Evelyn Hofer was a German-American photographer renowned for her meticulous portraits, cityscapes, and still-life compositions. Her work, characterized by clarity, color precision, and a painterly quality, has garnered increasing recognition posthumously.
Born 1922 in Marburg, Germany, Hofer fled Nazi persecution with her family, living in Switzerland and Spain before settling in Mexico in the early 1940s. She began her photography career there, later moving to New York City in 1946. In New York, she worked with Alexey Brodovitch at Harper’s Bazaar and Vogue, establishing herself as a prominent photographer.
Hofer’s approach was deliberate and precise, often using a 4×5-inch view camera to capture her subjects. She produced several influential photobooks between 1959 and 1967, including New York Proclaimed (1965) and Dublin, A Portrait (1967), which combined portraits, cityscapes, and still lifes to convey the essence of these cities.
Despite her significant contributions, Hofer remained relatively underrecognized during her lifetime. She passed away in Mexico City in 2009. These remarkable photos are part of Evelyn Hofer’s visual journey through the United States in the 1960s.
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| New York. Manhattan, photo Evelyn Hofer, 1964 |
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| New York. The Guggenheim Museum, designed by architect Frank Lloyd Wright Interior from ground floor up, with spiral ramp and some sculptures, photo Evelyn Hofer, 1960 |
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| New York. Andy Warhol, photo Evelyn Hofer, 1962 |
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| New York. Beauty Palace, photo Evelyn Hofer, 1963 |
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| New York. Hot dog stand, Little Italy, photo Evelyn Hofer, 1963 |
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