New Orleans, Liberty Street

Max Pollak

Max Pollak did this color intaglio around 1935 when he and his wife Friedl were traveling across the United States, eventually settling in San Francisco, California. On his travels he recorded his impressions, usually the architecture and the neighborhoods and activities in the cities they visited.

A corner store at Liberty Street caters to the everyday comings and goings of the neighborhood in this little window into New Orleans daily life. Liberty Street was the location of New Orleans's Chinatown and was frequented by many of the early jazz musicians, including Louis Armstrong.

Although editioned at 100 it is unlikely he printed more than 20 impressions, at most. Like many printmakers during the Depression and later he set the edition high, just in case the print was popular but only printed a few in order to save time and the expense of paper.