Jules Aarons (US American, 1921–2008)
West End Meat Market, n.d.
silver gelatin print
Gift of Jeanne and Richard S. Press, 2015.141.12
16” x 20”
Jules Aarons began documenting daily life in Boston’s West End in 1947, capturing candid images of a community in a continuous state of change. Throughout the late 19th to mid 20th centuries, this neighborhood served as home to many immigrant groups, including Jewish Eastern Europeans who contributed to the development of the area’s infrastructure. The meat market photographed here speaks to commercial establishments’ multifaceted function as a community resource, gathering space, and support for religious and cultural practices involving food preparation.