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Lot Essay
In her book, Eyes on Russia, Bourke-White describes an interview with a delegation of Novorossisk newspapers' editors: "Lida Ivanova [the interpreter] turned to me. The editors would like to address some questions to the American photo-correspondent. 'Who achieves the highest rate of production, the American factory or the Russian factory?' I was frightened. My replies were important. They would undoubtedly appear at great length in print. 'Both the American factory and the Russsian factory achieve a high rate of production,' I answered warily. Lida Ivanova expanded this reply for twenty minutes. Next. 'Is the American worker as efficient as the Russian worker?'
'Both the Russian worker and the American Worker are very efficient.' My interpreter talked for three-quarters of an hour. 'Which does the American photo-correspondent prefer to photograph, the American worker or the Russian worker?'
'The American worker and the Russian worker both have very interesting faces.'
And with this scant material my interpreter developed my reply endlessly until at last, approving and satisfied, my interviewers rose to go home. 'Well, what were the opinions the American photo-correspondent expressed for the papers?' I asked my guide, counselor, and friend, when the door closed on the last bowing editor. 'I told the representatives of the newspapers,' said Lida Ivanova, 'that Miss Bourke-White loved to photograph the Russian workers; that she found great character in these energetic faces, that she preferred to photograph the Russian worker because his face had such individuality. I told the editors that Miss Bourke-White much prefers the Soviet worker to American worker because the American worker has no individuality. In America the workman performs one operation always. In America the workman is chained to mass production. In America, the workman is a puppet, an automaton. Miss Bourke-White loves much better to photograph the Russian worker because in America the workman is nothing but a machine'." (Eyes on Russia, pp. 105-106.)
'Both the Russian worker and the American Worker are very efficient.' My interpreter talked for three-quarters of an hour. 'Which does the American photo-correspondent prefer to photograph, the American worker or the Russian worker?'
'The American worker and the Russian worker both have very interesting faces.'
And with this scant material my interpreter developed my reply endlessly until at last, approving and satisfied, my interviewers rose to go home. 'Well, what were the opinions the American photo-correspondent expressed for the papers?' I asked my guide, counselor, and friend, when the door closed on the last bowing editor. 'I told the representatives of the newspapers,' said Lida Ivanova, 'that Miss Bourke-White loved to photograph the Russian workers; that she found great character in these energetic faces, that she preferred to photograph the Russian worker because his face had such individuality. I told the editors that Miss Bourke-White much prefers the Soviet worker to American worker because the American worker has no individuality. In America the workman performs one operation always. In America the workman is chained to mass production. In America, the workman is a puppet, an automaton. Miss Bourke-White loves much better to photograph the Russian worker because in America the workman is nothing but a machine'." (Eyes on Russia, pp. 105-106.)