Julius Shulman (Photographer)
Introduction
Julius Shulman (October 10, 1910 – July 15, 2009) was an American architectural photographer.
Characteristics
Known for his photographs of architect Pierre Koenig's "Case Study House No. 22, Los Angeles, 1960." Pierre Koenig (architect). The house is also known as the Stahl House. Shulman facilitated the spread of the California mid-century modern style of architecture throughout the world. Through his numerous books, exhibitions, and personal presentations of his work he ushered in a new appreciation for the movement, which began in the 90s.
His vast library of images currently resides at the Getty Center in Los Angeles. His contemporaries include photographer Ezra Stoller and those at Hedrich Blessing Photographers. In 1947, Julius Shulman hired architect Raphael Soriano to build his steel home and studio in the Hollywood Hills.[1].
Some of his architectural photographs, such as iconic scenes of Frank Lloyd Wright houses or Pierre Koenig "Pierre Koenig (architect)"), have been published countless times. Shulman's photography was the first to bring to public light the brilliance of buildings, such as those of Charles Eames, as well as those of his close friends, Richard Neutra and Raphael Soriano. The clarity of his work has demanded that architectural photography can be considered an independent art form. Each Shulman image unites the perception and understanding of buildings and their place in the landscape. His precise compositions reveal not only the architectural ideas behind the surface, but also the visions and hopes of an entire era. A great sense of humanity is always present in his work, even when the human figure is absent from the actual photographs.
Many of the buildings photographed by Shulman have been demolished or have been repurposed due to the popularity of his images.
Life and career
Julius Shulman was born in Brooklyn on October 10, 1910, and grew up on a small farm in Connecticut before moving to Los Angeles while still a child. He briefly attended the University of California, Los Angeles and the University of California, Berkeley, earning money by selling his photographs to his classmates. In 1936 he returned to Los Angeles, where he was recruited by a friend, who was working as a draftsman for Neutra, to take photographs of a new house, designed by Richard Neutra, the Kun Residence in Hollywood with his pocket Kodak camera. When Neutra saw the photos, she asked to meet with the photographer and proceeded to give him his first assignments. That was the launch of his career in architectural photography. Shulman opened a studio in Los Angeles in 1950, and his work was circulated primarily in New York-based magazines. He remained in the business full time until the late 1980s. In 2000, Shulman came out of retirement to begin working with his partner Juergen Nogai.