Deborah at Tante Esther’s

Saul Leiter

1947

Photograph of woman sitting at the end of a table in front of open doors, wearing a scarf and covering her face with tea cup.
Saul Leiter was known for his photographs of street life in New York City and for his pioneering work in color photography, but he also took more intimate pictures of his family and friends. This photograph was shot early in his career, soon after he arrived in New York. He often photographed his younger sister Deborah, whom he considered his muse.

Credits

© Saul Leiter Foundation.

Published in: The Posen Library of Jewish Culture and Civilization, vol. 9.

Engage with this Source

Creator Bio

Saul Leiter

1923–2013

Saul Leiter was an American painter and photographer, one of the first to work in color photography. Born in Pittsburgh, Leiter began studying at a rabbinical school in Cleveland, but soon changed course, moving to New York at age twenty-three to pursue a painting career. In New York, he befriended a number of fellow artists who inspired him to experiment in photography. Leiter worked for fashion magazines including Harper’s Bazaar and Vogue, all the while taking personal photographs that transmuted the bustling urban environment of Manhattan into quiet meditations on color and form. His work has recently enjoyed renewed popularity with the publication of a monograph in 2006, as well as an award-winning 2012 documentary.

You may also like