© Estate of Mike Disfarmer
Currently not on view
Girl standing on table,
ca. 1940
Mike Disfarmer, American, 1884–1959
2016-504
Born Mike Meyer, Disfarmer changed his surname in rejection of his rural upbringing in Heber Springs, Arkansas. A selftaught photographer, he was known for using only the available daylight in his studio to light his compositions; as a result, his sitters sometimes had to wait for hours for their portraits to be taken, until the perfect lighting conditions were present. Like his preferred lighting method, his portrait style is simple and natural. Here, for example, the child is neither posed nor visibly relaxed before the camera, resulting in a straightforward, unidealized image.
Information
Title
Girl standing on table
Dates
ca. 1940
Maker
Medium
Gelatin silver print
Dimensions
image: 11.2 × 7.4 cm (4 7/16 × 2 15/16 in.)
sheet: 12.6 × 8.7 cm (4 15/16 × 3 7/16 in.)
Credit Line
Gift of Jon Ungar, Class of 1982, and Nicky Ungar
Object Number
2016-504
Place Made
North America, United States, Arkansas, Heber Springs
Culture
Unknown family in or around Heber Springs, Arkansas; purchased by Michael Mattis, early 2000s; acquired by Jon Ungar, c. 2005; given to the Princeton University Art Museum, 2016.
