Ilse Bing

(German, 1899-1989)

Ilse Bing photographed the modern urban rhythm of Frankfurt, Paris and New York in the 1920s and 1930s. With her portable Leica in hand, she climbed the Eiffel tower, attended dance and circus performances, and roamed the streets. The resulting images - dynamic, fragmented, abstract, evocative, and atmospheric - were appreciated early on for their modern sensibility and were reproduced in many of the most popular magazines in Europe and the US in the late 1920s through the 1940s. These included among others; Frankfurt Illustrierte, Arts et métiers graphique, Vu, Harper's Bazaar, Le Monde, Regards, and L'Illustration. Similarly, the visionary galleries of the early 1930s, such as La Pléaide in Paris and Julien Levy in New York chose to exhibit her work alongside contemporaries Henri Cartier-Bresson, André Kertesz and Man Ray.

CHRONOLOGY

1899

Born in Frankfurt.

1920

University of Frankfurt studied mathematics and physics but changed to art history eventually pursuing a doctoral degree.

1928

Took up photography, to illustrate her dissertation on an architect.

1929

Purchased a Leica camera.

1929-30

Photographs reproduced in photo-essays for Frankfurter Illustriete's weekly supplement Das Illustriete Blatt.

1930

Moved to Paris.

1930's

Published in VU, Harper's Bazaar, Le Monde, L'Illustration, Illustré, and Regards.
Photographs included in the Groupe Annuel des Photographes at La Pléaide in 1931, 1932, 1933, and 1938.

1932

New York gallerist Julien Levy included Bing's work in his Modern European Photography: Twenty Photographers exhibition.

1934

Experimented with solarization (which she discovered independently of Man Ray).

1936

Visited New York at the invitation of Carmel Snow and met Alfred Stieglitz. Solo exhibitions at Galerie Chasseurs d'Images, Paris and Musée des Arts Décoratifs, Paris.

1937

Married pianist and musicologist Konrad Wolff. Photographs included in New York's Museum of Modern Art's History of Photography exhibition.

1940

She and her husband were interned in Pairs as enemy aliens.

1941

They immigrated to New York.

1947

Started using electronic flash and larger format Rollei camera.

1957

Began working exclusively in color.

1959

Quit photography, devoted herself to poetry composed in English, French, and German. Made collages and drawings that incorporated photographic elements.

1998

Died in New York.

SELECTED SOLO EXHIBITIONS

2004-2005

"Ilse Bing: Queen of Leica" Victoria & Albert Museum, London, UK

1998

"Ilse Bing", Edwynn Houk, New York, NY

1996

"Ilse Bing-Fotografien 1929-1956", Suermondt-Ludwig Museum, Aachen, Germany

1994

"Ilse Bing: Moulin Rouge, Paris, 1931", Houk Friedman, New York, NY
"Ilse Bing: Vintage Photographs", Galerie Zur Stockeregg, Zurich, Switzerland

1992

"Ilse Bing: Frankfurt, Paris, New York", Houk Friedman, New York, NY

1989

"Ilse Bing: Germany, Paris, New York", Edwynn Houk Gallery, Chicago, IL

1987

"Ilse Bing: Paris 1931-1952", Musée Carnavalet, Paris, France
Traveled:
Litchbild Galeries, Ingolstadt
Alliance Française, New York, NY

1986

"Ilse Bing: Three Decades of Photography", International Center of Photography, New York, NY

1984

"Ilse Bing: Work from Three Decades", Light Factory, Charlotte, NC
"Mains: photographies par Ilse Bing", La Galerie des Femmes, Paris, France

1983

"Ilse Bing", Columbia Museum of Art, SC

1979

"Ilse Bing: Vintage Photographs from the 1920s and 1930s", Simon Lowinsky Gallery, San Francisco, CA
"Ilse Bing: Vintage Photographs from the 1930s", Allan Frumkin Gallery, Chicago, IL
"Ilse Bing", Heusenstamm Stiftung, Frankfurt, Germany

1978

"Ilse Bing", Council of the Arts, Las Vegas, NV

1976

"Ilse Bing", Witkin Gallery, New York, NY

1958

"Ilse Bing Photographs", Bennett College, Millbrook, NY

1955

"Ilse Bing Photographs", New York Public Library, New York, NY

1953

"Photographic Compositions by Ilse Bing", The American Institute of Architects, Washington, DC

1951

"Ilse Bing Photographs 1931-1951" New York Public Library, New York, NY

1950

"Ilse Bing: études photographiques New York 1947-1950", Galerie-Librairie Palmes, Paris, France
"Ilse Bing", Galerie Pares, Paris, France

1949

"Ilse Bing Photographs", Carroll-Knight Gallery, St. Louis, MO

1948

"Ilse Bing Photographs", The Brooklyn Museum, Brooklyn, NY

1947

"Ilse Bing exposition de photographie: visages et enfants des Etats-Unis", Galerie de l'Arc-en-Ciel, Paris, France

1939

"Ilse Bing", Galerie Chasseurs d'Images, Paris, France

1936

"Ilse Bing", June Rhodes Gallery, New York, NY

1933

"Ilse Bing", American Library, Paris, France

1932

"Ilse Bing", Gallery Trittler, Frankfurt, Germany

SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS

2007

"Paris in Transition: Photographs from the National Gallery", National Gallery, Washington, DC

2005

"Town and Country: Modern Life in America", Mead Art Museum, Amherst College, Amherst, MA

