Harlem Merchant, 1937.

There is more to this photograph than meets the eye. For many years, a grievance of Harlem residents was that the merchants in their neighbor-hood were white, and, in many instances, Jewish. This defiant looking storekeeper seems to be affirming the right of his people to conduct business in their surroundings. The viewer is also impressed by the variety of items on display, from cough drops to a (we hope) toy pistol.

Photograph by Morris Engel.

See this image in the Portraits of Labor exhibit.

Courtesy Howard Greenberg Gallery, New York City.