Helen Levitt (1913 - 2009)

Helen Levitt

Helen Levitt was an American photographer known for her street photography of New York City. Levitt began taking photographs as a teenager and went on to work for the photo agency, the Photo League, in the 1930s and 1940s.

Levitt's work focused on capturing the daily lives of ordinary people, particularly children, in the neighborhoods of New York City. She used a small 35mm camera to take candid shots of children playing in the streets, creating images that were both playful and poignant. Her work was often compared to the work of fellow street photographers, such as Henri Cartier-Bresson and Walker Evans.

In addition to her photography, Levitt also worked as a filmmaker and created several acclaimed documentaries.

Levitt's photographs have been exhibited in major museums around the world, including the Museum of Modern Art in New York and the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art. She was awarded numerous honors for her work, including a Guggenheim Fellowship and a National Endowment for the Arts Grant.