A multimedia section at the end of the exhibition features two videos about Erwitt’s long career as a TV author and director, and a video collection of some of his most famous black and white pictures.

Elliott Erwitt was born on 1928 in Paris to Russian émigré parents. His formative years were spent in Milan. At the age of 10 his family moved back to Paris only to immigrate to New York a year later, then transferring to Los Angeles in 1941. While attending Hollywood High School he worked in a commercial darkroom processing “signed” prints for fans of movie stars.

In 1948 Erwitt met Edward Steichen, Robert Capa and Roy Stryker who liked his photographs and took a personal guiding interest becoming significant mentors. The following year he returned to Europe traveling and photographing in Italy and France thus marking the start of his professional career. Drafted in to the US Army in 1951 he continued taking photographs for various publications totally apart from his military duties while stationed in New Jersey, Germany and France. In 1953 freshly decommissioned from military service, Erwitt was invited to join Magnum Photos as a member by its founder Capa.

While actively working for magazine, industrial and advertising clients Erwitt devotes all his spare time toward creating books and exhibitions of his work. To date he is the author of nearly 30 photography books.