Gino Sbrana

Gino Sbrana was an Italian self-taught photographer who worked in the Bay Area from the late 1890s until the mid 1920s. His photographs were not discovered until long after his death, and depicted almost exclusively Italian immigrants to the Bay Area whose identities are unknown.

Sbrana’s work is notable for capturing the “diverse human experiences” of Italian immigrants to the Bay Area, and Sbrana’s relative lack of power and privilege during his lifetime likely prevented his works from becoming as popular then as they are now (Diversity Objectives 1.1 and 1.3). The shared anonymity of Sbrana and his subjects is a powerful reminder of all the immigrant stories that have been lost to time. However, despite their anonymity, they tell an extremely powerful story about the immigrant experience during their time.

Credit: Nick Pecora