Black and White Photographs by Joseph A. Blum
Joseph Blum worked as a boilermaker, shipfitter, and welder for twenty-five years and was the Recording Secretary of the International Brotherhood of Boilermakers, Iron Ship Builders, Blacksmiths, Forgers and Helpers, AFL-CIO, Local #6, for five years. Since retiring from the trades, Blum has dedicated himself to documenting the labor process in words and photographs.
Blum’s black and white photographs, many of which are in the Pictorial Collection of the Bancroft Library, document the shipyards and the metal trades workshops of what was once a flourishing blue collar industry in the Bay Area. His current project, now in its fifteenth year, is documenting the construction of the new east span of the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge, a project he has followed from its inception to the present day.
A View from the Bridge: Black and White Photographs by Joseph A. Blum
Dates: August 3 – October 3, 2013
Opening Reception: August 3, 2013, 1–4 p.m.
Location: Harvey Milk Photo Center, 50 Scott St (at Duboce), (415) 554-9522
Viewing hours: Tuesday–Thursday, 6–9 p.m., Saturday, 11 a.m.–4 p.m.
Note: The Photo Center darkroom and facilities will be closed on Saturday, August 3, for the opening reception.