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Early Color
A beloved photobook classic from the pioneer of color photography This is a reprint of the immensely successful Early Color (2008), which presented Saul Leiter's remarkable body of color work to the public for the first time in book form. Although Edward Steichen had exhibited some of Leiter's color photography at The Museum of Modern Art in 1953, it remained virtually unknown to the world thereafter. Leiter moved to New York in 1946 to become a painter, but through his friendship with Richard Pousette-Dart he quickly recognized the creative potential of photography. Leiter continued to paint, exhibiting with Philip Guston and Willem de Kooning, but the camera remained his ever-present means of recording life in the metropolis. None of Leiter's contemporaries, with the partial exception of Helen Levitt, assembled a comparable body of subtle, often abstract compositions of lyrical, eloquent color.
158 pages, Hardcover
First published January 15, 2006
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About the author
Saul Leiter
27 books37 followersSaul Leiter was an American photographer and painter whose pioneering work in color photography and nuanced street scenes made him a central, though often underappreciated, figure of the New York school of photography. Born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Leiter initially pursued a religious path, studying to become a rabbi like his father, a renowned Talmudic scholar. However, by the age of 23, he left theology school and moved to New York City to become an artist.
Influenced early on by the Abstract Expressionist painter Richard Pousette-Dart and photographer W. Eugene Smith, Leiter soon turned to photography. He began with black-and-white images using a 35mm Leica and by 1948 had started experimenting with color photography—decades before it became widely accepted as an art form. His work from this period revealed a painterly sensitivity to light, form, and abstraction, setting him apart from the grittier, more confrontational style of many contemporaries such as Robert Frank48591 and William Klein. Instead, Leiter sought tranquility in the chaos of New York, often capturing poetic glimpses of life through fogged windows, reflections, and delicate color fields.
Throughout the 1950s and 1960s, Leiter sustained his artistic practice through fashion photography, contributing to Harper’s Bazaar, Show, Elle, and British Vogue. His editorial work, though commercial, retained his distinct aesthetic sensibility and subtle sense of narrative.
Leiter’s contributions to photography remained relatively overlooked for much of his life, but later years brought a resurgence of interest. Edward Steichen had included him in a 1953 exhibition at MoMA, but it wasn't until the 1990s and 2000s that retrospectives and publications such as Early Color (2006), edited by Martin Harrison, reintroduced his remarkable body of work to new audiences. In 2008, the Henri Cartier-Bresson Foundation hosted his first major European museum show. That same lyrical vision is the subject of the 2013 documentary In No Great Hurry: 13 Lessons in Life with Saul Leiter.
A prolific artist in both photography and painting, Leiter continued creating work until his death in New York City in 2013. His photographs are now part of major public collections, including the Museum of Modern Art, the Whitney Museum of American Art, the Art Institute of Chicago, and the Victoria and Albert Museum.
Often referred to as a quiet master, Saul Leiter left behind a singular vision—intimate, painterly, and timeless—that continues to inspire photographers and art lovers around the world.
Influenced early on by the Abstract Expressionist painter Richard Pousette-Dart and photographer W. Eugene Smith, Leiter soon turned to photography. He began with black-and-white images using a 35mm Leica and by 1948 had started experimenting with color photography—decades before it became widely accepted as an art form. His work from this period revealed a painterly sensitivity to light, form, and abstraction, setting him apart from the grittier, more confrontational style of many contemporaries such as Robert Frank48591 and William Klein. Instead, Leiter sought tranquility in the chaos of New York, often capturing poetic glimpses of life through fogged windows, reflections, and delicate color fields.
Throughout the 1950s and 1960s, Leiter sustained his artistic practice through fashion photography, contributing to Harper’s Bazaar, Show, Elle, and British Vogue. His editorial work, though commercial, retained his distinct aesthetic sensibility and subtle sense of narrative.
Leiter’s contributions to photography remained relatively overlooked for much of his life, but later years brought a resurgence of interest. Edward Steichen had included him in a 1953 exhibition at MoMA, but it wasn't until the 1990s and 2000s that retrospectives and publications such as Early Color (2006), edited by Martin Harrison, reintroduced his remarkable body of work to new audiences. In 2008, the Henri Cartier-Bresson Foundation hosted his first major European museum show. That same lyrical vision is the subject of the 2013 documentary In No Great Hurry: 13 Lessons in Life with Saul Leiter.
