This evocative vintage studio portrait records a young Jewish boy on the occasion of his bar mitzvah. Formally dressed in a suit and tie, he wears a traditional tallit, or Jewish prayer shawl, with its striped borders and long fringed tzitzit clearly visible. Resting across his lap is his prayer book, likely a siddur, an important part of his preparation for and participation in the religious ceremony. The bar mitzvah boy sits in an ornate studio chair beside a small table, with one hand supporting his prayer book and the other resting thoughtfully against his cheek. His expression is serious and composed, although there is also a hint of youthful uncertainty in his face. That combination of solemnity and vulnerability makes this considerably more expressive than an ordinary ceremonial portrait. The mount is marked “Portrait by Randell, 57 Ave. B, N.Y.C.”. The New York Public Library’s Photographers’ Identities Catalog records Randell Studios at 57 Avenue B in 1935 and at 73 Avenue B from 1942 through 1948. This address information, together with the boy’s clothing, footwear, hairstyle and the photographic presentation, supports a date of approximately 1935. I was unable to locate reliable biographical information identifying the individual photographer behind the studio. Avenue B is an avenue in what is now called Alphabet City in Manhattan’s East Village. During the 1930s, this neighborhood was generally considered part of the Lower East Side and was home to a substantial Jewish immigrant community. Number 57 was located on Avenue B between East 4th and East 5th Streets, and a few blocks north of East Houston Street. In regard to measurements, the overall mounted photograph measures about 7 × 10 inches. The image itself, measures about 4⅝ × 6⅝ inches. SOLD
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