2004

"French Photography of the 1930s and 1940s", Zabriskie Gallery, New York, NY
"My America: Art from the Jewish Museum Collection, 1900- 1955", Jewish Museum, New York, NY
Traveled: Memorial Art Museum, Rochester University, Rochester, NY

1999

"Insight: Women's Photographs From the Collection of the George Eastman House", Rochester, NY
Traveled: Johnson Museum of Art, Cornell University, Ithica, NY

1996

"History of Women Photographers", New York Public Library, New York, NY

1989

"The New Vision: Photography Between the World Wars", Ford Motor Company Collection, Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY

1986

New Orleans Art Museum, New Orleans, LA
Kunstverein, Frankfurt, Germany

1984

"Portraits of Artists: Faces of Photographers", San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, San Francisco, CA

1983

"Foire internationale d'art contemporain", Grand Palais, Paris, France
"Figure de la danza", Teatro Municipale, Reggio Emilia, Italy

1982

"Cinq années de la Photographie", Galerie Zabriskie, Paris, France
"Facets of the Collection: Urban America", San Francisco Museum of Art, San Fransisco, CA

1981

"Facets of the Collection: Portraits of Artists", San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, San Francisco, CA
"Autoportraits Photographiques", Musée nationale d'art moderne, Paris, France
"German Photographs of the 1920s and 1930s", Sander Gallery, Washington, DC
"Facets of the Collection: Photography in France and England, 1920-1950", San Francisco Museum of Art, San Francisco, CA

1979

"Tenth Anniversary Show", Witkin Gallery, New York, NY
"Photography/Venezia '79", organized by the Municipality of Venice and UNESCO, Venice, Italy
"Photographs from the Israel Museum", Witkin Gallery, New York, NY
"France Between the Wars: Photography and Sculpture", Zabriskie Gallery, New York, NY

1978

"New Acquisitions", Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago, IL
"Diverse Images: The Photography Collection of the New Orleans Museum of Art", New Orleans Museum of Art, New Orleans, LA
"Fleeting Gestures: Treasures of Dance Photography", International Center of Photography, New York, NY
"French Photography: The New Spirit 1925-1940", Gallerie Zabriskie, Paris

1977

"Photographs from the Julien Levy Collection", Witkin Gallery, New York, NY

1976

"New Acquisitions", Museum of Modern Art, New York, NY
"Photographs from the Julien Levy Collection Starting with Atget", Art Institute of Chicago, IL
Traveled:
International Center of Photography, New York, NY
Cincinnati Museum of Art, Cincinnati, OH
Lakeview Academy of Arts and Sciences, Peoria, MI
San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, San Francisco, CA

1960

"Fifteenth Annual Conference", Bennett College, Millbrook, NY

1943

"Art in Exile", New York Public Library, New York, NY

1942

"Photographs", Wildenstein Gallery, New York, NY

1939

"Photographs", Kunstinddustri Museum, Copenhagen, Denmark

1938

"Les Photographes", La Pléiade, Paris, France

1937

"Photography 1839-1937", Museum of Modern Art, New York, NY

1936

"Exposition internationale de la photographie contemporaine", Musée des arts decoratifs, Paris, France
Louvre Museum, Paris, France

1934

"Les Photographes", La Pléiade, Paris, France
"XXIX Salon international d'art photographique", organized by La Societé française de photographie et de cinematographie, Paris, France

1933

"Les Photographes", La Pléiade, Paris, France
"XXVIII Salon international d'art photographique", organized by La Societé française de photographie et de cinematographie, Paris, France
"Photographs of Studio Shall, Ilse Bing, and M. Jacques Azema", Maison Tiranty, Paris, France
"Second Philadelphia International Salon of Photography", Pennsylvania Museum of Art, Philadelphia, PA

1932

"Modern Photography", Galerie d'art contemporain, Paris, France
"Modern European Photography: 20 Photographers", Julien Levy Gallery, New York, NY
"Les Photographes", La Pléiade, Paris, France
"Modern Photography", Plume d'Or, Paris, France
"International Photography", Brooklyn Museum, Brooklyn, NY

1931

"Les Photographes", La Pléiade, Paris, France
"Das Lichtbild" (The Photograph), Museum Folkwang, Essen, Germany
"XXVI Salon international d'art photographique", organized by La Societé française de photographie et de cinematographie and Le Photo-Club, Paris, France

SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY

2006

Ilse Bing: Through the Looking Glass. Larisa Dryansky. Edited by Edwynn Houk: Abrams, New York.

1998

Ilse Bing: Vision of a Century. Edwynn Houk Gallery: New York, NY.

1987

Ilse Bing: Paris 1931-1952. Françoise Reynaud, Bernard de Montgolfier.
Paris Musées, Musée Carnavalet.

1985

Photographers Encyclopedia International, 1839 to the present, A-K.
Michele and Michel Auer. Editions Camera Obscura: Hermance, Switzerland.
Ilse Bing: Three Decades of Photography. Nancy C. Barrett. New Orleans Museum of Art.

SELECTED PUBLIC COLLECTIONS

Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
National Gallery of Art, Washington, DC
Museum of Modern Art, New York, NY
Art Institute of Chicago, IL
Philadelphia Museum of Art, Philadelphia, PA
San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, CA
Houston Museum of Art, TX
Victoria and Albert Museum, London
Jewish Museum, New York, NY
George Eastman House, Rochester, NY

AWARDS

The Gold Medal for Lifetime Achievement, (first recipient) National Arts Club, NY