Frances H. Flaherty

American, 1884–1972

Untitled, 1936

Vintage silver print on paper

37.5 x 45.5 cm

Collection of the Winnipeg Art Gallery; Acquired with funds from The Winnipeg Art Gallery Foundation Inc.

G-90-12

Categories:

Photograph, Photography

Frances H. Flaherty was married to the acclaimed American documentary filmmaker Robert J. Flaherty, from 1914 until his death in 1951. She worked alongside her husband on several of his films, taking stills. This work is from the film Man of Aran (1934), a fictional documentary on the lives and hardships of people who lived on the Aran Islands off the coast of Ireland. Some situations in the film were entirely fabricated, and the subjects in this image are not actually related, having been chosen by the filmmaker for their photogenic qualities. An accomplished writer, Flaherty was also nominated for an Academy Award in the category of Best Original Story for Louisiana Story (1948). This work is an excellent example of her soft, romantic, close-cropped portraiture.