More than 20 years ago the photographer Seymour Licht was on an assignment to capture images of the annual Halloween pageant in Greenwich Village. The floats and crowds at the carnival were hard to make sense of visually, and Licht’s eye was instead drawn to the individual ghouls and goblins he had seen on the subway getting there. The following year, and for two decades of October 31sts after that, he spent his Halloweens underground, from dusk until dawn, photographing gory Frankenstein’s monsters and bloodied angels and axe-murderers on their solitary way to and from parties. The collection of pictures has become a book, Halloween Underground: New York Subway Portraits.

There were nights when he would ride the subway for hours without getting a picture; other times deviant nuns and Dracula brides formed spontaneous pairings. By the time he took the woman with the hare’s head, Licht had perfected the contrast between “the mundane and the fantastical” that had first drawn him to the idea, isolating his surreal subjects against mass transit geometries and signage. We know this is fancy dress, but still it is hard to resist seeing the subway map on the wall as a guide to the hare’s subterranean fiefdom, a tunnel system into which the photographer has fallen.

You sense, looking through the book, that what began as a series of comic juxtapositions became over the years just a little more unsettling. As Licht writes: “Both the subway and Halloween have associations with death. The New York subway is located not ‘six feet under’, but about 180ft below ground at its deepest point. It can evoke a feeling of darkness, desolation and claustrophobia… ” Still, it was one of the rare occasions that strangers were more than happy to have a camera pointed at them, while their fellow passengers, Licht notes, this being New York, “hardly gave the spectacle a second glance”.

• Halloween Underground: New York Subway Portraits by Seymour Licht ($45)

Despite what social media may tell you, there is no such thing as a magic path to success. But what are some concrete steps you can take to reach your goal of becoming a successful artist?

Okay, first off the bat, we should probably determine the term “success,” as that will mean different things for different people. For some, success is simply being able to take a photograph of your family members that doesn’t suck. For others, success is a financial figure, a way to support their family. For others still, success might be more of an abstract goal of reaching a certain level of aesthetics and reputation within the photo community. Whatever success means to you, we know two things to be true. One, you’re not going to get it just by buying a new camera. Sorry to burst your bubble. But, deep down inside, you already knew that to be true. And truth number two?  Getting better at photography, or anything in life, requires that you put in the work to improve.

So, what are some steps you can take to advance to the next level of the game?

Create Personal Projects

The other day, I was at a function with a number of other photographers. I was standing in a circle alongside several colleagues who have been in this business for a long time and are, by any objective measurement, successful in the field. Also joining the group was a newer photographer who was attending the event as a way to connect with others in the business. More on that in a second.

The newer photographer was bemoaning the number of personal projects she was having to do as a means of building her portfolio. This led to her asking one of the veteran photographers whether someone of their stature even bothers with personal projects anymore. It didn’t take more than ten seconds for every veteran photographer in the circle to respond with a resounding “yes.”

It is true that in order to build your portfolio when starting out, you will need to initiate a number of personal projects. Of course you will.  No one is going to hire you without experience. And the only way to get experience, at first, is to employ yourself. Practically speaking, these self-assignments are the best way to learn. By the time you do have real clients, they are unlikely to have much patience for you mucking around trying to learn your camera settings on the job. But in a personal project, you can try and fail as many times as you want without the prying gaze of the world being any the wiser.  

But personal projects have supreme value even for those photographers who have been around so long that they’ve forgotten more than most will ever know. You may no longer need practice in understanding how to expose with a light meter, but that doesn’t mean you’re allowed to let your artistic development stall, especially if your goal is to reach the upper echelon of your chosen genre.

Being an artist means continually developing your skill set and your voice. It’s one of the dirty secrets they don’t tell you when you first get into the business.  There will never come a time when you can afford to stop developing and rest on your laurels. The business moves too fast. Technology moves too fast. Those photographers coming up behind you are moving too fast. You simply have to keep getting better.

