New York c. 1945

Helen Levitt made this photograph, titled 'New York', with a Leica camera, likely in the 1940s. Levitt, associated with the New York school of photographers, documented everyday life in working-class neighborhoods, capturing fleeting moments of urban life. Here, we see a group of children in what seems to be a poor neighborhood playing with a large frame. There’s a beautiful tension here between the children, who are fully immersed in their play, and the adults behind them, caught in their daily grind. The children’s improvised games comment on the lack of resources available to them, but also on the potential for creativity even in difficult circumstances. Levitt's work also reminds us of the public role of art. Her images draw attention to the everyday lives of ordinary people. To understand this photo fully, we could examine the social and economic history of New York during the mid-20th century. We could also look at the history of street photography and its relationship to social reform movements.