Back Porch Tommy, Chicago
1965
Image not available — this artwork is under copyright
View on museum website →Medium
gelatin silver print
Dimensions
image: 34.3 × 26.1 cm (13 1/2 × 10 1/4 in.) sheet: 35.5 × 27.7 cm (14 × 10 7/8 in.)
Classification
Photograph
Department
CPH
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Alfred H. Moses and Fern M. Schad Fund
Accession Number
2022.102.7
Art Historical Context
"Back Porch Tommy," is a captivating gelatin silver print by Darryl Cowherd, created in 1965. Measuring 34.3 × 26.1 cm, this intimate photograph invites viewers into a slice of mid-20th-century urban on a Chicago back porch. The personalizes the scene, suggesting a portrait of an individual named Tommy, rendered with the sharp clarity and rich tonal range characteristic of gelatin silver prints—a favored medium for fine art photography during this era due to its durability and ability to capture subtle gradations of black and white. Cowherd's work exemplifies the documentary style prevalent i...