John Gutmann (1905–1998) was one of America’s most distinctive photographers. Born in Germany where he trained as an artist and art teacher, he fled the Nazis in 1933 and settled in San Francisco, reinventing himself as a photo-journalist.

In the America of the 1930s, Mr. Gutmann found an exuberant car culture, a dizzying array of billboards and graffiti, a racially diverse citizenry, music and dancing in the streets and young women galore. He photographed them all.

Early drive-in restaurant, Hollywood, 1935Artillery on Market Street, San Francisco, 1934Street Musicians, New Orleans, 1937Man Walking by Clown and Lady Graffiti, San Francisco, 1939High ride, 1937Mobile, Alabama, 1937Texas Women, Texas, 1937Selling Apples: No. 1 Broadway, New York, 1936Kids Reading Comics, San Francisco, 1938Automobiles Parked at the beach, Oregon, 1934Death stalks the Filmore, 1939First Drive-in theatre, Los Angeles, 1935Pop Advertising, San Francisco, 1939Bicycle of a Mexican Barber, San Antonio, 1937A portrait of Count Basie, San Francisco, 1939“Cash for your car”, San Francisco, 1939National Guard tanks, San Francisco, 1934Elevator Garage, Chicago, 1936Out of the Pool, San Francisco, 1934Cord in Harlem, NY, 1936Bare Back, San Francisco, 1939Reach, San Francisco, 1938Warriors, Harlem, 1936The Lesson, Central Park, New York, 1936Tee-Peeing the Vieux Carré, Mardi Gras, New Orleans, 1937Lunch hour, San Francisco, 1934The Cry, 1939National Guard on the truck, San Francisco, 1934Man in a hurry, New Orleans, 1937The Fleet is In, San Francisco, 1934“Yes, Culumbus did discover America”, San Francisco, 1938Omen, 1934Wyoming car, 1936Majorettes in Parade, California, 1939Class (Olympic High diving champion Marjorie Gestring), San Francisco, 1936