Colorized by Jordan J. Lloyd
based on an original 35mm negative nitrate by Russell Lee
License this Image
- Collectible giclée fine art print;
- Hand-printed in England, with individual embossing;
- Ships with a Certificate of Authenticity;
- Guaranteed archival quality for over a century;
- Each sale directly supports the artisan;
- Global shipping available;
- Listed dimensions include a white border for easy framing
ABOUT THIS IMAGE
Taken October 1938, Crowley, Louisiana, United States
(Library of Congress)
"A young man grills hamburgers the old fashioned way before fast food. I’m a big fan of everyday scenes that capture the tapestry of life in the early 20th century. This image was a great technical challenge, with a lot of signage, reflections and details that really tested my patience. My favourite detail is the hamburger patties browning on the side touching the grill, which has about 16 layers of colours on it.The signage is as authentic as I can make it, if not sourcing the posters used, then branding from the same campaign or advertising run using the brand's colours. Royal Crown Cola is still sold today, and 7-Up’s signage was actually predominantly black and red until the 1940s. The billboards at the top were a challenge but I narrowed down the poster on the right to be Pan-Am Motor Oils’ ‘Ella Cinders’ character which appeared in comics, they are now collector's items.
The poster on the right is advertising the 1938 feature film Spawn of the North starring George Raft, Akim Tamiroff and Louis Platt - filmed in Alaska and produced by Paramount Pictures, whose logo you can see if you look closely."
– Jordan J. Lloyd
This historical photograph has been meticulously researched and rendered into colour from a black and white original by a skilled artisan, continuing a craft tradition that has existed since photography began.
PROVENANCE
ORIGINAL CAPTION
"Making hamburgers in concession stand, National Rice Festival, Crowley, Louisiana."
ABOUT RUSSELL LEE (1903 – 1986)
Born in Illinois, United States, in 1936, Lee's original ambition lay in chemistry, obtaining a degree in chemical engineering from Lehigh University in Pennsylvania. During his time in Pennsylvania during the 1930s, Lee began photographing the state's coalminers and their working conditions. Hired by Roy Stryker's Farm Security Administration in fall 1936, Lee hit the road for prolonged periods, travelling throughout Texas and Mexico to capture the plight of tenant farmers, migrant workers and sharecroppers afflicted by the Great Depression. Lee's distinctive photography, including an extraordinary set in color of Pie Town, New Mexico, frequently appeared in LIFE, Look and Fortune magazines. As the United States entered World War II in the early 1940s, Lee would document the internment of Japanese Americans, before joining Air Transport Command, taking aerial and ground surveillance photographs. After the war, Lee moved to Texas to continue his work and teaching until his death in 1986.ABOUT OUR PRINTS
LISTED SIZES
Our prints come in popular sizes with a white border for easy framing. Small prints will ship in a stiffened envelope rather than a postal tube.S (A4) – 21 × 29.7 cm / 8.3 × 11.7 inches
M (A3) – 29.7 × 42 cm / 11.7 × 16.5 inches
L (A2) – 42 × 59.4 cm / 16.5 × 23.4 inches
XXL (A0) – 84.1 × 118.9 cm / 33.1 × 46.8 inches
