The Cleveland Museum of Art

Collection Online as of March 29, 2024

Devil Goggles

Devil Goggles

1955–56
(American, 1918–1978)
Image: 34.5 x 24.4 cm (13 9/16 x 9 5/8 in.); Paper: 35.4 x 28 cm (13 15/16 x 11 in.); Matted: 50.8 x 40.6 cm (20 x 16 in.)
Location: not on view

Description

Shortly after resigning from his position at Life magazine, Smith was commissioned to spend three weeks in Pittsburgh creating 100 photographs for Stefan Lorant’s book commemorating the city’s bicentennial. Remaining in Pittsburgh for a year, the celebrated photojournalist generated nearly 17,000 images, producing the most ambitious photographic essay of his career. He movingly recorded all aspects of the intricate web of social, economic, cultural, and political forces comprising the city. In this striking image, the factory worker’s face—protected by a helmet and goggles, in which reflections of fire appear—dominates the composition. Eliciting great grace and power, the photograph succinctly expresses Smith’s extraordinary ability to blend his concern for humanity with his superb aesthetic skills.
  • Cleveland Museum of Art, Tom E Hinson. Catalogue of Photography. Cleveland, OH: Cleveland Museum of Art, 1996. Reproduced: P. 325
  • Icons of American Photography: A Century of Photographs from the Cleveland Museum of Art. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (June 24-September 16, 2007).
    The Cleveland Museum of Art (6/24/07 - 9/16/07); "Icons of American Photography: A Century of Photographs from the Cleveland Museum of Art", no exhibition catalogue.
    Industry and Photography: Selections from the Permanent Collection. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (November 16, 1997-March 1, 1998).
    Cleveland, Ohio: The Cleveland Museum of Art; 11/16/97 - 3/1/98. "Industry and Photography: Selections from the Permanent Collection."
    CMA, July 10 - August 19, 1990: "The Camera," Classroom Level, no exhibition catalogue.
    The Year in Review for 1988. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (March 1-May 14, 1989).
    CMA, March 1 - May 14, 1989: "Year in Review 1988," CMA Bulletin, 76 (February 1989), p. 71, no. 102, repr. p. 64.
  • {{cite web|title=Devil Goggles|url=false|author=W. Eugene Smith|year=1955–56|access-date=29 March 2024|publisher=Cleveland Museum of Art}}

Source URL:

https://www.clevelandart.org/art/1988.62