Trucker, Waterfront, New York City, 1948.

Understanding the relationship between this photograph and its subjects represents a real challenge to the viewer. The title is singular, but there are eight workers on display. The New York City waterfront in the period of the photograph was marked by the practice of the “shape-up” of workers seeking jobs, but if the subject of the photo is [are] trucker[s], where is [are] their truck[s]? The man seated second on the left seems to have the proper approach to this puzzling panorama.

Photograph by Morris Engel.

See this image in the Portraits of Labor exhibit.

Courtesy Howard Greenberg Gallery, New York City.