"All Races are Here, All the Lands of the Earth Make Contributions Here" - Walt Whitman

Alexander Alland

c. 1940

A gelatin silver print in which Alexander Alland records a decorated, uniformed man reading a handwritten letter in Arabic, aiming to emphasize the presence and dignity of immigrant communities in American life.

What strikes you is the intimate, close-up framing—the sharp, worn profile, the hands and gleaming medals contrasted with the flowing Arabic script—which turns a private moment into a quietly powerful portrait of service and identity.

Made around 1940, the photograph uses documentary portraiture to insist that immigrants and racial minorities are central contributors to American civic life, expanding the social purpose of photography.

Palette

Exhibitions

Photographs of the Civil War and the American Frontier

1942

American Prints of the 20th Century

1954

Image of Freedom

1941

Reinstallation of the Collection

1980