With festive feasting upon us, we’d like to take a moment to recognize the hardest working holiday hero: PIE. From voluminous vessels of slow-roasted savories to lattice-lined syrupy sweets, these stunning staples are the stars of the show. Our newest Vintage Edition is a toast to these self-contained celebrations of scrumptiousness. Behold, Pie.
Shot in the early 1920s by Polish-born photographer Theodor Horydczak (1889-1971), Pie is a pared-down glamour shot, big on drama. A true documentarian, Horydczak created photographs characterized by precision and focus. Careful attention to lighting and angles give his images a stage-like quality. Here, Horydczak reaches peak pie potential: a singular plate perched delicately atop fingertips with light reflecting off bright white cream leaving a soft halo of glow in the dark background. Like the spotlight as the start of a show—or salivation at the start of a meal—Pie has anticipation baked in. So settle in and quiet down for this episode of Pie Unplugged.
Like his photographs, Horydczak was quiet and focused. Born in Poland in 1899, he took up photography during World War I, after emigrating and joining the U.S. Army Signal Corps. He settled in Washington D.C. in the 1920s, where he flourished as a freelance photographer, documenting architecture, people, and streets of the city. Considering himself more craftsman than artist, Horydczak developed a straightforward style, his subjects depicted with such clarity and presence that they become almost tactile. The stark simplicity of Pie draws us right into that pillowy piped cream. Now if we could juuuuust reach out for a quick taste.
Team 20x200