The best way to do this is by continuing to develop your artistic voice. The best way to do that is through personal projects. Like the photographer just starting out, personal projects again provide you with a safe space to try new things. In trying those new things, you might just find the new approach or technique that is going to set your product apart from others in the market. By continually challenging yourself, you ensure that you are increasing your intrinsic value as an artist. You will develop and change repeatedly over the course of a career. And, almost certainly, those developments will be the result of the work you put in to succeed.

Join The Club

I mentioned earlier about the younger photographer that went to the networking function to speak with some of her elders. While her hope to no longer need to do personal projects might have been shortsighted, she was, in actuality, doing, at that very moment, one of the other best things she could possibly do to succeed.

One of the earliest things I did in my career was to join American Photographic Artists. This isn’t an advertisement for the APA. Rather I bring my association with that group up as an example. At the time I first joined, I was still wet behind the ears and didn’t know much about the industry. I knew how to take pictures. But I didn’t know anything about things like day rates, usage fees, or any of the other multitude of things that would be critical in both starting and maintaining a profitable business. So, I joined the APA because they offered networking opportunities and lectures with those who have excelled in the field that would give me firsthand accounts that could help me to understand some of my blind spots. Additionally, the organization would provide me with a network of fellow photographers who have functioned as both a support system and a portal through which I can better understand industry trends and opportunities.

Even though these other photographers can’t hire me and we are, as a point of fact, competitors to a certain extent, their kinship over the years has been key in my development. I now sit on the board of the APA LA chapter, which allows me to give back to younger photographers in the same way the organization gave to me all those years ago.

But, as I said, this isn’t an advertisement for the APA specifically. Wherever you live and whatever market you are a part of, there is likely a local photographer’s group that you can be a part of. Photography can be an isolating field of work. Connecting with others in your same boat allows you to gain from their experience as well as create the basis for friendships that can last a lifetime.

Don’t Purchase, Produce

I’ve said this before and continue to repeat it as it is the most often confused part of photography. Your gear is not what is going to set you apart in this business. Your work and your unique way of seeing the world will. Yes, certain types of photography require certain types of tools. But I can guarantee you one thing. If a client is only hiring you because you own a certain type of camera, that is likely the type of assignment you don’t want any part of. Because that means that the client can’t recognize quality art and is trying to marginalize what you do as an artist to being just a function of pressing a button and letting the camera do the rest. This is also likely the kind of client that is going to lowball you on your rate and pay the least respect to things like intellectual property or usage rights. If all they need is someone to press the button, let them get their friend to do it. You want clients who understand that you are bringing more to the table than a high enough credit limit to purchase the latest equipment. If you are going to sustain a career, it’s going to be based on your development as an artist, not whatever camera has just hit the market.

In almost two decades of being a professional photographer, not once has a client asked me prior to hiring me what kind of camera I use. They look at my portfolio and decide if I am the right artist to add value to their project. If their specific project calls for something special in terms of specs (megapixels, shooting speed, etc.), then that will be addressed when I submit my bid. But never is it the fact that I own Camera X that is getting me a job.

Oddly, and frustratingly, this can come up in the filmmaking world. Unlike photography, when submitting for film campaigns, I have been asked prior to shooting a project what camera I would be shooting on. It’s frustrating because, as you’ll know if you’ve been a filmmaker long enough, you can make almost any modern camera look amazing if you know what you are doing. Yet, in the filmmaking market, brand names do carry a lot more weight than they should.

That does not, however, mean that if you want to improve as a filmmaker or a photographer that your first order of business should be to go out and make sure you have the right brand of camera.

Rather, if you just can’t help the urge to spend money, a far better use of your money and time would be to invest it in specific projects. I already talked earlier about using personal projects to develop your skillset, artistic voice, and portfolio. Well, what if, instead of just doing something easily accessible, you instead invested some of that camera money into upgrading your location, your models, or your styling. How much better could that personal project be? Sure, you might not have a new camera at the end of it. But, that temporary rush of dopamine will pale in comparison to having this new elevated project for you to show off to potential clients.

