Accession Number
2013/2.334

Title
Boys with Rubber Bands

Artist(s)
Danny Lyon

Artist Nationality
American (North American)

Object Creation Date
1965; printed 2010

Medium & Support
gelatin silver print on paper

Dimensions
14 in x 11 in (35.56 cm x 27.94 cm)

Credit Line
Gift of Thomas Wilson '79 and Jill Garling '80

Subject matter
The Uptown, Chicago series was taken in 1965, shortly before The Bikeriders. Lyon chose a single street, Clifton Street, and photographed recent migrants from Appalachia. Lyon commented that most license plates on the streets were from Kentucky and Tennessee, and the area was referred to as “hillbilly heaven.” Wishing to draw awareness to subjects that were rarely seen, he gave people in the neighborhood dollars to pose for pictures. After photographing, he often returned to give his subjects small prints, usually Rolleiflex contact prints.

Physical Description
A parked car sits in the middle ground, a multi-story brick building in the background. In the foreground, two boys stand with rubber bands on their hands. The first boy's arm is visible and covers the second boy's head. 

Primary Object Classification
Photograph

Collection Area
Photography

Rights
If you are interested in using an image for a publication, please visit http://umma.umich.edu/request-image for more information and to fill out the online Image Rights and Reproductions Request Form.

Keywords
automobiles
boys
multistory buildings
rubber bands
walking