Title from caption on object: “A Tale of Two Cities”
September 1961
Image not available — this artwork is under copyright
View on museum website →Medium
gelatin silver print with applied color
Dimensions
image: 19.4 × 24.7 cm (7 5/8 × 9 3/4 in.) sheet: 20.3 × 25.7 cm (8 × 10 1/8 in.)
Classification
Photograph
Department
CPH
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Gift of Mary and Dan Solomon
Accession Number
2018.177.433
Art Historical Context
“A Tale of Two Cities,” captivating gelatin silver print with applied color from September 1961, captures mid-20th-century spirit through an anonymous photographer’s lens. Produced during the height of the Cold War this 20th-century image (measuring 19.4 × 24.7 cm) evokes Charles Dickens’ famous novel, hinting at contrasts between urban worlds—perhaps divided cities or clashing realities of the era. Its title, sourced directly from the object’s caption, invites viewers to ponder themes of duality and tension. The medium blends traditional black-and-white gelatin silver printing—a reliable pro...