Edward Steichen

Edward Steichen was born in Luxembourg in 1879. Eighteen months later the family, amongst many others from economically stressed Luxembourg, emigrated to the United States. While a promising painter, Edward bought his first camera, a Kodak box, in 1895. He had his first exhibition of photographs in 1899 in the second Philadelphia Photographic Salon. in 1900 he became a U.S. citizen but in April of that year left for Paris to study art. En route he met Stieglitz in New York City following an introductory letter from Clarence H. White. Stieglitz was impressed with Steichen’s art and photography and bought three of his prints. Steichen was to form a strong bond with Stieglitz during the formative years of Camera Work and the 291 Gallery which had been his studio at 291 fifth avenue, New York. In 1902 Steichen became a member of the Photo-Succession group which included Stieglitz, the founder, together with Clarence H. White, Gertrude Käsebier, Frank Eugene, Fred Holland Day and Alvin Langdon Coburn. He published Camera Work with Stieglitz between 1903 and 1917.

Fashion photography became possible after the development of high quality half-tone reproduction of photographs. The pioneer of the new genre of fashion photography is usually credited to the French Baron Adolph de Meyer. Steichen was well place to continue this development as he became widely recognised as a superb portrait photograph 1903 and 1917er. He had also taken some photographs of gowns designed by Paul poiret which were published in an April 1911 edition of Art et Décoration. At this time both Meyer and Steichen were much influenced by the Pictorialist style with an emphasis on soft-focus. After the First World War Steichen gradually reverted to straight photography. When Meyer left Condé Nast for its rival Harper’s Bazar, Steichen was offered the job as chief photographer for Vanity Fair and in addition further fashion assignments for Vogue.