William Witt
William Witt (1921–2005) was born in Newark, New Jersey, and emerged as a prominent street and documentary photographer whose work captured the vitality of urban life in mid-20th-century New York. He studied photography under Paul Strand and Alexey Brodovitch and honed his artistic sensibility studying painting with Hans Hofmann at the Art Students League. Deeply influenced by the documentary style of the Farm Security Administration photographers such as Walker Evans, Dorothea Lange, and Ben Shahn, Witt developed a practice rooted in empathy, observation, and formal rigor.
In the late 1940s, Witt joined the Photo League, an influential group of socially conscious photographers, and exhibited with them until the group disbanded in 1951. Beginning his career in 1947, Witt produced powerful and spontaneous photographs that encapsulate the energy and character of New York City. His images are noted for their poetic sensibility and humanistic perspective, and many have become iconic within the photographic canon.
Witt’s photographs have been acquired by major institutions including the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, the Smithsonian Institution, and the Hallmark Collection. His work continues to be featured in exhibitions related to the Photo League and the New York School, where he is recognized for his contributions to the legacy of American street photography.
Photography & Works
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William Witt
“Pushcart sales” Lower East Side, N.Y. City Add to cart -
William Witt
“The Conversation” Lower East Side, N.Y. City Add to cart -
William Witt
A Few Things To Sell, Mexico (view 2) Add to cart -
William Witt
Angles and Curves Add to cart -
William Witt
Auto with Personality, Paris Add to cart -
William Witt
Backyard Wash and Auto Add to cart -
William Witt
Birch Tree Add to cart -
William Witt
Bois, Paris Add to cart -
William Witt
Bois, Paris Add to cart -
William Witt
Brownstone’s 144th Street, New York City Add to cart -
William Witt
Children Bathing, Provencetown, MA Add to cart -
William Witt
Children French Riviera Add to cart -
William Witt
Children Going to School Add to cart -
William Witt
Children Swimming in Bay, Provincetown Add to cart -
William Witt
Choir Boys, Mexico Add to cart -
William Witt
Chrysanthemuns in Green Glass Vase Add to cart -
William Witt
Cooling Off, Children at Play Add to cart -
William Witt
Curious Children, India Add to cart -
William Witt
Directions on Orchard St., Lower East Side, N.Y.C. Add to cart -
William Witt
Eiffel Tower Add to cart -
William Witt
Factory, Newark, NJ Add to cart -
William Witt
Fall Leaves in Lake Add to cart -
William Witt
Fallen Leaves in Pond Add to cart -
William Witt
Fallen Leaves in Pond #2 Add to cart