The Cleveland Museum of Art
Collection Online as of December 22, 2025
In an Elevator
1916
(American, 1882–1925)
Platemark: 25.3 x 20.3 cm (9 15/16 x 8 in.); Sheet: 32.8 x 26.9 cm (12 15/16 x 10 9/16 in.)
Gift of Leonard C. Hanna Jr. 1936.606
Catalogue raisonné: Mason 32
Location: Not on view
Did You Know?
The young African American man in this image is the elevator operator, responsible for manually operating the lift.Description
Elevators, in 1916 as today, often inspire awkward social interactions. George Bellows himself described this print as a “study of the relation of a nun to society.” The Old World European values and modesty of the nun contrast to the younger, more boisterous passengers, who give wide berth to her dominating physical and moral presence.- Ashcan School Prints and the American City, 1900–1940. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (July 18-December 26, 2021).
- {{cite web|title=In an Elevator|url=false|author=George Bellows|year=1916|access-date=22 December 2025|publisher=Cleveland Museum of Art}}
Source URL:
https://www.clevelandart.org/art/1936.606