Don’t have any money to invest in either a camera or a project? No need to worry. Look at the resources within your means to figure out new ways of seeing. Developing as an artist doesn’t mean that everything you shoot needs to go into your portfolio. But every time you shoot, you are giving yourself a chance to grow and get better. So, if all your resources allow for at the moment is a walk around the block with your camera phone, that walk can still be extremely valuable in developing your understanding of light and composition.

If you are trying to get better as an artist, it is not your tools that are holding you back. Getting better takes time. Lots of time. It requires repetition until skills become second nature. It requires pushing yourself beyond your comfort zone to discover new things.

In short, getting better as a photographer takes actual hard work. But, if you saw the title of this article and chose it over the one about the specs of the latest super camera, you are already on the right track. Keep putting in the effort and progress would come. It may seem to be taking forever, but success is always right on time.

Ah, the world of photography – where the line between candid images and artfully contrived scenes grows increasingly hazy. It’s as if the debate about staged photos and their place in photography competitions never quite loses its luster. But wait, we’ve got another gem to share: the revelation of a prize-winning staged photograph in yet another photography competition.

It seems that some competition organizers might need a refresher course on the authenticity of a photograph. So, let’s venture into this enthralling tale and ponder why staged photos are still in vogue, even when they raise an eyebrow or two, and continue to challenge the trust of discerning audiences.

The Disconcerting Reality of Staged Photos

Recent reports have unveiled a disturbing revelation: the winning photograph of yet another photo competition, an image that appeared to capture an emotionally charged and culturally significant moment, was not a candid slice of life but rather a carefully staged scene.

As you know I have been talking about the trend of travel photographers staging their travel images to win photo competitions, all while carefully forgetting to mention that these were planned and staged scenes. How convenient…

This revelation has left me once again questioning the trend of travel photography competitions around the World. Even after all I have been talking about here, and all the fake staged images that have already been caught winning competitions, I once again question the validity the expertise of such photo competitions.

The Image

I actually remember seeing this image as it won this competition a couple of weeks ago (I do still follow the photo competition trends). Maybe because I am constantly on the hunt for “fake travel images”, this image did appear very suspicious to me. When you spend years taking photos in Asia and studying photographers shooting in Asia, you do get pretty good at detecting the bullshit. But I didn’t put much thought into this at the time, as I was in the middle of one of my photo tours. Until yesterday when I saw this article in PetaPixel.

The photograph in question was actually taken during a concept shoot that was created to promote the launch of the new Fujifilm X-T5 in Indonesia. This is absolutely not a candid image. This was planned, staged, and acted by professional actors. The photographer, as it is most cased for staged images, simply stood in a line with other photographers and took the shot that was presented in front of her.

The photography contest organizers (CEWE) had initially praised the image for its emotional depth, composition, and cultural resonance, only to discover later that the entire scene had been carefully staged by the photographers. The deceit raises serious ethical concerns within the photography community and beyond.

And here is once again what shocks me most about this story: it has been over 10 years that photography competition organizers got caught awarding grand prizes for staged photos, before realizing that these images were staged and canceling the award. How many times again does it have to happen before these organizers finally take this issue seriously?

Photography Competition Organizers Should at Least Do Their Jobs

Let me show you how easy it is.

Let’s say I receive a submission from a photographer, in that case, Ms. Dikye Ariani. The photo looks great, I am thinking about selecting it for an award. It does look a little too perfect, and I suspect it may be staged. So I am doing something incredibly hard to do: I will look at that photographer’s Instagram page.

And this is only the very beginning of her Instagram feed. It was clearly enough for me to get suspicious about the way this photographer works. And if you actually keep scrolling down, it gets worse and worse…. Almost to the point where I can find many of the famous staged travel photos of Asia.

There you go. It took me 30 seconds to identify that this particular photographer may have been staging their submission. Then, wouldn’t it be easy to just email them and ask for clarification? It seems not.

The Troubling Triumph of Staged Photos

This incident, though disconcerting, is far from an isolated case. In the era of digital photography, staging scenes to win competitions has become disturbingly common. The question that begs an answer is why these staged photos continue to seize victory in contests, even when they perpetrate a breach of trust with both judges and audiences by blurring the line between art and deception.

