Name/Title
Portrait of Young ManEntry/Object ID
RE-PH-2026-0080Description
Formal studio portrait of a young man wearing a buttoned shirt and tie, photographed by Bon-Art Studio, reflecting American portrait style of the late 1930s to mid-1940s.Made/Created
Studio
Bon-Art StudioDate made
circa 1938 - circa 1948Notes
United States (exact location unknown)
Bon-Art Studios operated in multiple American cities during the early to mid-20th century, making precise geographic attribution difficult without additional markings.
Bon-Art was a commercial photographic studio brand active primarily during the 1930s–1950s, producing:
Graduation portraits
Military portraits
Young adult milestone portraits
Family portraits
Bon-Art was part of a network of studios providing affordable, standardized portrait services, particularly in:
Small and mid-sized American cities
Department store studios
School and graduation portrait programs
The standardized mount design and studio credit indicate commercial portrait production during the gelatin silver era.Ethnography
Notes
This photograph represents American portraiture during the late Depression and World War II era.
Portraits of young men during this period were commonly created to commemorate:
High school graduation
Entry into military service
Entry into workforce
Transition into adulthood
The absence of a jacket and use of a simple dress shirt reflects more modern, relaxed portrait conventions compared to earlier formal styles.
Bon-Art studios played an important role in democratizing portrait photography, allowing individuals from a wide range of economic backgrounds to obtain professional photographic documentation.Condition
Overall Condition
Very GoodDate Examined
Feb 15, 2026Notes
Mount condition:
Minor edge wear
Mount toning consistent with age
Slight corner compression
Photograph condition:
Good contrast retention
Minimal fading
Stable photographic surface
Mount remains structurally intact.General Notes
Note Type
DescriptionNote
This studio portrait, produced by Bon-Art Studio circa 1938–1948, depicts a young American man in a head-and-shoulders composition typical of mid-20th century portrait photography. The subject wears a buttoned dress shirt and narrow tie, reflecting contemporary fashion associated with graduation, early employment, or military induction.
Bon-Art Studios were part of a network of commercial portrait providers that made professional photography widely accessible during the early twentieth century. Such portraits served as important personal and familial records documenting individual identity during a period of social and economic transformation in the United States.
The photograph reflects the shift toward more relaxed and natural portrait presentation characteristic of the late interwar and World War II era.Create Date
February 15, 2026