Elliott Erwitt

Born on July 26, 1928, in Paris, Elliott Erwitt spent his childhood in Milan. His family moved back to Paris in 1938, and immigrated to New York the following year, then moved to Los Angeles in 1941. His interest in photography began while he was a teenager living in Hollywood. In 1948 Erwitt moved to New York, there he met Edward Steichen, Robert Capa and Roy Stryker. After spending the year 1949 traveling in France and Italy, Erwitt returned to New York and began working as a professional photographer. Drafted into the army in 1951, he continued to take photographs while stationed in Germany and France.

Elliott Erwitt was invited to join Magnum Photos in 1953 by Robert Capa. A member of the prestigious agency ever since, Erwitt has served several terms as its president. One of the leading figures in the competitive field of magazine photography, Erwitt’s journalistic essays, illustrations and advertisements have been featured in publications around the world for more than forty years. In addition to his work as a still photographer, Erwitt began making films in 1970. He has published several books and has had one-man exhibitions in numerous museums and galleries around the world including New York’s Museum of Modern Art, the Smithsonian Institution, the Art Institute of Chicago, Paris’ Museum of Modern Art, and Zurich’s Kunsthaus.

Based in New York City, Elliott Erwitt travels obsessively. He likes children and dogs.