Eugene Goldfield’s Penumbra Photographs is a glorious step back in time. The artist’s gallery of splendid vintage prints offers a kaleidoscopic view of a world gone by. Goldfield focuses solely on vintage prints, which are photographs that were printed within five years after the negative was made.
Goldfield has a treasure trove of some 1,000 sepia and black-and-white 19th and 20th century photographs. Without full color to distract, the viewer’s eye focuses on the beauty of the range of tones; deep blacks, delicate grays, various creams, reddish browns, and whites, depending on the type and age of the photograph.
The range of subject matter is vast, and yet, when potential clients walk into the Edgartown gallery, Goldfield can locate a request within moments — or, quietly leave those alone who wish to simply browse and see what strikes them. His requirement when acquiring something for his inventory is that it be unique and pique his interest. “I enjoy sharing my collecting habits and eye,” Goldfield says. “There’s a real thrill factor for me in terms of discerning what I choose to have each summer, and I hope that’s imparted.”
Goldfield is an educator at heart, who shares his wealth of knowledge about the history of photography, artists, and techniques. This increased my understanding and appreciation of the photographs, and made viewing them a memorable experience.
One of the unique prints that immediately caught my eye was the mesmerizing “Maids in the Air,” taken in the Alcazar Ballhaus in Hamburg, Germany, in 1930. In this arresting anonymous work, the viewer looks up at five trapeze artists in a coordinated move, where they reach outward with only one hand and foot on their suspended ladders. Shot with a flash, their bodies light up, creating a starburst-like composition against the dark of the ceiling and elaborate chandelier.
There are photos that feature exotic locations, such as Fred Hardie’s 1870 “Berber Entertainers, Tangiers,” that world travelers wanted as remembrances from their adventures. Also at the gallery is Robert Haas’s 1937 soft-focus night shot of Beethoven’s house, mysteriously lit by a nearby streetlamp. There is also Edwin Hale Lincoln’s 1914 extreme close-up of three wildflowers, with their deep dark leaves and bright white flowers standing at attention, beautifully filling the picture’s frame.
Joseph Janvier Woodward’s 1870s photomicrographs of diatoms (algae) are especially intriguing. The works were made as both artistic and scientific investigations. Woodward, who was a surgeon who assisted with Abraham Lincoln’s and John Wilkes Booth’s autopsies, was among the first to study the beautiful structures of diatoms in minute detail.
Max Zobel’s 1940s print of a worker holding a riveting gun over his shoulder is arresting, as it puts the viewer within inches of the subject’s stare. His weathered face, enigmatic expression, and filthy work shirt reminded me of Lewis Hine’s photography of the appalling child labor conditions of early 20th century America. In fact, Goldfield tells me, Zobel and Hine would show their work together.
Goldfield’s journey to photography began when he attended the Boston Museum School (now known as the School of the Museum of Fine Arts at Tufts University). Because of the chaos resulting from student strikes and an unstructured environment during the 1970s, he recalls, “That made me gravitate to the print study room at the Museum of Fine Arts, and the curators were extremely generous. One was also well-versed in photography … I’d go over to the Fogg at Harvard, and got immersed in studying the prints, and did some printmaking myself, as well as studying photographic history.”
In the 1980s, Goldfield and his wife moved to Connecticut, where Goldfield worked for a high-end photography dealer and learned about the history and business of photography. “Through him,” Goldfield says, “I met a lot of curators from around the country, and major collectors.”
Goldfield started Penumbra Photographs in 1992, having come to the Island with his wife, who used to vacation here with college roommates.
“It was an interesting place to try opening the gallery, because of the wide breadth of people who visit the Vineyard,” Goldfield says. “You just don’t know who is going to walk in. I feel beholden to educating the public, and I enjoy doing that … I get very receptive people from a wide array of backgrounds.”
Goldfield continues, “I can happily say that even if people don’t buy a print, it’s not a disappointment … I get a lot of pleasure from people being thrilled about learning about photography, both historically and aesthetically. That’s still the excitement for me after 31 years.”
Penumbra Photographs, 12 Summer St., Edgartown. Summer hours: 11 am to 6 pm, closed Mondays.