Potential for Future Research

Compared to other notable Italian-Americans of the Bay Area such as Beniamino Bufano, Mario Savio, Tina Modotti, and Dorothy Bryant, very little is known about the life of Gino Sbrana. In this way, he has something in common with his subjects. Bowden’s collection of Sbrana’s photographs remains the only authoritative published source that provides significant insight into Sbrana’s life. Only through newspaper clippings was I able to piece together some more aspects of Gino’s life, along with that of his brother Carlo. More research into the life of Sbrana is warranted, as his photos represent some of the only surviving visual images of Italian-American family and work life in the Bay Area during the years preceding WWII.