Fire Escapes and Shadows c. 1935 - 1939

Curator: Here we have Peter Sekaer’s “Fire Escapes and Shadows,” a gelatin silver print made sometime between 1935 and 1939. Editor: Immediately, the intricate shadow patterns catch my eye. It’s almost like an abstract tapestry woven across this rather gritty urban scene. Curator: The interplay of light and shadow is indeed striking. Sekaer’s photograph, reminiscent of the Ashcan School's gritty urban realism, is rich in texture, documenting the city's everyday, working-class spaces during the Depression era. Observe how the fire escapes become almost sculptural elements, casting shadows that interact with the commercial signage. Editor: Those old signs - "Gold Medal Flour," "Holland Auto Radiator"... they're more than just advertisements. They’re symbols of a specific time, ingrained in the collective memory of that era. Think about what those products meant to people then—basic sustenance, perhaps even survival for some families. They also represent this vanished streetscape aesthetic. Curator: Precisely. The photograph showcases not just a physical place, but also the economic realities and social conditions of the time. Look at the aging brick, the layers of peeling paint; these details testify to the labor and material processes shaping urban environments. Editor: And those fire escapes… symbols of both safety and precariousness. They hint at cramped living spaces, the ever-present danger of fire, and, perhaps, the resilience of urban dwellers. It is interesting how safety becomes ornamental here. Curator: Also, the image forces a question of consumption. What's being bought? What's being sold? What structures the commerce that is producing the buildings and shaping lives here? Editor: It is fascinating how much weight he can give an image based primarily on something as immaterial as light and shade; how fleeting it is to experience such intense patterns in this lasting captured photograph. Curator: And the labor of those constructing those very fire escapes… Their stories are embedded within this photograph. This image really encapsulates many material layers that are deeply tied to cultural narratives. Editor: Seeing through his careful use of light and shadow has enriched my reading of the symbolic layers at work here. Thank you.