Flood

Edgar Imler American
Publisher WPA

On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 690

Born and raised in St. Clairsville, Pennsylvania, Imler might have referenced the 1936 flooding of Johnstown in his home state through this wood engraving. Following heavy rain and melting snow in March that year, a deluge devastated the whole town and left hundreds of residents homeless. In this print, the artist depicted one family rushing out of a flooded house, focusing on their effort to escape the water as it engulfs their property. Through a window, a woman hands a little child to another woman, who precariously floats on a piece of driftwood along with the rest of the family.

Flood, Edgar Imler (American, Clairsville, Pennsylvania 1896–1973 Altoona, Pennsylvania), Wood engraving

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