Smithsonian magazine's 22nd Annual Photo Contest | Made possible through the support of MPB.com

21st Annual Smithsonian Magazine Photo Contest People
Beck Brothers

Following the death of their father in 1945, Paul and Alfred Beck took over the family printing company at the ages of 17 and 14-years-old respectively and both brothers still contributed to the running of the business until late last year when sadly, Alfred (on the right) passed away. I had photographed the brothers early in 2021 as they are friends and I have often used their printing services for my projects. In the twilight of their careers, wearing formal attire and deadpan expressions, I positioned them between the machinery that has been passed down from generation to generation, reflecting the close bond between the men, who have spent the majority of their lives working side by side. For me, the portrait possesses sentimentality and poignancy as we witness these two jovial gentlemen, who worked so hard to see the business flourish.

Photo Detail
Date Taken: 03.2021
Date Uploaded: 11.2023
Photo Location: San Gwann, Malta
Camera: NIKON D800
Copyright: © Joseph Smith