Elliott Erwitt is an American photographer and filmmaker known for his candid black-and-white images of everyday life. Born in Paris in 1928 to Russian Jewish parents, Erwitt moved to the United States at the age of seven. He studied photography at Los Angeles City College before joining the U.S. Army in 1951, where he served as a photographer in the Signal Corps.
After his military service, Erwitt returned to photography and began working as a freelance photographer for magazines such as Look, Life, and Holiday. His work was characterized by its wit and humor, often capturing unexpected moments of everyday life. He also worked on advertising campaigns for companies such as Kodak and Volkswagen.
In 1953, Erwitt joined Magnum Photos, an international photographic cooperative founded by Henri Cartier-Bresson and Robert Capa. He became a full member of Magnum in 1955 and served as its president from 1968 to 1969. During this time he traveled extensively throughout Europe, Asia, Africa, and Latin America on assignment for various publications.
Erwitt's photographs have been exhibited widely around the world and are held in numerous public collections including the Museum of Modern Art in New York City and the National Gallery of Art in Washington D.C., among others. In addition to his photography career, Erwitt has also directed several documentary films including The Private Experience (1973) and Red White Blue & God Bless You (1976). He has received numerous awards throughout his career including a Guggenheim Fellowship (1962) and a Lucie Award for Outstanding Achievement in Documentary Photography (2009).