Erich Lessing (Vienna, 1923)

Son of a dentist and a concert pianist. In 1939, before finishing highschool, Hitler’s occupation of Austria forced him to emigrate to Israel (then still the British Mandate Palestine). In Israel, Erich Lessing worked in several Kibbuzim, worked as a Kindergarden photographer and later as photographer for the British Army.
In 1947 he returned to Austria, worked as a photographer for the Associated Press and, in 1951, joined Magnum Photos. Working chiefly for Life, Paris Match, Picture Post, Epoca and Quick Magazine, he documented political events in post-war Europe, particularly in the former Communist countries. He covered the Hungarian Revolution, several summit meetings and President Charles de Gaulle’s visit to Algeria.
Erich Lessing’s by now more than 40 books include such classics as the history of Austria (“Imago Austriae”) the travels of Ulysses (which reached 75.000 copies in several editions in many countries), two different volumes on the Old Testament, the Italian Renaissance, the history of the Low Countries, the travels of Saint Paul, the greek Myths, two books on Art and Religion in Ancient Egypt, a History of France and many more.
He has taught photography in Arles, at the Venice Biennale, in Ahmedabad in India as a UNIDO- expert, at the Salzburg summer Academy and at the Academy of Applied Art in Vienna. He was given the American Art Editors’ Award for his work during the Hungarian Revolution in 1956, the Prix Nadar for his book on the Odyssee in 1966. In 1974 he was awarded the title of Professor. He received the Austrian Great State Award for photography and the Imre Nagy-medal, bestowed by the President of the Hungarian Republic for his work during the Hungarian Revolution 1956.

http://www.lessing-photo.com