Securing the Anchor Chain

Artist Harold Haliday Costain (American, 1897 - 1994)

Date1919; printed ca. 1933

MediumGelatin silver print

DimensionsImage and sheet: 13 15/16 × 11 inches (35.4 × 27.94 cm)

Credit LineGift of Hallmark Cards, Inc.

Object number2005.27.2601

SignedOn sheet verso, center, stamped in black ink: "COPYRIGHT __ / HAROLD HALIDAY COSTAIN / SPENCER PLACE, PROFESSIONAL BLDG / SCARSDALE, N.Y. / COURTESY OF / EDWARD AVERY MCILHENNY / AVERY ISLAND, LOUISIANA"

Inscribednone

MarkingsOn sheet verso, upper right corner, in pencil: "9" [circled]

On View

Not on view

Collections

Photography

Terms

DescriptionImage of men securing the anchor chain of a large ship with another man standing in a small boat lower left. Image taken from above. Dark waters fill the upper left and lower right corners.Gallery Label

Gallery Label

Harold Haliday Costain made this photograph from an unusual vantage point, looking down on a group of sailors working to secure the enormous anchor of a vessel. The image is an artistic transformation of an event, highlighting a dynamic interplay of shapes and forms. Costain embraced the progressive artistic currents of photographic practice after World War I, which rejected tradition and encouraged experimentation with new ways of picturing the world through the camera’s lens.

Information about a particular artwork or image, including provenance information, is based upon historic information and may not be currently accurate or complete. Research on artwork and images is an ongoing process, and the information about a particular artwork or image may not reflect the most current information available to the Museum. If you notice a mistake or have additional information about a particular artwork or image, please e-mail provenance@nelson-atkins.org.