Elliot Erwitt

This volume assembles a selection of truly classic photographs of twentieth-century icons, taken by the iconic Magnum photographer himself, Elliott Erwitt (born 1928). Both the characters and the images in this book are historic, from Erwitt’s portrayals of the grieving Kennedys to Richard Nixon’s infamous confrontation with Nikita Krushchev to a confident, optimistic Che Guevara smoking a cigar. Icons also includes portraits of the non-political celebrities of the past century--Grace Kelly, or Marilyn Monroe caught in a quiet moment, reading--as well as his popular, humorous images of pampered dogs. This book offers the essence of Erwitt’s work: its romantic strength and surreal absurdity that became part and parcel of post–World War II consciousness. It also includes a previously unpublished interview with Erwitt in which he offers personal commentary on each image and recaps his long career as a photographer.