Mining Town

Accession Number
1943.43

Title
Mining Town

Artist(s)
Blanche Grambs

Artist Nationality
American (North American)

Object Creation Date
1936-1943

Medium & Support
etching on paper

Dimensions
11 4/5 in x 14 ⅞ in (30 cm x 37.78 cm)

Credit Line
Allocated by the U.S. Government Commissioned through the New Deal art projects

Subject matter
In Mining Town, three bundled and shadowy figures walk in front of a row of buildings. A large industrial building looms in the background. The artist, Blanche Grambs, joined the Art Students League in New York City in 1934. At the school she was encouraged to incorporate social issues into her art. The plight of miners became a common theme in her work following a 1936 trip with the league to a mining town in Pennsylvania. That same year she joined the Federal Art Project. The town featured in this print was likely inspired by her travels to Pennsylvania. 

Physical Description
Four buildings are situated at an angle and descend away from the viewer as if on a hill. A latticework pattern visible in the background suggests an industrial complex. Three figures in deep shadow walk in the foreground. 

Primary Object Classification
Print

Collection Area
Modern and Contemporary

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
American (North American)
New Deal
WPA
abstraction
buildings
factory
fences
houses
mine
mining towns
modern and contemporary art
road
townscapes (representations)
walking

7 Related Resources

Art of the Works Progress Administration WPA
(Part of 16 Learning Collections)
Home
(Part of 6 Learning Collections)
Social Justice
(Part of 3 Learning Collections)
Social Justice and Art 1929-1945
(Part of 4 Learning Collections)
WPA Woman Artists
(Part of 17 Learning Collections)
Work and Workers
(Part of 9 Learning Collections)

& Author Notes

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