The Cleveland Museum of Art

Collection Online as of December 21, 2025

Spencer Tracy

1950

Ruth Orkin

(American, 1921–1985)
America
gelatin silver print
Image: 15.9 x 24.1 cm (6 1/4 x 9 1/2 in.)
Gift of Mary Engel/Ruth Orkin Photo Archive 2023.69
Location: Not on view

Did You Know?

“Simply being a woman photographer can occasionally create a situation that results in an interesting picture—one that might not have been possible otherwise,” said Ruth Orkin.

Description

Orkin was on the set in New York City where movie star Spencer Tracy was filming a movie and caught what she describes as his “half-amused reaction here when he discovers that I’ve been on the set without his knowledge. Had a man been assigned, Tracy might have been less amused,” wrote Orkin.
  • ?-2022
    Orkin/Engle Film & Photo Archive, given to The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH
    December 5, 2022-
    The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH
  • {{cite web|title=Spencer Tracy|url=false|author=Ruth Orkin|year=1950|access-date=21 December 2025|publisher=Cleveland Museum of Art}}

Source URL:

https://www.clevelandart.org/art/2023.69