Augustus F. Sherman Portfolio

As a registry clerk with the Immigration Division of Ellis Island, Augustus F. Sherman photographed more than 200 families, groups, and individuals as customs held them for special investigations. The prints in this stunning portfolio were chosen in collaboration with Ellis Island and are from the book Ellis Island Portraits 1905—1920. They provide an essential reevaluation of Sherman's striking portraits, which predate August Sander's cataloging efforts by several years.

Portfolio of Four Archival Pigment Prints
Image Size: 12 x 9 inches
Paper Size: 14 x 11 inches
Edition of 500 + 1 Artist Proof
Prints are stamped: Courtesy of the Statue of Liberty National Monument, National Park Service

Prints included in this portfolio:
Ruthenian Woman from the former Kingdom of Ruthenia
Guadeloupe Women in Front of the Main Building at Ellis Island
Dutch Siblings from the Island of Marken
German Stowaway, from Ellis Island Portraits, 1905-1920

Augustus F. Sherman (b. 1865, Lynn Township, Pennsylvania; d. 1925, New York, New York) was in a senior clerical position at Ellis Island from 1895 to his death in 1925. He was regarded as third in command, and in 1916, Sherman assumed the role of managing routine affairs on the island. Although he never received formal training, he created hundreds of photographs of the newcomers to America using a tripod and long exposures.