American, b. (Paris) 1928
Born in Paris of Russian parents, Erwitt emigrated to the US with his family in 1939. He studied photography in Los Angeles City College (1942-1944) then film at the New School for Social Research ( 1948-1950). After serving as a photographic assistant in the United States Army Signal Corps in Germany and in France, Erwitt met Edward Steichen, Robert Capa and Roy Stryker, former head of the fabled Farm Security Administration in 1950 and worked under him for Standard Oil Company.
From 1950 to 1952, Erwitt was a freelance photographer for Collier's, Look, Life and...