Portrait of an unknown woman by Elias Goldensky.

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 the late 1890’s, first came to America 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 a portion of his living photographing the growing Jewish population of the city.   (1.)

print details recto: glued along upper margin to primary mount; signed in graphite at lower right corner of mount: E. Goldensky  14

print details verso: adhesive and paper remnants along upper margin of primary mount indicating loss of secondary support.

Provenance: purchased from reseller in 2015 from North Carolina estate.

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