Alfred Stieglitz, pioneer of the Photo-Secession movement took many photographs of his wife, the modernist painter Georgia O’Keeffe. Georgia is known for her large paintings of flowers, especially, and desert landscapes.

Though Stieglitz was 23 years older than O’Keeffe, they had a real love affair. They were married for many years.

Stieglitz photographed his wife many times but the ones that interest me most were specific to her hands.

In 1919, he made this picture, Hands and Thimble:

In 1920:

And in 1921:

In 1902, long before he met O’Keeffe, Stieglitz made this beautiful picture, probably in New York or New Jersey. He called it The Hand of Man.

I love this picture for so many reasons. It embodies the birth of the modern world: the steam engine; the smoky, indistinct city in the background; the electric light; the telephone poles and wires; and the tracks going in all directions. It’s a little disorienting but I imagine that’s exactly how it felt.

Pictures of trains always interest me but they create a complex blend of emotions. Maybe it’s the excitement of going somewhere combined with the sadness of leaving something behind.

I wonder where this train was going.