Passersby Watch Police and Ambulance Attendants after Edward White was Killed Yesterday 23 - 1949

Arthur Ellis made this gelatin silver print titled Passersby Watch Police and Ambulance Attendants after Edward White was Killed Yesterday. The composition is built on a vertical structure, echoing the buildings and lampposts. It feels as if the photograph was captured quickly. Look at how the artist captured the scene. The various onlookers staring with grief, shock, and maybe resignation? The body lying prone in the foreground suggests a moment frozen in time. What about the light? It’s hard and unflinching, almost like an x-ray. And that ambulance lurking on the left is a visual hammer blow. It's a photograph that reminds me of work by Dorothea Lange, though Ellis lacks Lange's subtle touch. While Lange was able to communicate the humanity of her subjects, here it's a bit colder, a bit more removed. Still, it's a powerful document. In art, like life, there are no easy answers.