John Gutmann (1905–1998) was one of America’s most distinctive photographers. Born in Germany where he trained as an artist and art teacher, he fled the Nazis in 1933 and settled in San Francisco, reinventing himself as a photo-journalist.
In the America of the 1930s, Mr. Gutmann found an exuberant car culture, a dizzying array of billboards and graffiti, a racially diverse citizenry, music and dancing in the streets and young women galore. He photographed them all.
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| Early drive-in restaurant, Hollywood, 1935 |
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| Artillery on Market Street, San Francisco, 1934 |
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| Street Musicians, New Orleans, 1937 |
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| Man Walking by Clown and Lady Graffiti, San Francisco, 1939 |
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| High ride, 1937 |
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| Mobile, Alabama, 1937 |
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| Texas Women, Texas, 1937 |
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| Selling Apples: No. 1 Broadway, New York, 1936 |
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| Kids Reading Comics, San Francisco, 1938 |
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| Automobiles Parked at the beach, Oregon, 1934 |
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| Death stalks the Filmore, 1939 |
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| First Drive-in theatre, Los Angeles, 1935 |
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| Pop Advertising, San Francisco, 1939 |
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| Bicycle of a Mexican Barber, San Antonio, 1937 |
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| A portrait of Count Basie, San Francisco, 1939 |
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| “Cash for your car”, San Francisco, 1939 |
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| National Guard tanks, San Francisco, 1934 |
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| Elevator Garage, Chicago, 1936 |
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| Out of the Pool, San Francisco, 1934 |
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| Cord in Harlem, NY, 1936 |
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| Bare Back, San Francisco, 1939 |
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| Reach, San Francisco, 1938 |
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| Warriors, Harlem, 1936 |
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| The Lesson, Central Park, New York, 1936 |
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| Tee-Peeing the Vieux Carré, Mardi Gras, New Orleans, 1937 |
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| Lunch hour, San Francisco, 1934 |
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| The Cry, 1939 |
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| National Guard on the truck, San Francisco, 1934 |
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| Man in a hurry, New Orleans, 1937 |
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| The Fleet is In, San Francisco, 1934 |
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| “Yes, Culumbus did discover America”, San Francisco, 1938 |
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| Omen, 1934 |
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| Wyoming car, 1936 |
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| Majorettes in Parade, California, 1939 |
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| Class (Olympic High diving champion Marjorie Gestring), San Francisco, 1936 |