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Scope and Contents |
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The collection consists of more than 31,500 signed modern prints of 2,723 images,
and
roughly 2,600 vintage and book production prints of 1,577 images taken by
photographer Elliott Erwitt (American, born 1928 in Italy) between 1946 and 2010.
Also included are some 14,500 5x7-inch proof prints. Found within the collection
are
examples of Erwitt’s work for magazine and advertising clients, much of it done
while a member of the prestigious photographic cooperative Magnum Photos
Incorporated, as well as photographs inspired by his personal interests and travel.
While many of the photographs capture famous events and people -- from the historic
Khrushchev-Nixon "Kitchen Debates" to American film
star Marilyn Monroe -- Erwitt’s other works reveal everyday people and places,
and
the photographer’s love of dogs. Given the size and scope of the collection, an
viewing set consisting of one copy of each of the 4,033 images (and multiples
of
some Vintage prints) was set aside and a database was created to grant access
to the
collection. The database can be found at http://norman.hrc.utexas.edu/erwittdc/. |
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The database records Erwitt's captions, which consist only of a place name, country,
and date. Item-level descriptions for each image have been added to the database,
allowing searching by keyword and browsing by country and/or decade. |
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Please use the database to request materials that you wish to view in person in the
Reading and Viewing Room. |
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The remainder of the collection, which includes contact sheets and negatives, remains
with the photographer until his death and are unavailable. |
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Prints that were spotted for the Ransom Center’s exhibition Elliott Erwitt: Home Around the World (August 15, 2016–January 1, 2017)
have been restricted from public access, but other copies of those images are
available. Spotting is a means of correcting minor flaws in a photograph by
retouching the print using a special ink. |
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The collection is divided into three series, reflecting the original arrangement of
the prints as they arrived at the Ransom Center: I. Non-vintage prints, 1944-2010;
II. Vintage prints, 1948-2009; and III. Proof Prints, 1950-2010. To facilitate
retrieval, each series has been divided by decade which is reflected in the
subseries titles. Within each subseries, prints are arranged first by year and
then
by Erwitt’s and/or Magnum’s unique negative numbering system. |
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The first series consists of more than 31,500 signed modern prints. These prints were
stock from Erwitt's commercial studio and were meant to be sold. Aside from those
used in the Ransom Center’s exhibition Elliott Erwitt: Home
Around the World, they are unspotted, as Erwitt's studio only performed
this task immediately prior to a print's sale. |
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The second series consists of approximately 2,600 vintage prints. They are a mix of
prints sent out for distribution by Magnum Photos Inc.; prints Erwitt used when
creating books; and prints created when, or shortly after, the images were made.
Many of the vintage prints lack any identifying information. |
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The third series consists of approximately 14,500 5x7 proof prints, including both
fiber and RC prints. |
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Series Descriptions |
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Series I. Non-Vintage Prints, 1944-2010 |
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Subseries A. 1940s |
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The subseries consists of approximately 55 images taken between 1944 and
1949 at the start of Erwitt’s career. Many of the images were taken in
New York City and include a variety of streetscapes and scenes of daily
life. Also present are some of his earliest portraits, made while
working for AAK, such as that of Jack Kerouac. Other images were made in
Italy and France in 1949 during Erwitt’s first trip back to Europe after
immigrating to the United States ten years earlier. These include
informal yet confrontational group portraits of children, still-lifes,
nudes, and scenes of daily life. The subseries also includes a few of
Erwitt’s first photographs taken while still a high school student in
Los Angeles and during a trip to visit his father in New Orleans. |
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Subseries B. 1950s |
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Themes of daily life, local people (especially children), and dogs
dominate Erwitt’s work throughout his career, and make up much of the
approximately 700 images in this subseries. Many images were taken in
and around New York City, including events such as a Shriners parade and
crowds at the Belmont Park Race Track, as well as cultural figures such
as artist Robert Frank, journalist Edward R. Murrow, and playwright
Arthur Miller. Erwitt took photographs on the sets of the films On The Waterfront and The Desperate Hours, as well as images of film star Marilyn
Monroe during the filming of The Seven Year
Itch. Erwitt photographed his own family throughout his
career, and several images of his first wife and their children can be
found in this and other subseries. |
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When not working in New York City, Erwitt traveled across the country for
assignments from magazines such as Holiday
and Life. Subjects of these images include
Ivy League and Big Ten schools, the American south, and "People in Love." |
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Erwitt also traveled to Europe on several occasions, including to France
and Germany during his Army service, as well as Italy and Spain. Other
images from Erwitt’s travels are of ancient sites in Egypt, Soviet
military exercises, and Nikita Khrushchev and Richard Nixon during the
1959 "Kitchen Debate" at the American
National Exhibition in Moscow, USSR. |
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Subseries C. 1960s |
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The subseries consists of approximately 550 images, 99 of which were
taken in New York. Throughout the 1960s, Erwitt continued to travel
across the United States, covering subjects ranging from movie sets to
political events. In Reno, Nevada, he photographed the stars of the film
The Misfits, the last movie in which
Clark Gable appeared. He documented the 1960 Democratic National
Convention in Los Angeles, California; Presidents Dwight D. Eisenhower
and John F. Kennedy at the White House; Jacqueline Kennedy at the
funeral of her husband in 1963; and the 1968 Republican National
Convention in Miami Beach, Florida. |
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In his global travels, Erwitt documented a wide variety of locations and
themes, including the marriage of Badouin I, King of Belgium; Fidel
Castro and Che Guevara in Cuba; nudists in England and Germany; modern
architecture in Brazil; Charles de Gaulle on a visit to Moscow, USSR;
and daily and religious life in Poland and Hungary. Many of Erwitt’s
domestic and foreign images were taken for various magazine or
advertising assignments. |
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Subseries D. 1970s |
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Approximately 420 images make up this subseries. Erwitt’s photographs
from this decade depict numerous European destinations, including the
beaches of Saint Tropez, France; Vatican City in Rome during the Papal
inauguration of Pope John Paul II; and the cities and coastal towns of
England. Other subjects include beaches in Mexico; temples in Japan; and
street scenes in Afghanistan. |
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Domestically, Erwitt photographed scenes of daily life from Florida to
California, but the majority of his work remained focused in and around
New York City, depicting dog show contestants and their owners, beach
scenes from Coney Island and East Hampton, and several images of his
wife and daughter. |
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Subseries E. 1980s |
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This subseries consists of roughly 200 images taken in a variety of
domestic and global locations. Views of French streets, dogs, and
fashion can be found in this subseries, as are images of China’s Museum
of Terracotta Warriors. In New York, Erwitt continued with themes of
everyday life and family as well as major events, such as the 1980
Democratic National Convention and the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.
