Family in kitchen

Morris Huberland, 1909–2003

“Jewish family in kitchen”

New York, ca. 1940–79

While Morris Huberland built his reputation primarily as a street photographer, certain rare examples of his art offer captivating insights into the lives of the Jewish immigrants within their homes and provide intimate closeups of their way of their family life. 

Huberland was especially familiar with the Lower East Side neighborhood—he was raised there and drew inspiration from its energy. This photograph enables us to peer into the modest interior of a Jewish family living in a typical humble tenement apartment in this part of New York. The photograph is undated, but details such as the refrigerator model and the family’s clothing suggest a date circa the 1930s. 

A loving young mother gazes with quiet pride at her three children as they finish up a simple meal, most likely upon their return from school. The charm of the photograph lies in the details: a broom tucked in the corner near the refrigerator, a calendar hung above it, the cheery tablecloth and plain wooden chairs, humble kitchenware and utensils, children’s shoes dangling from the chair on the left and scattered around the refrigerator. All of these—plus the stray baseball card lying on the scuffed floor—come together to create a vivid portrayal of a poor yet meaningful life of an immigrant family striving toward their American dream.