A prolific artist in both photography and painting, Leiter continued creating work until his death in New York City in 2013. His photographs are now part of major public collections, including the Museum of Modern Art, the Whitney Museum of American Art, the Art Institute of Chicago, and the Victoria and Albert Museum.
Often referred to as a quiet master, Saul Leiter left behind a singular vision—intimate, painterly, and timeless—that continues to inspire photographers and art lovers around the world.
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
November 16, 2020
Wow. This is probably the most perfect photography book I've ever seen. The selection of Leiter's photos, the superb printing by legendary German publisher Steidl, the binding, even the scent of the paper... It's the pinnacle of a great photography book.
Leiter's photographs dance across the pages in vivid but natural Kodachrome colors - extraordinary pictures of everyday life in NYC in the 1950s. The photos are very artistic and impressionistic, mostly about color, light, shape, line, composition, and atmosphere. You'll probably know within seconds of looking at his work whether or not you like it. Personally, I find it a refreshing departure from most photography, which tends to be more literal and less aesthetically complex. Leiter once said, "I may be old-fashioned, but I believe there is such a thing as a search for beauty, a delight in the nice things in the world. And I don't think one should have to apologize for it." This book is a wonderful embodiment of that belief.
Leiter's photographs dance across the pages in vivid but natural Kodachrome colors - extraordinary pictures of everyday life in NYC in the 1950s. The photos are very artistic and impressionistic, mostly about color, light, shape, line, composition, and atmosphere. You'll probably know within seconds of looking at his work whether or not you like it. Personally, I find it a refreshing departure from most photography, which tends to be more literal and less aesthetically complex. Leiter once said, "I may be old-fashioned, but I believe there is such a thing as a search for beauty, a delight in the nice things in the world. And I don't think one should have to apologize for it." This book is a wonderful embodiment of that belief.
July 23, 2013
Simultaneously evocative and alienating with strange intersections of reflections, fragments and objects without context - these images could be used to illustrate a Robert Chambers story. Subtly disturbing.
May 27, 2019
Amazing. Very inspirational.
September 27, 2022
Absolutely stunning
A must read - if you can find a copy - grab it!
A must read - if you can find a copy - grab it!
Read
November 3, 2023going to dream of saul leiter's red umbrellas...
martin harrison's categorisation (in the introduction) of leiter's work as "urban [pastorals]" is very apt.
martin harrison's categorisation (in the introduction) of leiter's work as "urban [pastorals]" is very apt.
March 5, 2017
If I could shoot one photograph as good as any of the photographs compiled in this collection, I'd hang up my camera. Saul Leiter is that good.
November 29, 2011
Finally managed to get hold of this book, it has been sold out for a while but Amazon.fr all of a sudden had 4 extra copies available at a very reasonable price. I was impressed by Leiter's exhibition in Antwerp's Gallery 54 already and now equally by his 'paintings' in this book. The colour palette is an integral part of the images, many of which seem trivial at first until one digs deeper. Well recommended!
February 4, 2016
I have enjoy some of Saul Leiter's work and this is the second time I have taken a stab at this book.
Print quality of images were poor and images are very small. I know a lot of folks have found Saul's street work to be inspirational but for the most part I'm not in the camp. I much prefer the early colour work of Fred Herzog
Print quality of images were poor and images are very small. I know a lot of folks have found Saul's street work to be inspirational but for the most part I'm not in the camp. I much prefer the early colour work of Fred Herzog
July 27, 2015
Im not sure how I missed this work all these years. Absolutely beautiful photos; a totally different approach to street photography than I've ever seen. Leiter extracts color, shape, dimension, energy from the prosaic scenes he photographed. The use of color was historically breakthrough as well.
January 24, 2009
Haven't seen this one recently - but have coveted it since I didn't buy it years ago. I want. Looking forward to the Photofile book on him to come out soon.
June 9, 2016
i've totally fallen in love with saul leiter's work the last few weeks. his color might be a bit better than his monochrome, but all is brilliant regardless.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews