Ernst Haas

Ernst Haas (1921 – 1986) was an Austrian-American photographer celebrated as one of the pioneers of color photography and a key figure in post-war photojournalism. He was among the first to show that color images could carry emotional and artistic depth equal to black-and-white photography.

🕰️ Life Overview

• Born: March 2, 1921 in Vienna, Austria

• Died: September 12, 1986 in New York City, USA

• Background: Began photographing after World War II; initially documented returning prisoners of war in Vienna.

• Career: Joined Magnum Photos in 1949 (invited by Robert Capa) and moved to New York in 1951.

• Firsts: In 1953, Life Magazine devoted a 25-page spread to his color images of New York — the first major color photo essay in the magazine’s history.

📸 Type of Photography

Ernst Haas was known for both photojournalism and artistic color photography, combining documentary awareness with painterly abstraction.

His work is marked by:

• Vibrant, emotional color — using Kodachrome to create mood and rhythm rather than literal representation.

• Motion and blur — often embracing movement rather than freezing it.

• Abstract composition — reflections, shadows, and textures forming almost musical patterns.

• Poetic storytelling — seeing the extraordinary in the ordinary.

• Subjects: street life, landscapes, nature, war aftermath, and urban scenes.

He once said:

“Color is joy. One does not think joy. One is carried by it.”

🌆 Famous Photographs & Series

1. “Return of the Prisoners of War, Vienna” (1947)

   • His first major series — compassionate portraits of Austrian POWs returning home after WWII.

   • This work earned him an invitation to join Magnum Photos.

2. “New York in Color, 1953” (Life Magazine)

   • A vivid essay capturing mid-century New York — reflections in shop windows, neon signs, and motion-blurred streets.

   • Helped legitimize color photography as fine art.

3. “Route 66” (1960s)

   • Images from his travels across the American Southwest: gas stations, billboards, highways under glaring sunlight.

   • Merges Americana with abstract geometry and saturated color.

4. “Motions” (1952–1955)

   • Experiments with movement — blurred horses at rodeos, bullfights in Spain, dancers in motion.

   • Celebrates energy and imperfection.

5. “La Sagrada Familia, Barcelona” (1950s)

   • Sunlight streaming through Gaudí’s stained glass windows, creating a kaleidoscope of color — almost spiritual in tone.

6. “Venice Reflections” (1950s–1960s)

   • Rippling reflections of gondolas and buildings in canals, turning water into abstract painting.

7. “Creation” (1971) – Book

   • A sweeping visual meditation on nature, light, and spirituality.

   • Became one of his defining publications, showing his painterly eye for the natural world.

📚 Books & Exhibitions

• The Creation (1971)

• In America (1975)

• Color Correction (posthumous, 2011)

• Exhibitions at MoMA New York, International Center of Photography, and Howard Greenberg Gallery

🎨 Legacy

• One of the first to treat color as an expressive language rather than a documentary tool.

• Inspired generations of photographers including Saul Leiter, Joel Meyerowitz, and William Eggleston.

• Helped shift the perception of photography from journalism to art.

As Robert Capa said of him:

“Ernst Haas is the poet of color photography.”

Sources:

https://ernst-haas.com/