The Story
This is the most serene image that emerged from W. Eugene Smith’s exhaustive photo essay of “Pittsburgh,” undertaken for Magnum from 1955-1957 shortly after he left LIFE magazine following a dispute with editors. Capturing more than 11,000 photographs, Smith documented a vibrant industrial metropolis, its steel mills, its people, its scenery — the most comprehensive visual chronicle ever made of an American city in motion. “Dream Street” stands in stark contrast to other iconic images in the series, a “hidden” oasis providing a respite from urban life in the 1950s. Like many other symbols of a bygone era, the actual Dream Street has vanished over time and is no longer recognizable. Yet the image remains more relevant than ever. As Smith wrote: “The one full freedom is man’s right to dream. No government of whatever nature, no tyranny, no circumstance can remove possession of this right.”
Description
This is the most serene image that emerged from W. Eugene Smith’s exhaustive photo essay of “Pittsburgh,” undertaken for Magnum from 1955-1957 shortly after he left LIFE magazine following a dispute with editors. Capturing more than 11,000 photographs, Smith documented a vibrant industrial metropolis, its steel mills, its people, its scenery — the most comprehensive visual chronicle ever made of an American city in motion. “Dream Street” stands in stark contrast to other iconic images in the series, a “hidden” oasis providing a respite from urban life in the 1950s. Like many other symbols of a bygone era, the actual Dream Street has vanished over time and is no longer recognizable. Yet the image remains more relevant than ever. As Smith wrote: “The one full freedom is man’s right to dream. No government of whatever nature, no tyranny, no circumstance can remove possession of this right.”
