Elliott Erwitt

Spain, Valencia (Robert Mary Frank)

1952

Elliott Erwitt's original photography, journalistic essays, illustrations and advertisements have been featured in publications around the world for over forty years.

Erwitt was born in France to émigré parents in 1928. His formative years were spent in Italy. At the age of 10, he moved with his family back to France and emigrated to the United States in 1939, settling in New York for two years and then transferring to Los Angeles.

In the early 1950s, Erwitt moved to New York City by way of Pittsburg, Germany and France (the last two locations courtesy of the United States Army). He settled in New York for good, establishing his fundamental base of operations ...although "settling" in Erwitt parlance meant "where you are at the moment for as long as you don't go somewhere else."

Flexibility and adaptation to the requirements of the profession and personal interests kept Erwitt moving around the globe before returning to New York. While attending Hollywood High School Erwitt worked in a commercial darkroom processing "signed" prints for fans of movie stars. In 1949 he returned to Europe. He traveled and took photographs in Italy and France thus making the start of his professional career.

Drafted into the US Army in 1951, Erwitt took photographs for various publications in addition to fulfilling his military duties while stationed in New Jersey, Germany and France. By good fortune, while looking for work on exploratory trips to New York City before the start of his military service, he met Edward Steichen, Robert Capa and Roy Stryker who liked his photographs and took a personal guiding interest becoming significant mentors.

In 1953, freshly decommissioned from military service, Erwitt was invited to join Magnum Photos as a member by its founder Robert Capa. In 1968 he became president of the prestigious agency for three terms. Erwitt continued for decades to be an active member and one of the leading figures in the competitive field of photography.

While continuing his work as a stills photographer Erwitt began making films in the 1970s. His documentaries include Beauty Knows No Pain (1971), Red White and Blue Grass (1973) sponsored with a grant from the American Film Institute, and The Glass Makers of Herat (1977). In the '80s Erwitt produced seventeen comedy and satire programs for HBO. From the '90s onward, he continued to lead a remarkably varied professional life encompassing many disparate aspects of photography.

While actively working for magazine, industrial and advertising clients Erwitt devoted all of his spare time to creating books and exhibitions of his work destined for galleries and museums.

Find original Elliott Erwitt portrait photography and other photography on 1stDibs.

(Biography provided by PDNB Gallery)