Margaret Bourke-White
(American, 1904–1971)
[Blast furnace under construction in the Ural Mountains as part of the first Five Year plan, 1931. Magneto-Gorsk, U.S.S.R.]
Object Details
Artist
Margaret Bourke-White
Date
1931 (negative), ca. 1965 (print)
Medium
Gelatin silver print
Dimensions
Image: 19 × 14 9/16 inches (48.3 × 37 cm)
Mount (Matted): 27 15/16 × 22 1/16 inches (71 × 56 cm)
Credit Line
Gift of the artist, Class of 1927, and LIFE Magazine
Object
Number
65.575
In the summer of 1931, the Soviet government invited Bourke-White back to the country. Much of her t(…)
In the summer of 1931, the Soviet government invited Bourke-White back to the country. Much of her time was spent in the city of Magnitogorsk photographing the massive industrial complex being built there. While pictures like this captured the power and excitement of construction, Bourke-White increasingly began to photograph the men behind the machines: “Not only is the dynamo under construction beautiful, but the men who build that dynamo have a certain beauty—their faces have an artistic value because of the virility and importance of the work they do.” (“Margaret Bourke-White: From Cornell Student to Visionary Photojournalist,” curated by Stephanie Wiles and presented at the Johnson Museum January 24 – June 7, 2015)
