Elliott Erwitt

author · photographer

Franco-American[1,2,3] b. 26 July 1928, Paris, France[1,2,3] d. 29 November 2023, Manhattan, New York, U.S.[1,2] active 1948–2023

Elliott Erwitt (born Elio Romano Ervitz) was a renowned French-born American photographer known for his candid and humorous approach to street photography. Born in Paris in 1928 to Russian-Jewish parents, he spent his childhood in Milan before emigrating to the United States in 1939. He began his career in Los Angeles as a commercial darkroom worker and portrait photographer before moving to New York in 1948. Erwitt joined Magnum Photos in 1953 and became famous for capturing iconic moments, including portraits of Marilyn Monroe, Grace Kelly, and Fidel Castro, as well as the 'Kitchen Debate' between Nikita Khrushchev and Richard Nixon. His work often explored themes of love, human emotion, and irony, frequently featuring animals—particularly dogs—as subjects. He served as president of Magnum Photos in the late 1960s and later produced several documentaries and comedy films.[1,2,3]

  • street photography
  • human emotion
  • irony
  • animals
  • romantic partnerships

Books

Works by Elliott Erwitt

  • 1974 Chien de ma chienne Chene · book · French · ISBN 2851080148 The book is a collection of photographs by Erwitt.
  • 1998 Dog Dog's book Focuses on his interest in dogs.
  • 1999 Museum Watching book Images from museums like MoMA and the Louvre.
  • 1988 Personal Exposures book Retrospective publication.

Exhibitions

  • 2024 Elliott Erwitt: A Retrospective La Sucrière, Lyon · solo

Awards

  • 2002 Royal Photographic Society’s Centenary Medal Royal Photographic Society
  • 2011 Lifetime Achievement Award International Center of Photography

References

  1. Remembering Elliott Erwitt (1928–2023). Magnum Photos. 2023 link
  2. Elliott Erwitt obituary. Facebook. 2023 link
  3. Elliott Erwitt. Britannica. 2026 link