THE WRITINGS
of martin elkort and his daughter, stefani Elkort Twyford
Introduction by Stefani Elkort Twyford
After Martin’s passing, I brought home boxes of journals and pages of writings and manuscripts. That he was a prolific writer is an understatement. As I sort through these papers, I will be posting these musings here, along with many of his photos with both his and my impressions, and hope you will enjoy them.
His perspective is one of keen observation, the same observation that makes his photographs so poignant. His eye to the world never changed, only the mediums for the expression of what he saw.
2nd Street and 2nd Ave Snowstorm -1948
The iconic city of New York bundled up in a blanket of snow, a reminder of a simpler time. This vintage photograph shot by Martin in 1948, takes us on a journey through the bustling streets, now quiet and still.
A Visit To Georgia O’Keefe
In 1959 Martin Elkort visited artist Georgia O’Keefe at her Ghost Ranch home and studio. Martin was living in Santa Fe at the time and working as an art editor
Cooling Off During a Heat Wave
We hope everyone had a great 4th of July break. Now back to our regularly scheduled summertime programming! With temperatures at record highs around the world, here’s a throwback photograph
Eyes Wide Shut!
This “musing” was written in one of Martin’s journals. His grandson Evan Twyford, read this piece at his funeral, because it so aptly captures how Martin constantly examined things, analyzed his
How I Preserved My Father’s Photography Legacy
And Still It Was Bittersweet Martin Elkort, an enormously talented artist, was not only a street photographer, an illustrator, a writer with numerous books and magazine articles to his name,
Listening to Ghost Stories
Whether you believe in ghosts or not, young kids are often the best audience for good ghost stories. Told with equal elements of entertainment, belief and fear of the unknown,
Memorial Day
When Martin attended Cooper Union art school in the early 1950s, he was often a featured illustrator for their magazine, Folio. Here is a beautiful piece in honor of Memorial
Memories of Childhood at Summer Camp
A photograph of boys swimming in the lake at Camp Onibar, a summer camp in the Poconos. Summer camp is such an essential part of many of our memories of
Photo Retouching Family Photos
Back before Photoshop became a photographer’s de facto digital manipulation software, Martin Elkort became enamored with the art of hand coloring his family photographs. He was fortunate that his parents
Reflections on the 4th of July
Shoe Shine – © Martin Elkort – 1948 On the occasion of the American Bi-Centennial in 1897, Supreme Court Justices Thurgood Marshall and John T Morgan penned this reflection on
Sunday Funnies
Sunday morning, the sharp light filtering through the windows, illuminating the scene as two kids are focused on the morning comics, or what they referred to as “the funnies,” with
The Garment Worker
I was in New York City last week and made a special visit to see the sculpture “The Garment Worker” by Israeli sculptor Judith Weller that looms large on 7th
