Fire Escapes and Shadows

American documentary photography of the 1930s is generally recognized as one of the highlights of 20th-century photography. The work of Peter Sekaer, a lesser-known representative of this genre, was not about making ‘pretty pictures.’ Nevertheless, Sekaer occasionally gave in to the temptation of shooting studies of forms and details. He may have taken this photograph as part of an assignment while studying under the famous photographer Berenice Abbott.