Photographer- Jerry Dantzic

Jerry Dantzic began his life as a photojournalist by capturing the streets of New York in the 1950s. He studied under Alexey Brodovitch and had a broad career as a photojournalist. Dantzic is best known for his 360-degree color panoramic views of the US. However, thanks to his son, Grayson, we now can enjoy his early gelatin silver work. Dantzic shot everything from glamourous night clubs and movie stars to the ghettos of New York City. His reasons were shooting New York City were quite clear to Dantzic. In his book, New York, The Fifties in Focus, Dantzic writes, "It was a dream time, a mystical time when I got lost in my work, having a golden chance to do what I wanted to do-- in New York, where the possibilities were unlimited."

Dantzic's early life consisted of him working for various newspapers and journals before going back to his home town of New York to study photography at Columbia University. Eventually, someone convinced him to study under Alexey Brodovitch. There, Dantzic was mentored by many other great photographers such as W. Eugene Smith, Bill Brandt, Henri Cartier-Bresson, and Ernst Haas. Eventually, Dantzic had built up enough talent to work as a freelance photojournalist for many well known publications. These include Life, Looks, Saturday Evening Post, and the New York Times.

I'm choosing to focus a bit more on his work in New York in the fifties. Dantzic's images capture all aspects of New York in the fifties. My favorite section of his is where he compares the underground world of dance and classical ballet. In his own words, "Some of my good friends were budding classical dancers and I admired the elegance of the ballet. There was a different kind of movement at the nightclubs. Very fast and pulsing. You couldn't stop those dancers without spoiling it." The section of the book includes two very blurred images of free form nightclub dancing and two images of ballerinas all carrying themselves perfectly. Throughout his book, Dantzic tends to compare and contrast the different styles of living in New York.

I admire his work, a lot. Dantzic's images of people are absolutely stunning. And his images without people are better still. Although a bit grainy at times, all of his images capture this bright and bustling city at the peak of its greatness.


This is one of my favorites. I love the juxtaposition of sadness and happiness. Sure there is a cemetery in the foreground, but in the background we see the hope of young love. (Lovers, Trinity Churchyard, 1955)



I really like this one too. To me, it shows the heart and soul of New Yorkers. It's just after midnight on New Year's Eve. Everyone is celebrating and excited for the new year to come. I also like how Dantzic chose to include all the people he possibly could in the frame. I don't think the image would be as effective if he had only highlighted one person. (After Midnight, New Year's Eve, Times Square, 1955)



This image is one of the ballerina ones I spoke of earlier. I love the framing of this image. I don't know if I can explain it... Everything in the image just fits together like a puzzle. (Ballerinas, National Ballet of Canada, Les Sylphides, Brooklyn Academy of Music, 1957)

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed Jerry Dantzic's work. I wish I could find more of it online to show you. All of the images are truly unique and extraordinary.


Dantzic, Jerry. Jerry Dantzic's New York The Fifties in Focus. New York: Edition Stemmle, 2002.

Foley Gallery. 03 Apr. 2009 .

p.s. The Foley Gallery has a web address but it won't post to my blog for some reason... :(