And once again, just to be clear: photographers staging their travel images have nothing wrong in its core, people do what they want. It is terrible for the world of creativity (as we’ll discuss later), but the main criticism that I have with photographers like Ms. Dikye Ariani is the fact that they tried to hide the truth.

The original description for this image, which was probably sent to the photo competition organizers by the photographer was “The proprietress, the sole woman in the scene, welcomes the men from the village after a hard day’s work in the rice fields”.

Contrived? A blatant lie? Make your own opinion….

Can you imagine a photographer posting a photo of a lion after a visit to the zoo, with the description “this mighty animal is watching over his jungle territory, ready to catch wild prey”? No, it’s sitting in the zoo being bored to death!

One positive side of this story is that it seems that this photo competition isn’t just a money-grab scheme like so many others. CEWE (the organizer)is a photo-related company, offering photo-finishing products, prints, etc… Now you would think they would hire proper judges for their competition. Apparently not…

Why You Shouldn’t Stage Your Travel Photos

I have already listed in numerous blog posts the reasons why I think it is wrong, but let me summarize that here again:

1. Visual Deception: Staged photos often present an illusion of perfection that’s difficult to attain with spontaneous shots. By orchestrating scenes with careful lighting and precise composition, photographers create an attractive facade that can deceive the discerning eyes of both judges and the general public.

2. Misleading Narratives: Staging enables photographers to craft narratives that, in some cases, misrepresent reality. In the pursuit of winning accolades, such images can perpetuate inaccurate stereotypes or romanticize cultures, thus fostering misconceptions and perpetuating cultural bias.

3. Betrayal of Trust: One of the most critical issues with staged photos is the betrayal of trust. When such images win competitions and their staging is not disclosed, it undermines the very essence of authentic photography and erodes the audience’s confidence in the integrity of the medium.

4. Lack of Creativity in the World of Photography: The more these images spread, the more photographers think that they need to take these images to win competitions, and the less creative these photographers become.

A brief example that I can relate to very recently: a world-renowned photographer recently came to Vietnam. I knew he was coming here and I was actually pretty excited to see the images he would come up with (as I live in Vietnam I like to see what other travel photographers shoot here). How hugely disappointed I was when I saw he ticked all the boxes of all the famous staged photos in Vietnam. Zero creativity, just copying photos that already exist.

The Importance of Authenticity in Travel Photography

As we contemplate the prevalence of staged photography in contests and travel photography as a whole, it’s essential to emphasize the value of embracing authenticity in this art form:

1. Truthful Storytelling: Authentic photography allows for genuine storytelling by capturing candid moments that reflect the reality of a place, culture, or situation. It fosters connections with the audience and presents the unfiltered truth.

2. Ethical Responsibility: Travel Photographers have an ethical responsibility to portray the world as it is. Failing to do so can mislead the public and contribute to cultural misunderstanding, discrimination, or exploitation. As I said in the past: if you go to a location with arranged models and a concept for your shoot, you are a commercial photographer, not a travel photographer.

In conclusion, the prevalence of staged photos in competitions is a troubling phenomenon that challenges the very essence of authentic photography. When photographers prioritize winning over truth and integrity, it undermines the essence of this art form. It’s essential for both photographers and competition organizers to recognize the importance of authenticity and ensure that photography contests continue to celebrate the beauty of genuine moments captured in the world.

All this in a perfect world of course…

The opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the author.

About the author: Etienne Bossot is a travel photographer based in Asia. You can find more of Bossot’s work and writing on his website, blog, Facebook, and Instagram. This article was also published here.

The invention of photography dates to the early 1800s, but few cameras were in Indian Territory before the Civil War. Life among the Native Americans on the western frontier was chronicled by artists such as George Catlin. Early visitors such as soldiers and scientists usually made sketches of their travels for mapping and academic study.

One very early photo was taken of Dwight Mission in the Cherokee Nation around 1840. Some believe this murky photograph is the first to ever be taken in Oklahoma. But by and large photographs would not record Indian Territory until after the railroad began to bring many new people into the region.

