Elsa Dorfman facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Elsa B. Dorfman
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Self-portrait of Elsa B. Dorfman in her studio
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| Born | April 26, 1937 Cambridge, Massachusetts, U.S.
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| Died | May 30, 2020 (aged 83) Cambridge, Massachusetts, U.S.
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| Alma mater | Tufts University (BA) Boston College (MEd) |
| Occupation | Photographer |
| Spouse(s) |
Harvey Silverglate
(m. 1976) |
Elsa B. Dorfman (born April 26, 1937 – died May 30, 2020) was an American photographer. She was famous for taking portraits, which are special pictures of people. Elsa used a very big Polaroid camera that made instant photos. She worked in Cambridge, Massachusetts, for many years.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Elsa Dorfman was born in Cambridge, Massachusetts, on April 26, 1937. She grew up in nearby towns called Roxbury and Newton. She was the oldest of three sisters. Her dad bought food for a grocery store, and her mom stayed home. Her family was Jewish.
Elsa went to Tufts University and studied French literature. During her third year, she went to Europe on a student exchange program. She worked at a big event called Expo 58 in Brussels. She also lived in Paris, where she shared student housing with another famous writer, Susan Sontag.
After graduating in 1959, Elsa moved to New York City. She worked as a secretary for Grove Press, a publishing company known for its "Beat" writers. Later, she returned to Boston and earned a master's degree in elementary education from Boston College.
Becoming a Photographer
After getting her master's degree, Elsa taught fifth grade for one year in Concord.
Elsa loved connecting with writers. She started a group called the "Paterson Society" and organized readings for many "Beat" authors who were her friends. She wrote letters to them as they traveled the world.
In 1963, she began working for a company called Educational Development Corporation. In June 1965, their photographer, George Cope, showed her how to take pictures. Just two months later, in August 1965, she sold her first photo for $25! It was a picture of a writer named Charles Olson and was used on a book cover.
Elsa didn't buy her own camera until 1967 because cameras were expensive. She sent $150 to her friend Philip Whalen in Japan. He and another friend, Gary Snyder, bought a camera for her and mailed it. In May 1968, she moved into a house on Flagg Street. This house later became the subject of her famous photo book.
Elsa's Famous Photo Book
Elsa's most famous book, Elsa's Housebook – A Woman's Photojournal, came out in 1974. It was a collection of photos of her family and friends who visited her Cambridge home in the late 1960s and early 1970s.
Many well-known people were in the book. These included writers from the Beat Generation like Lawrence Ferlinghetti and Allen Ginsberg. She also photographed musicians like Jonathan Richman and Steven Tyler of Aerosmith.
Photography for a Cause
In 1995, Elsa worked with an artist named Marc A. Sawyer. They created a booklet called 40 Ways to Fight the Fight Against AIDS. Elsa took pictures of people, some with AIDS and some without. Each person showed one of forty ways to help people with AIDS in their daily lives.
These photos were shown in art exhibits in Cambridge, Provincetown, and New York City. Elsa gave her time and paid for the photos herself to support this important project.
Her Unique Camera
Elsa was very well known for using a special Polaroid 20×24 camera. This camera was huge, making prints that were 20 by 24 inches! There were only six of these cameras in the world. She used it to photograph famous writers, poets, and musicians, including Bob Dylan and Allen Ginsberg.
In 2008, the Polaroid company stopped making the special film for her camera. Elsa bought enough film to last her for about a year.
Documentary Film About Elsa
In 2016, a documentary film was made about Elsa's life and work. It was called The B-Side: Elsa Dorfman's Portrait Photography and was directed by Errol Morris.
Elsa's portraits are now kept in many important art museums. These include the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art and the National Portrait Gallery in Washington, D.C.
Personal Life
In 1967, Elsa met Harvey Silverglate. They got married in 1976. They had one son named Isaac.
Elsa Dorfman passed away on May 30, 2020, at her home in Cambridge. She was 83 years old.
Images for kids
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Gail Mazur and Gordon Cairnie at Grolier
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Bruce Cratsley
