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Philip Reisman was a Social Realist who studied at the New York Art Students League and privately with Harry Wickes in the 1920s. Born in Poland and raised in New York City, Reisman began visiting Cape Ann in 1944 and returned frequently through 1954. As a painter and a photographer, Reisman focused his attention on Gloucester's working waterfront, frequently sketching and photographing inside processing plants and freezer buildings, not the typical venue for visiting artists. He also created a series of paintings celebrating the pageantry of Gloucester's annual St. Peter's Fiesta. In addition to his work here on Cape Ann, Reisman worked as an easel painter and a muralist in WPA sponsored projects during the 1930s.

The Cape Ann Museum Library & Archives is home to a collection of 35mm color slides taken in Gloucester by Reisman in the 1950s, mainly related to St. Peter's Fiesta and the Gloucester fishing industry.