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A Quilter from Roll, Jordan, Roll

Date

ca. 1930

Creator

Doris Ulmann
Raclin Murphy Museum of Art

A Quilter is one of several of Ulmann's Lang Syne images that present her subject's occupation as integral to her personality. In this sense, the photographs reflect a tradition of occupational portraits dating back to the era of the daguerreotype. Here, a woman sits on a porch before a horizontal pattern of clapboards and slatted window blinds that stabilize the closely cropped composition, giving a feeling of peace and wisdom. By contrast, the sitter is filled with energy, despite her obvious age. She gazes directly into the camera, confronting the viewer through thick spectacles and heavy eyelids. The curl of her brow--echoing the serpentine rail and splat of her chair--expresses an amiable resignation. Her slight smile conveys the wisdom of experience and endurance. The quilting on her lap suggests an analogue between character and artisan's skill--possibly influenced by John Jacob Niles's interest in regional craft. This image, like many of Ullman's other photographs of the Gullah people, shows an individual of dignity and accomplishment, sharing the responsibilities of their community. Several others depict farm laborers working together in active groups. Ulmann's photographs from Lang Syne have little of Julia Mood Peterkin's self-assured superiority of the Jim Crow era. These images seem to maintain a respectful distance, isolated from Peterkin's presumptuous familiarity.

from Acton, A History of Photography at the University of Notre Dame: Twentieth Century (Notre Dame, 2019)

Images

This is called A Quilter from Roll, Jordan, Roll within the category of Photographs.Open in external viewer application
This is called A Quilter from Roll, Jordan, Roll within the category of Photographs.
This is called A Quilter from Roll, Jordan, Roll within the category of Photographs.

Metadata

Creator
Doris Ulmann (American, 1882 - 1934)
Date
ca. 1930
Classification
Photographs
Medium
Photogravure on cream laid paper
Dimensions
11 1/4 x 8 in. (28.6 x 20.2 cm)
Credit Line
Milly and Fritz Kaeser Endowment for Photography
Copyright Status
Public domain
Subject
photogravure
porches
quiltmakers
quilts

Metadata

Accession Number
2002.012.013
Campus Location
Raclin Murphy Museum of Art
Access

Not on view, please request access

Metadata

Contact Us

Our collection information is a work in progress and may be updated as new research findings emerge. If you have spotted an error, please contact Raclin Murphy Museum of Art at RMMACollections@nd.edu.


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