Todd Webb — iconic photographer in the 1940s, which never aspired to fame

Photography of Todd Webb was in The gallery Curator Gallery in a box intended for the curator by bill Shapiro, a former editor of Life magazine. When I saw the first few pictures, Shapiro took them for strangers to him to the work of reporter's Life. He had never heard about the man who made these hundreds of photos.

It turned out that the parcel brought Betsy Evans, a friend of the late photographer Todd Webb, who left behind a vast archive. Although elusive Webb never worked in his Life, he lived at the same time and in the same place that many reporters of the magazine, and was also sensitive to the reality around him. He was friends with many famous photographers, but shot himself, not for fame: as written, then Shapiro, "while others become stars, Webb chose another path."

Todd Webb (Todd Webb) like to do important, meaningful pictures, but sometimes this desire conflicted with the needs of editorial and commercial market. He found work in magazines and was well known in the industry, but his main passion was the work that he did for himself.

Todd Webb was born in 1905 and grew up in Detroit (he survives almost the entire twentieth century and will die only in 2000). In 1920-e years, Webb has worked as a stockbroker, but in 1929 it was hit hard by the Great depression. Later, he visited a gold digger and a Forester, wrote stories, which were never published, and in the Second world war, photographed for the US Navy and served in the South Pacific ocean.

In 1945, Webb moved to new York and began a career as a professional photographer. He was friendly, cheerful and eccentric man and friend with a huge number of people: it is enough to know that he remembered in the face of all street vendors-telegence.

Webb became friends with an employee of the Life of Gordon Parks and other famous photographers: Walker Evans, Anselm Adams, Berenice Abbott, Alfred Stiglitz and artist Georgia O'keeffe. "But while others become stars, Webb chose a different path," writes bill Shapiro, curator The Curator Gallery, which is now an exhibition of works by the photographer.

While Shapiro curated the exhibition "the new York 1946-1960 years in pictures of Todd Webb," he read the journal of the photographer several times. One of his favorite records released on 24 July 1946: "I need to do so much, but I have no free time. Think it's a great life. I'm broken. But, hell, you can't have everything".

Shapiro wrote: "One of the reasons why I like these pictures is that they depict original, family-run new York, which is rooted in the past".

Old printed pictures of Todd with a new one made executor of the estate of Walker Evans, John hill, can now be seen in London in The Curator Gallery. Exhibition coincide with the major retrospective of Webb City Seen in the Museum of the city of new York, where his work was shown more than 70 years ago.

Todd Webb left behind a vast archive of street shots of new York, Paris and other major cities, but the General public, it is still unknown. "This man just followed my heart, says Shapiro. Everyone needs to learn his name."

"View from the Empire state building", in 1946.

"Fulton fish market", in 1946.

"At the Fulton fish market", in 1946.

"125th street", 1946.

"Sixth Avenue between 43rd and 44th streets", in 1946.

"The battery, new York", 1946.

"Under the railway, the Third Avenue", 1946.

"Third Avenue", 1946.

"On the corner of La Salle street and Amsterdam Avenue," 1946.