A vivid scene in Fifth Avenue, New York, depicted by Childe Hassam (1859-1935). Just weeks earlier, the United States had declared war on Germany and the Central Powers, and its intervention ultimately ended the military statement in the Great War. Tipping that military balance did prove costly in American lives, however - a factor that was not apparent in this bright, patriotic scene.
Echoing a French Impressionist style and perhaps swept up by the euphoria of the moment, Hassam undertook a whole series of flag-themed paintings. It was a TIME Magazine article of many years ago that introduced me to Hassam’s work. He is another painter who has directly influenced my own photography, notably when I captured a modern Fifth Avenue scene with an abundance of flags.
