Ferry Slip

Curatorial Overview

“Edwin Kaufman’s interest in the industrial, working-class areas of New York began at a young age, as shown in this etching made when he was around 21 years old. The ferry slip—a specialized dock for loading cargo and passengers onto a transport boat—depicted here could possibly be at the Battery Maritime Building at the southern point of Manhattan. Instead of featuring the building’s elaborate architecture, Kaufman directs the viewer’s attention outward toward factory-rich Brooklyn, highlighting the workers and heavy equipment.”