2011.52.3

Jake Steffen in the APH Machine Shop

unknown

Louisville, KY/American Printing House for the Blind

ca. 1930

Black-and-white glossy photo mounted to gray matboard with a black border; machinist Jake Steffen stands at vice on workbench to left, wearing white shirt, necktie and light-colored shop coat; the machine shop on the third floor of the 1923 western annex of the American Printing House for the Blind in Louisville, KY; in foreground is a wooden skid with a pair of cylinders for an embossing press, a large gear, and two smaller gears; in the background is a heavy metal turning lathe; five lightbulbs dangle from overhead electrical cords, two are empty, two are bare, one has a thin wire cage; a wooden three pane sash window has bright light shining in onto Steffan's workbench at left.

overall: 10.5 x 8.5"

Photographic Paper on mat board

9.75 x 7.75"

Photograph was recovered from APH cafe, where it and others were used as decoration for many years.
Jake Steffen was a machinist working for the Cooper Manufacturing Company in Chicago who was hired by APH after the company bought braille slate making equipment from Cooper in 1927.