Ralph Steiner
Encyclopedia
Ralph Steiner was an American
photographer, pioneer documentarian and a key figure among avant-garde filmmakers in the 1930s.
, but in 1921 entered the Clarence H. White School of Modern Photography. White helped Steiner in finding a job at the Manhattan Photogravure Company, and Steiner worked on making photogravure
plates of scenes from Robert Flaherty's Nanook of the North
. Not long after, Steiner's work as a freelance photographer in New York began, working mostly in advertising and for publications like Ladies' Home Journal
. Through the encouragement of fellow photographer Paul Strand
, Steiner joined the left-of-center Film and Photo League around 1927. He was also to influence the photography of Walker Evans
, giving him guidance, technical assistance, and one of his view cameras.
In 1929, Steiner made his first film, H2O
, a poetic evocation of water that captured the abstract patterns generated by waves. Although it was not the only film of its kind at the time -- Joris Ivens
made Regen (Rain) that same year, and Henwar Rodekiewicz worked on his similar film Portrait of a Young Man (1931) through this whole period —- it made a significant impression in its day and since has become recognized as a classic: H2O was added to the National Film Registry
in December 2005. Among Steiner's other early films, Surf and Seaweed (1931) expands on the concept of H2O as Steiner turns his camera to the shoreline; Mechanical Principles (1933) was an abstraction based on gears and machinery.
In 1930, Steiner joined the faculty of the so-called Harry Alan Potamkin Film School, which folded shortly before Potamkin's death in 1933; there he met Leo Hurwitz
and, inspired by Hurwitz' ideas of utilizing film as a means of social action, left the Film and Photo League and joined Nykino, a loose coalition of New York based cinematographers who pooled footage for use in left-wing newsreels shown at worker's rallies, conventions and during strikes; precious few of these films have survived. During this time Steiner also worked on some topical, fictional "pool" film satires, including Pie in the Sky (1935), the earliest film to involve the talents of Elia Kazan
.
Steiner spent summers at the Pine Brook Country Club
located in the countryside of Nichols, Connecticut
, which became the summer rehearsal headquarters of the Group Theatre (New York) working with Felicia Sorel and Gluck Sandor among others.
Steiner worked, alongside Strand, Hurwitz and Paul Ivano
as a cinematographer on Pare Lorentz' The Plow That Broke the Plains (1936
) and likewise joined Lorentz on The River (1938
) but did not receive credit. Although Steiner remained with Nykino throughout their transition into Frontier Films, he left in 1938, taking the footage of The City (1939) with him. The City, which Steiner co-directed with Willard Van Dyke
and featuring original music by Aaron Copland
, opened at the New York World's Fair in 1939 and ran for two years.
Despite his own stated disdain of Hollywood and the shared sentiments of his colleagues, in the 1940s Steiner went to Hollywood to work as a writer-producer, but returned to New York after only four years spent there. Then he plunged back into the world of freelance and fashion photography, working for Vogue
, Look Magazine
and others before retiring in 1962. Steiner then settled in Vermont, where he spent summers on a Maine Island.
, who helped edit Steiner's later films, stated that Steiner "didn't want to make anything fancy but was an old man who appreciated life itself and wanted his film to simply show the special magic there was in our visual world in the most ordinary circumstances."
. His experimental films, however, are considered central to the literature of early American avant-garde cinema, and the influence of Ralph Steiner's visual style continues to assert itself; for example, contemporary avant-garde filmmaker Timoleon Wilkins cites Steiner as an inspiration. In his appreciation of Steiner, author Scott McDonald expands that list to include Dorsky, Andrew Noren, Larry Gottheim and Peter Hutton
. The links between the first generation of American avant-garde filmmakers such as Steiner with the second -- exemplified by Maya Deren
, Stan Brakhage
and others -- are few, but Steiner is among those who managed to bridge the gap.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
photographer, pioneer documentarian and a key figure among avant-garde filmmakers in the 1930s.
Biography
Born in Cleveland, Steiner studied chemistry at DartmouthDartmouth College
Dartmouth College is a private, Ivy League university in Hanover, New Hampshire, United States. The institution comprises a liberal arts college, Dartmouth Medical School, Thayer School of Engineering, and the Tuck School of Business, as well as 19 graduate programs in the arts and sciences...
, but in 1921 entered the Clarence H. White School of Modern Photography. White helped Steiner in finding a job at the Manhattan Photogravure Company, and Steiner worked on making photogravure
Photogravure
Photogravure is an intaglio printmaking or photo-mechanical process whereby a copper plate is coated with a light-sensitive gelatin tissue which had been exposed to a film positive, and then etched, resulting in a high quality intaglio print that can reproduce the detail and continuous tones of a...
plates of scenes from Robert Flaherty's Nanook of the North
Nanook of the North
Nanook of the North is a 1922 silent documentary film by Robert J. Flaherty. In the tradition of what would later be called salvage ethnography, Flaherty captured the struggles of the Inuk Nanook and his family in the Canadian arctic...
