This photo by William Witt shows a man looking at a pile of books laying on a towel. He is surrounded by many other men, some of whom look to be talking and the others leaning against the wall. The title of this photo is “Book Sale, New York” so it appears these men have gathered here to look at the “book sale”. The man looking at the books seems to be the main subject of this photograph and he stands out because he is wearing a different colored suit than the rest of the men. Additionally, the sidewalk and wall of the building creates a sort of line that leads the viewers eyes to all the other men behind him. Also, the deep depth of field allows the viewer to get a clear view off all the men in this shot which I believe really adds to the whole story of this “book sale”. I chose this piece because I was intrigued why this man was looking at a pile of books on the ground, and I am even more intrigued how this seemed to be some sort of social event for these men even though in todays world this would be a very unlikely scenario. I also appreciate how there is so much to unpack in this picture, the pile of books on the ground, the man in the foreground who almost seems to be trying not to look at the camera, and all the men in the background. I believe they all add something/interesting to the picture as a whole.
William Witt, American, 1921 – 2013. (1947-1948). Book Sale, Lower East Side, New York. [Photograph]. Retrieved from https://library.artstor.org/asset/28143035
Well done! There is a lot to unpack and you did it well, noting the three main stopping points for the eye along the photograph.