One of the first photographers in Muskogee was a man named J.F. Standiford. A West Virginian by birth, Standiford arrived here in 1878 after working in Illinois and Kansas. He paid the permit required by the Creek Nation to operate a business here and built his home and photography studio. For many years he was advertised as the only “licensed” photographer in Indian Territory.

In those days, photographers were like traveling salesmen. They did not wait for customers to come to their studio to have their portrait made. Carrying their cumbersome equipment with them, these photographers traveled by wagon from farm to farm offering to photograph the family residing there. This was the primary way in which they made their living as photographers.

Standiford enjoyed travel so he covered most of Indian Territory in looking for work. He was a prolific artist and many of his photographs survive to this day. A Standiford photograph is often printed on very thick card stock with a decorative border framing the picture. Often Standiford would identify his photos as having been taken in “The Beautiful Indian Territory.”

Standiford’s wife and sister assisted him in his photography business, handling the chore of developing the negatives. The photographer had invented a revolving printing mechanism for his darkroom, said to be one of a kind. He also invented an “electric retouching apparatus” for which he took out a patent.

Other photography studios were established in Muskogee in later years. Alice Robertson ran a studio and is credited with many photographs taken in Muskogee around the time of statehood. An African American photographer named William P. Greene also had a studio on Second Street in Muskogee. He was best known for his portraits and some stunning examples of his work still survive today.

The work of these early day photographers greatly aids our understanding of the past. The record of the life of our ancestors and earlier settlers creates a connection to them that continues to fascinate us today.

Reach Jonita Mullins at jonita.mullins@gmail.com

Henri Cartier-Bresson, often regarded as the father of modern photojournalism, once said, “To photograph is to hold one’s breath when all faculties converge to capture fleeting reality. It’s at that precise moment that mastering an image becomes a great physical and intellectual joy.”

This profound understanding of the medium is vividly evident in his iconic photograph, “Behind the Gare Saint Lazare.”

Here are the lessons I’ve gathered from it during my photos analysis of “Behind the Gare Saint-Lazare”. Watch the video I created on this topic here:

Embrace the decisive moment

Henri Cartier-Bresson’s concept of the “decisive moment” suggests that there is a precise and unique instant when the visual and emotional elements of a scene come together in perfect harmony. “Behind the Gare Saint Lazare” epitomizes this notion.

In the photograph, we witness a man mid-leap over a puddle, creating a mirrored reflection juxtaposed against the background of a circus poster. Everything in that frame harmonizes in such a way that even a split second earlier or later would not convey the same story or emotion.

Lesson: Be present and observant. Wait for the perfect confluence of events to tell a compelling story.

Break the rules

Henri Cartier-Bresson shot “Behind the Gare Saint Lazare” through a fence, which would typically be seen as an obstruction. Yet, he used it to his advantage, adding another layer of depth and intrigue. The fence’s bars offer a sense of containment, making the leap appear even more daring.

Lesson: Don’t be confined by conventional photography rules. Embrace obstructions and leverage them creatively.

Context is king

The background circus poster in the photo, depicting another leap, provides a surreal context that elevates the narrative. This serendipitous backdrop makes the photograph more than just a man jumping over a puddle; it adds a layer of whimsy and artistry.

Lesson: Always be aware of the background. It can provide context, enhancing the narrative of your shot.

Intuition over perfection

Cartier-Bresson did not use the viewfinder for this shot. Instead, he acted on instinct, capturing a moment he felt rather than one he meticulously planned. The result wasn’t technically perfect, but it was emotionally resonant.

Lesson: Trust your gut feeling. Not every great shot comes from careful planning; sometimes, it’s the spontaneous ones that leave a lasting impact.

Value the process

As the video highlighted, Cartier-Bresson’s consistent dedication to street photography and his commitment to the process led to masterpieces like this. He once remarked, “Your first 10,000 photographs are your worst.”

Lesson: Persistence and consistent practice are key. Every shot you take, good or bad, contributes to your growth as a photographer.

