Tanks, Standard Oil Company 1931

"Tanks, Standard Oil Company" is a 1931 photograph by Alma Lavenson. The photograph, part of a series documenting industrial architecture, captures a stark composition of cylindrical tanks, a corrugated metal building and the shadow of a walkway on a concrete wall. The image showcases Lavenson's interest in the interplay of light and shadow and the geometric forms of the industrial world. Lavenson, born in 1897, was a prominent figure in the Pictorialist movement, using her camera to explore the beauty of the everyday. Her work is characterized by its strong sense of design and formal composition, and "Tanks, Standard Oil Company" exemplifies these qualities.