Erwin Blumenfeld

photographer

German-American^[1] b. 26 January 1897, Berlin, Germany^[1] d. 4 July 1969, Rome, Italy^[1] active 1936–1969

Erwin Blumenfeld (1897–1969) was a German-born American photographer renowned for his innovative fashion photography and contributions to the Dada and Surrealist movements. Born in Berlin into a Jewish family, he began his artistic journey early, showing interest in photography by age ten. He moved to Amsterdam in 1918, where he engaged with avant-garde figures like Paul Citroen and Georg Grosz. After moving to Paris in 1936, he established himself as a professional photographer, working for French Vogue before emigrating to the United States in 1941. In America, he became one of the most successful and well-paid fashion photographers of his era, freelancing for major publications including Harper's Bazaar, Life, and American Vogue. His work is characterized by experimentation with techniques such as distortion, multiple exposure, photo-montage, and solarization, often exploring themes of death and femininity.^[1,2,3]

• Fashion
• Dadaism
• Surrealism
• Distortion
• Multiple Exposure