In conclusion, “Behind the Gare Saint Lazare” is not just a photograph; it’s a lesson in storytelling, intuition, and the art of observation. Henri Cartier-Bresson’s masterpiece serves as a reminder that photography is as much about the photographer’s vision and approach as it is about the subject. Through understanding and learning from iconic works such as this, we can push our boundaries and redefine our perspective on the world through our lens.

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Talented, charismatic and internationally well-connected, Rosellina Burri-Bischof organised groundbreaking photo exhibitions in Switzerland as early as the 1950s. She was also the director of Magnum Photos in Switzerland and the co-founder and long-time head of the Swiss Foundation for Photography.

This content was published on October 28, 2023 – 10:30

October 28, 2023 – 10:30

Rosellina Burri-Bischof dedicated her life to promoting photography in Switzerland.  Her contemporaries remember her as a great networker, a beautiful woman with a black lion’s mane, and a charismatic philanthropist.

She was a very empathetic person and a lobbyist for photography, says Rolf Sachsse, photographer and professor emeritus at the Saar College of Fine Arts in Germany.

In the October 1974 issue of the Swiss cultural magazine Du, the then editor-in-chief Manuel Gasser wrote: “Ms. Rosellina Burri-Bischof was the first person to recognise the need for an institution to actively promote the interests of photography. She became the driving force behind its establishment.”

In the international photography magazine Camera, the journalist and writer Hugo Loetscher declared that it was not he, but Rosellina Burri-Bischof, who had created the Swiss Foundation for Photography today’s Fotostiftung Schweiz. Yet by the time the foundation officially came into being in 1971, Burri-Bischof had already been working with heart and soul for two decades to promote photography in Switzerland.

The only child of a Hungarian-Jewish emigrant couple, Moses and Anna Mandel, Burri-Bischof was born in Zurich on June 5, 1925. After training as a kindergarten teacher, she worked in Rimini, Italy, from 1946, where she looked after war-traumatised orphans at the Italo-Swiss education centre (Centro Educativo Italo-Svizzero). There she met and fell in love with Swiss photographer Werner Bischof, who was preparing a report on the centre’s work. Back then she was still called Rosa Mandel, although her friends called her Rösli. To the Italians she was Rosellina.

The couple were married in May 1949 and, according to their eldest son, Marco Bischof, his mother immediately started working in the “back office”. She saw to all the administrative aspects of her husband’s photographic work and accompanied him on trips to Europe, Asia, Japan, the United States and Mexico.

A ‘school of seeing’

On May 16, 1954, Werner Bischof was killed in a tragic accident, when the vehicle he was travelling in plunged into a ravine in the Peruvian Andes. A geologist and the driver also lost their lives.

News of the death of the renowned photographer – who was a member of the still young agency Magnum Photos – spread like wildfire in Zurich, where it was met with grief and shock. The road they were travelling on was “no better and no worse than any other road in that region”, Gasser wrote in his biography of Werner Bischof, in accompaniment to the photo book A Photographer’s Odyssey, published by Rosellina Bischof in 1957.

When Werner Bischof died, his wife was heavily pregnant with their second son, Daniel, who was born nine days after the accident. Now a widow and single mother of two sons, Rosellina Bischof devoted herself to managing her husband’s valuable trove of images.

In autumn 1954, she organised a vernissage to celebrate the launch of the photo book Japan as well as a travelling exhibition. Two years later, she became the director of Magnum Photos in Switzerland. The agency was a cooperative in structure and committed to socially critical, humanistic photography.

In 1956, Rosellina Bischof, together with the Parisian publisher Robert Delpire, persuaded the Kunstgewerbemuseum (the Museum of Decorative Arts, now the Museum of Design) in Zurich to hold an exhibition on Henri Cartier-Bresson. In 1957, she launched a travelling exhibition of the photographs of Werner Bischof, in cooperation with the same museum. In 1961, she showcased war photographs by Robert Capa, which she managed to bring over from New York.

With these three presentations of top-class photographs, Burri-Bischof deepened the Swiss public’s understanding of photography as an art form; it was a real “school of seeing”. And this was just the beginning.

