Erwin Blumenfeld

Chronology

Born in Berlin on 26 January to Jewish parents. Emma (Cohn) and Albert Blumenfeld.

Enrolls at the Askanisches Gymnasium in Berlin. Meets artist Paul Citroen.

Given first camera and begins to take photographs.

Finished his formal education and leaves with secondary-school certificate. Father Albert dies in April 1913. Works as an apprentice dress-maker at Moses and Schlochauer in Berlin.

Has first contact with the Dadaists, befriends George Grosz.

Meets Lena Citroen, cousin of Paul Cirtroen. Writes poetry, draws and plans to become an actor.

Serves in World War I as an ambulance driver for the German Army. Plans to desert to Holland but is arrested. After the war he returns to Holland to join Lena.

Associated with the Berlin Dadaists.

Marries Lena Citroen.

The first of their three children, Lisette, is born.

Opens the 'Fox Leather Company', specialising in handbags in Amsterdam.

Their second child Heinz is born.

Their third child, Frank Yorick is born. The 'Fox Leather Company' moves premises. He discovers a darkroom and begins to photograph female customers. Exhibits at the Kunstzaal van Lier in Amsterdam and submits work to the Ullstein Verlag publishing house in Berlin for appraisal, without success.

Second exhibition of photographs at Kuunstzaal van Lier. Works as Still photographer on Jacques Feyder's 'Pension Mimosas'.

The 'Fox Leather Company' goes bankrupt. First few photographs are published in 'Photographie'. Exhibits at the Esher Surrey Art Galleries in The Hague. Work is included in a group exhibition organised by Paul Citroen at the Niewew Kuntschool in Amsterdam alongside Man Ray and Mondrian. Meets George Rouault's daughter Genevieve.

Moves to Paris. Genevieve helps to secure clients for portraits including Georges Rouault and Henri Matisse. Takes on advertising work for clients including Mon Savon and exhibits his portraits at Gallerie Billiet, Paris.

First magazine cover for the February edition of Votre Beauté. Photographs published in Verve, Photographie and around 50 photographs are sold to Coronet.

Meets Cecil Beaton who secures him a contract at Vogue. Photographs appear in October edition of French Vogue.

Leaves Vogue and secures a contract with Harper's Bazaar to cover Parisian fashion. Works in Marin Munkacsi's studio.

Interned in concentration camps in Montbard-Marmage, Loroil-sur-Drome and Vernet d'Ariege, France.

Moves to New York and shares studio with Martin Munkasci. Publishes his first colour cover for the December issue of Harper's Bazaar.

Leaves Harper's Bazaar to work as a freelance photographer for American Vogue. Over the next fifteen years, Blumenfeld's work appears in high-profile fashion and photography magazines including Vogue, Seventeen, Glamour and House & Garden. Begins to work on advertising with clients including Helana Rubenstein and Elizabeth Arden.

Work appears on the covers of Condé Nast publications and other magazines.

Work included in 'Seventeen American Photographers' at the Los Angeles Museum.

A selection of his personal work is included in an 'In and Out of Focus: A Survey of today's Photography', curated by Edward Steichen at the Museum of Modern Art, New York.

'The Doe Eye' is published as the cover for American Vogue and becomes his best-known photograph.

Works as photographer for the Oval Room of the Dayton Department Store in Minneapolis.

Begins to work on his autobiography entitled 'Einbildungsroman'. Kathleen Lévy-Barnett becomes his agent. Experiments with printing Cibachrome photographs.

Experiments with making motion pictures hoping to use them commercially.

Secures his final major client, L'Oreal.

Completes his autobiography and selects the images for his proposed book, 'My One Hundred Best Photos'. Dies in Rome on 4th July.

Publication of 'Einbildungsroman' in French and in German a year later.

Publication of 'My One Hundred Best Photos' in both German and English.