This portrait depicts an older Hebrew gentleman, possibly a rabbi, from the Philadelphia area. This same gentleman is seen along with another man in the Goldensky photograph “A Difficult Problem” (also known as “Two Old Hebrews Reading“) reproduced in The American Amateur Photographer in the April, 1904 issue. (p. 159)

Immigrant Elias Goldensky, (1867-1943) a Russian jew from the Ukraine, and one of America’s most important photographers who elevated the status of portrait photography to a fine art form beginning in the late 1890’s, first came to the United States in 1891 and settled in Philadelphia, where he first worked as a retoucher in the portrait studio of William J. Kuebler before doing similar work as well as printing for Frederick Gutekunst. Goldensky established his first studio in Philadelphia beginning in 1895, making a good portion of his living photographing the growing Jewish population of the city.   (1.)

print details recto: print mounted to backing board with some edge losses.

E. Goldensky  PHILA. blind stamp at lower right corner

Photograph acquired in 2012 from Blue Bell (Philadelphia area) estate.

1. Gary D. Saretzky: background in: Elias Goldensky: Wizard of Photography: copyright 1996. This is by far the most important and definitive overview of Goldensky’s life and career.