Sol Libsohn

Sol Libsohn (February 5, 1914 – January 21, 2001) was an American self-taught, documentary photographer.{{cite news | author = Nasar, Sylvia | title=Sol Libsohn, 86, Photographer Who Captured Ordinary Life | date=2001-01-25 | url =https://www.nytimes.com/2001/01/25/arts/sol-libsohn-86-photographer-who-captured-ordinary-life.html | work = The New York Times | access-date = 2011-05-03 }}

Biography

After graduating from City College of New York,{{when|date=April 2025}} he joined the Film and Photo League where he earned his living documenting paintings.

In 1936, he co-founded the Photo League in New York City with Sid Grossman. {{dead link|date=April 2025}}[http://www.thejewishmuseum.org/onlinecollection/collection_results.php?artistlist=1&aid=7337 "Sol Libsohn Bio at the Jewish Museum"]. Jewish Museum.{{Cite web|url=http://web-static.nypl.org/exhibitions/league/introduction.html|title=NYPL, Where Do We Go from Here |publisher = New York Public Library |access-date=2020-03-27}} Libsohn was an important teacher at the league as well as a member and leader of numerous production groups.

In addition to freelance work for numerous magazines, he also was employed by Roy Stryker for the documentary project of Standard Oil Company of New Jersey (later Exxon), the Federal Art Project, and Princeton University, where he taught art and photography to disadvantaged youth in the Summer Program.

Libsohn was a personal acquaintance of Romana Javitz, head of the New York Public Library's Picture Collection from 1929 to 1968, who sought out his work for the library.{{Cite web|url=https://browse.nypl.org/iii/encore/search/C__SLibsohn,%20Sol,%201914%20,__Orightresult?lang=eng&suite=def|title=Encore – Libsohn, Sol, 1914| publisher = New York Public Library |access-date=2020-03-27}}

Death

Libsohn died on January 21, 2001, in Princeton, New Jersey.

Exhibitions

The Family of Man, January 24 – May 8, 1955, Museum of Modern Art, New York City
Image of Freedom, October 29, 1941 – February 1, 1942, Museum of Modern Art, New York City

Collections

Harvard Art Museums{{Cite web|url=https://www.harvardartmuseums.org/collections/person/34645|title= Sol Libsohn | publisher=Harvard Art Museums |language=en|access-date=2020-03-27}}
International Center for Photography{{Cite web|url=https://www.icp.org/browse/archive/constituents/sol-libsohn|title=Sol Libsohn|date=2016-03-02| publisher = International Center of Photography |language=en|access-date=2020-03-27}}
Museum of Modern Art{{Cite web|url=https://www.moma.org/artists/3539|title=Sol Libsohn| publisher = Museum of Modern Art |language=en|access-date=2020-03-27}}
New York Public Library