Eye to I: The Autobiography of a Photographer

by Erwin Blumenfeld, Mike Mitchell (Translator), Brian Murdoch (Translator)

The life of Erwin Blumenfeld, one of the century's best-known photographers, was by no means conventional. By turns acerbic, self-mocking, playful, even absurd, his autobiography is a compelling, virtuoso account of an extraordinary man. All his subjects--his Jewish family, the Germans, the Vichy French, his models, New York publishers--are dealt equal measures of wit, mockery, and merciless irony. He spares himself least of all. Born in turn-of-the-century Berlin, Blumenfeld was drafted to serve in the First World War, first as an ambulance driver (although he couldn't drive) and then as a bookkeeper in a field brothel, and he was awarded the Iron Cross for giving his sergeant French lessons. Between the wars he was part of an avant-garde circle that included such artists as Else L?asker-Schler, George Grosz, and members of the Dada movement. During the Second World War, Blumenfeld was interned in a series of French camps but eventually arrived in New York, where he found work with Vogue and Harper's Bazaar, producing many of their most memorable covers and becoming fashion's highest-paid photographer. From the creator of some of the most striking and influential photographs ever taken, Blumenfeld's autobiography--published here in English for the first time--is a biting and iconoclastic take on the century, and the insightful, gripping story of an exceptional life.

Genres: Photography, Biography

384 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1980

Reviews

[Greta · Rating 3 out of 5]

Erwin Blumenfeld wasn't only an excellent photographer, he was also an excellent writer able to tell his story in a gripping, humorous, and insightful way. His journey through life was filled with twists and turns and incredible hardships and tragedy in addition to fame and fortune. This autobiography turned out to be more about his childhood and life during wartime than about his life as a photographer. I was hoping it would be more of the latter. If it had been, I would surely have given it four, maybe even five stars.