Todd Webb

Todd Webb was born in Detroit in 1905. He worked as a successful stockbroker in the 1920s, until all was lost in the crash of the Great Depression years. In the face of financial crisis, Webb began prospecting for gold around the country. It was during this time that he also discovered photography and grew to love it.

In 1938 Webb joined the Chrysler Camera Club and met fellow photographer Henry Callahan. He also participated in one of Ansel Adams’s workshops. In 1946, he met Alfred Stieglitz and Roy Stryker in New York City. The New York School had influenced Webb’s “straight photography” technique, but his own style really began to evolve. Webb traveled to France and across the American West, photographing his journeys. He took memorable street photographs documenting Paris, and worked for the car manufacturer Renault.

After returning to the States, Webb had become good friends with Georgia O’Keeffe. After the death of O’Keeffe’s husband, Alfred Stieglitz, Webb and his wife moved to New Mexico to be closer to her. He took many famous and beautiful pictures of his dear friend, Georgia, and became an active participant in the art community in her town.

Webb’s work has been collected and exhibited worldwide. His photographs give us a unique look into the history of the past 20th century. Numerous monographs of his work have been published.