most important in the balance of the composition. Also the slight darkening of the sky on the upper right, conveying the blue coming through, helps to add to the necessary weight at this point.
label: Description
content: Technical Problems:
label: Description
content: In the foreground there was a fence which had to be removed via retouching. Otherwise one would have to jump over the fence to reach the picture. The tree on the right was too light and had to be darkened via reduction on the negative. A texture was introduced in the printing to convey the feeling of the delicate haze, noticed when making the picture. The vicinity around the skating figure had to be lightened to distinguish the lady from her surroundings. The ice looked too dark, especially in the distance, and had to be brightened.
label: Description
content: Data:
label: Description
content: Camera: Jewell A 9x12cm
label: Description
content: Lens: Zeiss Tessar
label: Description
content: Stop: f.11
label: Description
content: Film: Agfa Super Plenachrome
label: Description
content: Filter: Light Yellow
label: Description
content: Exposure: 1/10, on tripod
label: Description
content: Print: 14x17 Tuma Gas, blue toned"
label: Description
content: by Adolf Fassbender, 1937
label: Location
content: Currently not on view
place: label: place made
content: United States: New York, New York City
setName: label: See more items in
content: Work and Industry: Photographic History
label: See more items in
content: Adolf Fassbender, Pictorial Artistry
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content: Photography
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of American History
identifier: label: ID Number
content: PG.004116.05
label: catalog number
content: 4116.05
label: accession number
content: 146001
objectType: label: Object Name
content: photograph
label: Object Name
content: photogravure
physicalDescription: label: Physical Description
content: paper (overall material)
label: Measurements
content: image: 11 1/8 in x 8 1/8 in; 28.2575 cm x 20.6375 cm