Photo legends on the Zurich lakeshore

The photo exhibition The Family of Man, curated by star photographer Edward Steichen, opened in New York in 1955 and was hosted by the Kunstgewerbemuseum in Zurich in 1958. Steichen was an important role model for Burri-Bischof. From 1947, he had directed the substantial photography department of the New York Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), which had already been collecting photography on a par with all other arts since the early 1930s.

At the time, few people in Switzerland had thought of collecting photographs professionally, although the photographic medium was present at the highest level. Thus, the Swiss-published international monthly review of photography and film, Camera, was sold by subscription around the globe.

The photography teacher Hans Finsler was legendary: together with Alfred Willimann, he trained scores of photographers, many of whom went on to become famous – among them were Werner Bischof, Ernst Scheidegger and René Burri. Arnold Kübler was also a great promoter of photojournalism in Switzerland, supporting and encouraging Paul Senn and Annemarie Schwarzenbach, for instance.

In 1963, Rosellina Bischof married the Magnum photographer René Burri. Their union produced two children, Yasmine and Olivier. Burri-Bischof maintained friendly relations with the Magnum agency, the Center of Photography in New York, and many important photographers.

Cornell Capa, Robert Capa’s brother, founded the Bischof-Capa-Seymour Photographic Memorial Fund in New York in 1966 in memory of the three Magnum photographers who had been killed in the course of their work. Burri-Bischof was appointed by Capa to the fund’s board of trustees. In 1968, the fund, now renamed the International Fund for Concerned Photography, held a first exhibition in New York.

Burri-Bischof was invited by Capa to bring the entire display to Zurich. There it was shown at the Heidi Weber Museum–Centre Le Corbusier in the lakefront neighbourhood of Seefeld, in 1970. The exhibition was a great success. Many well-known photographers and prominent figures from Paris and New York attended the opening event.

A warm-hearted professional

Originally envisaged as a Swiss offshoot of Cornell Capa’s New York-based foundation, the Swiss Foundation for Photography was officially created on May 4, 1971 as an autonomous institution under Swiss law.

Burri-Bischof was one of eight co-founders of the institution. The first president, Manuel Gasser, was very well connected, both on the Zurich cultural scene and with big names in industry and business. Together, Gasser and Burri-Bischof skillfully negotiated hospitality rights for the new foundation at the Kunsthaus Zürich art museum.

The path was now open for a photography department like the one at New York’s MoMA. A first exhibition, Photography in Switzerland – 1840 to the Present, was held in the museum’s Bührle room in autumn 1974. It was a resounding success. A first stock-staking of photographic creation in Switzerland, it went on tour for several years.

The journalist and photo historian Charles-Henri Favrod was among those who contributed to the book publication of the same name. This led to closer exchange with the French-speaking part of Switzerland, in particular the Lausanne photography museum, the Musée de l’Élysée, which Favrod had founded in the 1980s.

Burri-Bischof played a key role in the decision-making process within the Swiss Foundation for Photography; her warm-hearted nature and ability to build and cultivate friendships were also reflected in her professional work.

Over the years, Burri-Bischof was able to organise six to seven exhibitions a year at the Kunsthaus Photo Gallery – not just on Swiss photography, but also international greats and old masters. The first solo exhibition was devoted to Robert Frank in 1976. Gasser had already dedicated an entire issue of Du to the prominent Zurich native and adoptive New Yorker in 1962. By the tenth anniversary of the Foundation for Photography in 1981, Burri-Bischof had a total of 36 exhibitions to her name.

At the Kunsthaus Zürich, Burri-Bischof was a pioneer in bringing photography as an art to the public at large. This also benefitted the Stockeregg Photo Gallery, founded in 1979, for the exhibitions at the Kunsthaus had awakened an appetite for photography among well-heeled collectors.

Burri-Bischof, woman of the world and promoter of photography in Switzerland, died in 1986. She did not live to see the retrospective of Werner Bischof’s photographs at the Kunsthaus Zürich, which she had worked on for two years. Without her, photography in Switzerland would not have had the same status or achieved the same recognition that it does today.

Edited by David Eugster. Translated from German by Julia Bassam.

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