Notable personalities depicted include, but are not limited to, artists
Andy Warhol and Willem de Kooning, as well as photographer and curator
John Szarkowski. |
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Erwitt created a number of films during this period, and images document
the filming of The Great Pleasure Hunt
(1982)in Japan, The Great Pleasure Hunt II
(1983) in Amsterdam, and Good Nudes! (1984)
in California, among others. |
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Subseries F. 1990s |
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This subseries is comprised of approximately 380 images. That include
beach scenes from Brazil, a dog show in Birmingham, England, historical
sites in Venice, Italy, and the art installation Wrapped Reichstag by
Christo and Jeanne-Claude in Berlin. In New Orleans, Louisiana, Erwitt
photographed Mardi Gras parade-goers and floats; in Washington, D.C.,
President Bill Clinton is shown at his desk in the White House; and in
New York, Erwitt photographed children playing with toys and chemistry
sets. |
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Subseries G. 2000s |
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A large number of the roughly 400 images in this subseries were taken in
Italy, and include images of statuary and architecture, religious
ceremonies and parades, and personalities such as Silvio Berlusconi and
Pope Benedict XVI. Other locations featured include Australia,
Argentina, New Zealand, France, and Brazil. |
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In New York, Erwitt took a number of snapshots and studio portraits of
dogs, as well as a series of family portraits, among his other perennial
themes. |
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Subseries H. Date Unknown |
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This subseries includes only two images: an image of people at a beach,
and one of a boy wearing a hat made of a false apple and arrow. Date and
location are unknown for both images. |
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Series II. Vintage Prints, 1948-2009 |
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Subseries A. 1940s |
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The subseries consists of fifteen images that are representative of
Erwitt’s earliest commercial work as well as his interests in street
photography and human drama. Included are portraits of authors Frederick
Buechner and Conrad Richter, as well as artist John Clemmer, and candid
group portraits of children in Venice, Italy. |
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Subseries B. 1950s |
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The approximately 600 images in this subseries were taken in multiple
locations and of a wide variety themes. A number of images depict scenes
from Erwitt’s Army training at Fort Monmouth, New Jersey, which was
followed by service in France and Italy. Other images document massage
therapy training at the Japan Finger Pressure Institute, the Iowa State
Fair, and speakers at the White Citizens Council Congress in Fort Worth,
Texas. Many of the other places and themes are also included in the
non-vintage subseries of the same date range. |
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Subseries C. 1960s |
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A large number of the approximately 1,125 images that make up this
subseries were taken in Eastern Europe. Erwitt visited Czechoslovakia,
Hungary, and Poland, and his photographs from these trips depict factory
workers, students, monuments and architecture, churches and religious
ceremonies, as well as everyday street scenes and festivals.
Additionally, he photographed beaches in France, the Cologne Carnival in
Germany, parade-goers in Brazil, and schoolchildren in Italy. Also
included are a number of images of architecture from across the United
States. |
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Subseries D. 1970s |
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Roughly 240 images comprise this subseries, many of which were taken in
and around New York City, including images from a Broadway play and a
boxing match between Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier. Other locations
include Mexico, Morocco, Japan, and France. Also included are studio
images of Erwitt’s wife, Susan, during her pregnancy and after with
their baby. |
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Subseries E. 1980s |
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Nine images make up this subseries. Included are a stylized portrait of
American curator and photography historian John Szarkowski, beach scenes
in Florida and Hawaii, and a worm’s-eye view of a jumping dog and his
owner’s feet. |
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Subseries F. 1990s |
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The twelve images in this subseries include portraits of dogs, a bride
and groom standing on rocks overlooking the sea, and several images that
may have been commercial assignments. |
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Subseries G. 2000s |
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Three images make up this subseries, two are of tombstones and the other
is of a dog. |
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Subseries H. Date Unknown |
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The subseries consists of roughly twenty-five images of which the dates
are unknown for all and the locations unknown for most. Identified
locations include Los Angeles, California, Paris, France, and Brazil.
Images consist primarily of candid shots and portraits of children and
adults, streets and towns, and a stuffed gorilla in a glass case. |
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Series III. Proof Prints, 1950-2010 |
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Approximately 14,500 5x7-inch proof prints comprise this series which is
divided into two subseries, A. Fiber Prints and B. RC Prints, which reflects
how the prints arrived at the Center. Center staff then arranged each
subseries first chronologically and then by EE number if the date was
unknown. While a number of these images are duplicates of images found in
Series I and II, there are many images found only in this series. |
