Maryland Crab Pickers
1933
Black and White Lithograph
11” x 14” Plate
The records describe the artist’s unexpected encounter with African American women working in the crab-picking houses. In the planning of her lithograph, she draws parallels to New York City friend and teacher Mabel Dwight:
Today I went over to St. Michael’s to see our houseboat which was hauled out on the ways being copper painted. Right next was a crab house, just swarming and screeching with black life all sizes and shapes—Mabel Dwight would make a stunning lithograph of it. I am going back to make a drawing.