„Personal Best for Leica“

Visitors to the Leica Gallery in Düsseldorf can look forward to a very special exhibition: From June 14th to August 24th 2024, selected works by the renowned and world-famous Magnum photographer Elliott Erwitt († 2023) will be on display under the title "Personal Best for Leica". The 30 black and white images are a testament to his decades-long friendly connection with Leica.

Elliott Erwitt is regarded as one of the most significant photographers worldwide. His works, mostly in black and white, are dedicated to prominent personalities and memorable moments in contemporary history - they are considered modern masterpieces of photography. Erwitt was a confessed dog lover. Therefore, the four-legged friends play a special role in his photographic works. Additionally, Erwitt's fine and clever humor is considered his trademark, which is reflected in many of his images. His subjects are direct and entertaining, empathetic and poignant, American and cosmopolitan.

"One can find images everywhere. The thing is, to notice them and then to shape them. You just have to be interested in what is happening around you, and to have a passion for humanity and the human comedy," was a recipe from the brilliant storyteller. When discussing his work, he would often understate his abilities: "One only needs to have the modest ability to bring order to a subject, to create an image, or to recognize and reproduce moods. Occasionally, one also comes to a picture that says something. That's enough. Of course, it does no harm to be in the right place at the right time."

About Elliot Erwitt Born to Russian emigrant parents on July 26, 1928 in Paris, Elliott Erwitt spent his early years growing up in Italy and France. In 1939, he immigrated to America with his family. His interest in photography sparked when he lived in Hollywood as a teenager. In 1948, he started working as a professional photographer in New York and was invited by Robert Capa to join the Magnum agency in 1953, of which he would become president several times. Throughout his career, he became one of the most well-known and busiest photographers of our age. Starting in 1970 he also began making films and working for television. Throughout all his travels, his home base always remained New York City. During this time, he freelanced for various magazines such as "Collier's", "Look", "Life", and "Holiday". He photographed numerous celebrities including Marlene Dietrich, Jacqueline Kennedy, and Marilyn Monroe. His shots of Fidel Castro and Che Guevara are legendary. In 1974 and 1980, he once again served as vice president of Magnum. Over the course of his career, he published over 25 books and won many important international prizes over a span of 45 years. The Leica Camera AG honored him in 2023 with the Leica Hall of Fame Award for his contribution to photography. Erwitt passed away in November 2023 in his hometown New York at the age of 95.

The "Personal Best for Leica" exhibition can be viewed from June 14th to August 24th, 2024, from Monday to Saturday, 10:00 AM to 7:00 PM at the Leica Gallery in Düsseldorf in the KÖ Gallery (Königsallee 60). Admission is free.