Untitled

A second-generation portrait photographer, Zalman Kaplan documented his family and the people living in the small, prosperous town of Szczucyn, Poland. This image is of Kaplan's wife Ethel (seated on the right), his son Marvin, and two daughters, Regina (in the white dress) and Fanya. Kaplan's other son, Philip, to whom this photograph was sent, was away in the army.

Until the 1930s, Kaplan completed all sittings by natural light. His interior studio was fitted with large skylights and windows to allow for the extensive light necessary for making portraits. It was also furnished with props, including elaborately painted backdrops and drapes. A courtyard was used for making outdoor portraits, and the negatives, on glass plates, were contact printed in daylight.

This photograph is a testament to Kaplan's ability to make beautiful prints under relatively harsh conditions. The print has a glowing quality that belies the natural lighting and approaches the surface richness often found in platinum photographs. The quality of the image is enhanced by the delicate retouching Kaplan and his daughters used, as necessary, on all of Kaplan's negatives.

Kaplan's son Marvin changed his name, in 1929, to Kaye Marvins and became a third-generation portrait photographer. Marvins and his brother Philip were the only family members to survive the invasion of Poland in 1939.