Fred Herzog
Untitled, Window from Historic Chinatown, Early 1960s
Photograph on paper
8.5 x 9.75 in
Donated from the collection of Lincoln Clarkes
Estimated Value: $1,750
Born in Germany, Fred Herzog came to Vancouver in 1953. He worked as a seaman for Union Steamships when he first arrived in Vancouver and credits the long voyages to Alaska for completing his education, as he would read books to pass the time while aboard. Herzog first picked up a camera in 1950 and was encouraged by his friend Ferro Marincowitz to take up medical photography. He volunteered at hospitals, living off his savings from the ships, but eventually landed a job at St. Paul’s Hospital and then UBC, where he worked from 1961 to 1990. He has produced a substantial body of photographs, taking urban life, such as second-hand shops, vacant lots, neon signage, and the crowds of people who have populated the city’s streets over the past 50 years as his primary subject matter.