(Women workers building the Moscow Metro)

Albert Abramovitz

Latvian born American printmaker Albert Abramovitz's subjects are three women who were part of the work crew that helped dig the Moscow Metro between 1933 and 1935. Dressed in coveralls and hats, the center figure commands respect, looking the viewer straight in the eye. Her fellow workers appear to be looking at each other in a somewhat bemused way.

The composition is brought forth by the light created by the white lines that were carved from the surface of the block. The varying directions of the lines create the separation and dyanamic of the figures. The image is not included in the GSA raisonné of his WPA images but it was done at the same time.

The Moscow Metro, one of the deepest subways in the world, took two years to open the first of at least 5 stages that extended into the 1950s. The first stage was done with the participation of the London Underground specialists.