Margery Stein Schab
My Collection is my Work. My mission is to reveal human worth and individual’s integral value to society.
Over decades a series of circumstances in my life have inspired me to shine light on the humanity, relevance, and contributions of the often-unseen individuals in our communities. I began by photographing residents who live in local nursing homes and recording their stories, a project that took seven years.
I’m now expanding the scope of this project in a series titled I/We Still Count! to I/We Also Count!, which includes four elders who live independently, performers who aren’t famous but enrich our lives, and immigrants who work hard, add diversity and revitalize our communities.
The disabled, the elderly, the unknown, and the newcomer can’t be ignored. To do so diminishes our collective humanity. In a cohesive community we’re responsible for each other.
I’ve been an artist for over sixty years. From my early teens, I have been fascinated with the paintings, prints, and drawings of Old European Masters and how they focused humanity over vanity. I received a BA in Art History from the University of Pennsylvania in 1965, with an emphasis on early European Renaissance to early Baroque Artists. These artists were my teachers along with Sam Feinstein, a colleague of Hans Hoffman; my professor Neill Welliver; Doris Ulmann (1882-1934), a New York photographer who documented African Americans working and living in the Jim Crow shadows; and the people of Appalachia creating their various crafts.
These Old and Modern Masters guide me in my artistic pursuits. My sitters sit as their sitters did. My lighting is the same as theirs. Using mostly analog and older methods, my artistic mission is to reveal the spirit of the sitter in humanistic photographic portraits.
I am influenced by Doris Ulmann’s mission: “I am of course glad to have people interested in my pictures... but my great wish is that these human records shall serve some social purpose.”
Dominic
Photographed in 1998, revised and digitally printed in 2021
In May 2021, I had an exhibition at the Arts Society of Kingston, New York, of my seven-year project (1995-2002) photographing the portraits of our Elders who happen to reside in nursing homes. For this exhibition this project was revised, the film scanned and retitled I/We Still Count!
Sometimes a life is full of golden nugget moments. Dominic had one of those lives. He loved telling me about his life in the Harlem community during the Golden Days of Jazz. He also adored the staff at the nursing home. He said, “The staff is beautiful. They feed you good and put clean clothes on you everyday. Being Gorgeous is in the heart.”
Included here is a reading of Dominic's interview, originally transcribed by Margery Stein Schab and recorded by a caregiver.
Alice
Photographed in 2002, revised and scanned and digitally printed in 2021
Alice was born and raised in New York City. She is one of four children. She was a practical nurse and liked caring for others. She was known as the Big Aunt Alice who liked to say to people, “Have a great future.”
Included here is a reading of Alice's interview, originally transcribed by Margery Stein Schab and recorded by a caregiver.
Katie
Realizing a Life Long Dream
Katie is a violin teacher who was determined, at her student recital, that she would play her lifelong dream—the Dvorak, Sonatina for Violin and Piano, Opus 100. She practiced this piece for months along with her friend, my piano teacher, until she had memorized the entire piece which, for the pianist, is 19 pages long. She played it twice at the recital and portions of it after the recital so I could take a photo of this precious moment.
Philitz
Photographed in 2021, scanned and digitally printed in 2023
I have embarked on a new photo project of taking portraits of the newcomers who reside in New York State.
Philitz was born in Turkey and cleans houses. She is now an American citizen, and she still has relatives in Turkey. She has made a great effort to know everyone in our local community. Sometimes she brings me fresh bread and vegetables.
Jeanette and Antonio
Photographed in 2022, scanned and digitally printed in 2023
Antonio is an upholsterer. He and his wife opened a shop in Ulster County. He was proud to show off his new commercial sewing machine that was a gift from a retired man in his field. His wife is the business organizer. She is from Los Angeles and he is from Mexico.