. Not long after, Steiner's work as a freelance photographer in New York began, working mostly in advertising and for publications like Ladies' Home Journal
Ladies' Home Journal
Ladies' Home Journal is an American magazine which first appeared on February 16, 1883, and eventually became one of the leading women's magazines of the 20th century in the United States...
. Through the encouragement of fellow photographer Paul Strand
Paul Strand
Paul Strand was an American photographer and filmmaker who, along with fellow modernist photographers like Alfred Stieglitz and Edward Weston, helped establish photography as an art form in the 20th century...
, Steiner joined the left-of-center Film and Photo League around 1927. He was also to influence the photography of Walker Evans
Walker Evans
Walker Evans was an American photographer best known for his work for the Farm Security Administration documenting the effects of the Great Depression. Much of Evans's work from the FSA period uses the large-format, 8x10-inch camera...
, giving him guidance, technical assistance, and one of his view cameras.
In 1929, Steiner made his first film, H2O
H2O (1929 film)
H2O is a short silent film by photographer Ralph Steiner. It is a cinematic tone poem showing water in its many forms.In 2005, H2O was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically...
, a poetic evocation of water that captured the abstract patterns generated by waves. Although it was not the only film of its kind at the time -- Joris Ivens
Joris Ivens
Joris Ivens was a Dutch documentary filmmaker and committed communist.-Early life and career:...
made Regen (Rain) that same year, and Henwar Rodekiewicz worked on his similar film Portrait of a Young Man (1931) through this whole period —- it made a significant impression in its day and since has become recognized as a classic: H2O was added to the National Film Registry
National Film Registry
The National Film Registry is the United States National Film Preservation Board's selection of films for preservation in the Library of Congress. The Board, established by the National Film Preservation Act of 1988, was reauthorized by acts of Congress in 1992, 1996, 2005, and again in October 2008...
in December 2005. Among Steiner's other early films, Surf and Seaweed (1931) expands on the concept of H2O as Steiner turns his camera to the shoreline; Mechanical Principles (1933) was an abstraction based on gears and machinery.
In 1930, Steiner joined the faculty of the so-called Harry Alan Potamkin Film School, which folded shortly before Potamkin's death in 1933; there he met Leo Hurwitz
Leo Hurwitz
Leo Hurwitz was an American documentary filmmaker. Among the films he directed were Native Land and Verdict for Tomorrow . He was blacklisted during the McCarthy period.- Source :* *...
and, inspired by Hurwitz' ideas of utilizing film as a means of social action, left the Film and Photo League and joined Nykino, a loose coalition of New York based cinematographers who pooled footage for use in left-wing newsreels shown at worker's rallies, conventions and during strikes; precious few of these films have survived. During this time Steiner also worked on some topical, fictional "pool" film satires, including Pie in the Sky (1935), the earliest film to involve the talents of Elia Kazan
Elia Kazan
Elia Kazan was an American director and actor, described by the New York Times as "one of the most honored and influential directors in Broadway and Hollywood history". Born in Istanbul, the capital of the Ottoman Empire, to Greek parents originally from Kayseri in Anatolia, the family emigrated...
.
Steiner spent summers at the Pine Brook Country Club
Pine Brook Country Club
-Introduction:Pine Brook Country Club began when Benjamin Plotkin purchased Pinewood Lake and the surrounding countryside on Mischa Hill in the historic village of Nichols, Connecticut. Plotkin built an auditorium with a revolving stage and forty rustic cabins and incorporated as the Pine Brook...
located in the countryside of Nichols, Connecticut
Nichols, Connecticut
Nichols, a historic village in southeastern Trumbull on the Gold Coast of Fairfield County, was named after the family who maintained a large farm in its center for almost 300 years. The Nichols Farms Historic District, which encompasses part of the village, is listed on the National Register of...
, which became the summer rehearsal headquarters of the Group Theatre (New York) working with Felicia Sorel and Gluck Sandor among others.
Steiner worked, alongside Strand, Hurwitz and Paul Ivano
Paul Ivano
Paul Ivano, A.S.C. , was a cinematographer, whose career stretched from 1920 into the late 1960s. He began in 1918 as a photographer with the U.S. Army in his native France. In 1947 he was the cameraman who made the first aerial helicopter shots for an American feature film in Nicholas Ray's film...
as a cinematographer on Pare Lorentz' The Plow That Broke the Plains (1936
1936 in film
The year 1936 in film involved some significant events.-Events:*May 29 - Fritz Lang's first Hollywood film Fury, starring Spencer Tracy and Bruce Cabot, is released.*November 6 - first Porky Pig animated cartoon...
) and likewise joined Lorentz on The River (1938
1938 in film
The year 1938 in film involved some significant events.-Events:*January — MGM announces that Judy Garland would be cast in the role of "Dorothy" in the upcoming Wizard of Oz motion picture. Ray Bolger is cast as the "Tinman" and Buddy Ebsen is cast as the "Scarecrow". At Bolger's insistence,...
