The photograph titled “Canton, OH” by artist Lee Friedlander is Plate 60 from the series “Factory Valleys.” Unfortunately, I can’t confirm the exact year the photograph was taken.
In the photograph, a woman is operating machinery in what appears to be a factory setting. She is dressed in a patterned, short-sleeved blouse and a flower-patterned skirt, with her footwear being practical, closed-toe shoes. She is focused on her task, her hand grasping a part of the machine and the other appears to be adjusting a control or component. The machine itself has several dials, levers, and metal parts, indicating a complex industrial apparatus. The lighting highlights the woman and the machine, creating a contrast with the darker background of the factory environment. Her concentration and the context of the scene reflect a moment in a workday within the industrial landscape captured by Friedlander.
