Milton Halberstadt (1919–2000) was a US photographer in fine art and commercial photography who left a body of work covering genres from abstract art to commercial photography.

Early life and education

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Halberstadt grew up in Boston, Massachusetts, and attended the Mechanic Arts High School, which taught mechanical trades.[1] He then studied at the Massachusetts School of Art.[1] Afterwards, he studies at the Art Institute of Chicago[citation needed] and the Institute of Design (founded in 1937 as New Bauhaus by designer-painter László Moholy-Nagy).[2] He served as an assistant to both László Moholy-Nagy and György Kepes.[citation needed]

He served as a US Army Air Forces navigator during World War II in the 456th Bombardment Group.[3] While a second lieutenant, he was a navigator aboard a B-24 Liberator called "Texas Ranger" flying over Yugoslavia in 1944 when his aircraft was hit by enemy fire.[4] Despite severe injuries, Halberstadt guided the plane down safely, and he received the Distinguished Flying Cross medal for heroism in aerial combat.[citation needed]

M. Halberstadt Illustration studio in San Francisco produced fine large format studio photography. Halberstadt's clients included Del Monte, Dole, S&W, Paul Masson, Pan-Am Airlines, and Royal Viking Lines. [citation needed]

The Milton "Hal" Halberstadt Papers and Photograph Collection resides at the University of California Davis special collections archives.[5]

Chronology

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  • 1919 Born
  • 1936 Began professional photography career in Boston after high school. In his early work he documented the streets of his native Boston for the Works Progress Administration (WPA) National Research Project.
  • 1940 Rockefeller foundation Scholarship to the School of Design, Chicago (New Bauhaus)
  • 1943 Served as a navigator of a bomber during World War II
  • 1945-1973 M. Halberstadt Illustration Photography Studio in San Francisco
  • 1973- Taught fine photography at University of California, Berkeley, San Francisco State University and the University of Oregon
  • 2000 Died
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  • Warren, Lynne. Encyclopedia of Twentieth-century Photography CRC Press, 2006.
  • Comer, Stephanie, et al. The Moment of Seeing: Minor White at the California School of Fine Arts Chronicle Books, 2006.
  • Susan Ehrens. B&W Magazine Millenium Issue #5 B&W Magazine, February, 2000.
  • Court, Arthur. Minerals; Nature's Fabulous Jewels, photography by Milton Halberstadt Abrams, 1974.
  • Kepes, György. Language of Vision Credited as Halbe, Paul Theobald Company, 1961.
  • Moholy-Nagy, Laszlo. Vision in Motion Credited as Halbe, Paul Theobald Company, 1947.
  • The Editors of Time-Life Books, The Studio, Life Library of Photography, numerous printings.

Exhibitions

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  • Contemporary Art, Museum of Fine Art, Houston, Texas, 1948.
  • Pioneer Photographers Addison Gallery of American Art, Andover, Massachusetts, 1948.
  • Subjektive Fotographie, 2nd International Exhibit of Modern Photography.
  • State School of Arts & Crafts, Saarbrücken, Germany, 1954.
  • Fine Arts Exhibit IV, Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, 1966.
  • American Photography: The Sixties, Sheldon Memorial Art Gallery, University of Nebraska, Lincoln, Nebraska, 1968.
  • Affrischer Fran Califrien GavIe Museum, Stockholm, Sweden, 1968.
  • Art in Embassies, A Program of the United States Dept. of State.
  • Ten Californian Photographers, 1973.
  • Photography + The City Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C., 1965.
  • Retrospective: Photographs 1936-81, Douglas Elliott Galleries, San Francisco, 1981.
  • Taken by Design: Photographs From the Institute of Design, 1937–1971, Art Institute of Chicago, 2002.[6]
  • A Mind at Play, Art Institute of Chicago, 2008.[7]

Permanent collections

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Film

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  • Photography - The Incisive Art (Ansel Adams' series of 5 films for KQED) Professional Photography with Ansel Adams, Beaumont Newhall and others, 1960.

References

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  1. ^ a b "Oral history interview with Ernst Halberstadt, 1979 Feb. 16",Smithsonian Institution, Reference Department, Archives of American Art, Washington. D.C.
  2. ^ "Taken By Design: Photographs from the Institute of Design, 1937-1971 - Chronology" (PDF).
  3. ^ "456th Bomb Group Crews, Page 13". 2008-09-07. Archived from the original on 2008-09-07. Retrieved 2020-12-01.
  4. ^ "Lucky Silver Dollar, Pals' Loyalty Save Plainfielder's Life", Plainfield Courier-News, Plainfield, New Jersey, May 2, 1944, page 5. (subscription required)
  5. ^ "Manuscript Collections - Special Collections - University Library - University of California Davis". 2011-12-08. Archived from the original on 2011-12-08. Retrieved 2020-12-01.
  6. ^ Boxer, Sarah (2002-05-08). "The Late, Great Light Show; Chicago's Photographers and Their Abstract World (Published 2002)". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2020-12-01.
  7. ^ "Art Institute Chicago zeigt A Mind at Play in Chicago - Ausstellungen in kunstaspekte". 2012-02-14. Archived from the original on 2012-02-14. Retrieved 2020-12-01.