) but did not receive credit. Although Steiner remained with Nykino throughout their transition into Frontier Films, he left in 1938, taking the footage of The City (1939) with him. The City, which Steiner co-directed with Willard Van Dyke
Willard Van Dyke
Willard Van Dyke was an American filmmaker and photographer who believed that photography could have a major influence on the world....
and featuring original music by Aaron Copland
Aaron Copland
Aaron Copland was an American composer, composition teacher, writer, and later in his career a conductor of his own and other American music. He was instrumental in forging a distinctly American style of composition, and is often referred to as "the Dean of American Composers"...
, opened at the New York World's Fair in 1939 and ran for two years.
Despite his own stated disdain of Hollywood and the shared sentiments of his colleagues, in the 1940s Steiner went to Hollywood to work as a writer-producer, but returned to New York after only four years spent there. Then he plunged back into the world of freelance and fashion photography, working for Vogue
Vogue (magazine)
Vogue is a fashion and lifestyle magazine that is published monthly in 18 national and one regional edition by Condé Nast.-History:In 1892 Arthur Turnure founded Vogue as a weekly publication in the United States. When he died in 1909, Condé Montrose Nast picked up the magazine and slowly began...
, Look Magazine
Look (American magazine)
Look was a bi-weekly, general-interest magazine published in Des Moines, Iowa from 1937 to 1971, with more of an emphasis on photographs than articles...
and others before retiring in 1962. Steiner then settled in Vermont, where he spent summers on a Maine Island.
Late Films
After a lengthy break from filmmaking, Steiner resumed the activity on a private basis, creating eight films between 1960 and 1975 grouped under an umbrella title, "The Joy of Seeing." According to Scott MacDonald, these films are marred by inappropriate soundtracks and compromised by Steiner's own desire to avoid artistic pretension at all costs, yet "contain much of Steiner's most beautiful and memorable imagery." Nathaniel DorskyNathaniel Dorsky
Nathaniel Dorsky is an experimental filmmaker and film editor who has been making films since 1964. He intends that his 16mm silent films "create a state of prayer" not by treating Buddhism as a subject but by expressing "the view that comes from Buddhism".Dorsky was born in New York City,...
, who helped edit Steiner's later films, stated that Steiner "didn't want to make anything fancy but was an old man who appreciated life itself and wanted his film to simply show the special magic there was in our visual world in the most ordinary circumstances."
Legacy
Steiner's still photographs are notable for their odd angles, abstraction and sometimes bizarre subject matter; the 1944 image Gypsy & Her Girls is sometimes mistaken for WeegeeWeegee
Weegee was the pseudonym of Arthur Fellig , a photographer and photojournalist, known for his stark black and white street photography....
. His experimental films, however, are considered central to the literature of early American avant-garde cinema, and the influence of Ralph Steiner's visual style continues to assert itself; for example, contemporary avant-garde filmmaker Timoleon Wilkins cites Steiner as an inspiration. In his appreciation of Steiner, author Scott McDonald expands that list to include Dorsky, Andrew Noren, Larry Gottheim and Peter Hutton
Peter Hutton
Peter Hutton is an experimental filmmaker, known primarily for his silent cinematic portraits of cities and landscapes around the world. He has also worked as a professional cinematographer, most notably for his former student Ken Burns. Hutton studied painting, sculpture and film at the San...
. The links between the first generation of American avant-garde filmmakers such as Steiner with the second -- exemplified by Maya Deren
Maya Deren
Maya Deren , born Eleanora Derenkowsky, was an American avant-garde filmmaker and film theorist of the 1940s and 1950s...
, Stan Brakhage
Stan Brakhage
James Stanley Brakhage , better known as Stan Brakhage, was an American non-narrative filmmaker who is considered to be one of the most important figures in 20th century experimental film....
and others -- are few, but Steiner is among those who managed to bridge the gap.
External links
- Bio from "New Frontiers in American Documentary Film" by Nicole Huffman, University of Virginia
- Getty Museum Bio, with reproduction of "Gypsy & Her Girls"
- MOMA Collection Page for Ralph Steiner
- Canyon Cinema Page for Timoleon Wilkins
Filmography
- H2OH2O (1929 film)H2O is a short silent film by photographer Ralph Steiner. It is a cinematic tone poem showing water in its many forms.In 2005, H2O was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically...
(1929; cinematographer/director) - Mechanical Principles (1930; cinematographer/director)
- Surf and Seaweed (1931; cinematographer/director)
- Panther Woman of the Needle Trades, or The Lovely Life of Little Lisa (1931; cinematographer/director)
- Pie in the Sky (1935; cinematographer/co-director)
- Cafe Universal (1936; cinematographer/director)
- GraniteGraniteGranite is a common and widely occurring type of intrusive, felsic, igneous rock. Granite usually has a medium- to coarse-grained texture. Occasionally some individual crystals are larger than the groundmass, in which case the texture is known as porphyritic. A granitic rock with a porphyritic...
(1936; cinematographer/director) - Harbor Scenes (1936; cinematographer/director)
- Hands (1936; cinematographer/co-director)
- The World Today: Black Legion (1936; cinematographer/co-director)
- The World Today: Sunnyside (1936; cinematographer/co-director)
- The Plow That Broke the PlainsThe Plow That Broke the PlainsThe Plow That Broke the Plains is a short documentary film which shows what happened to the Great Plains region of the United States and Canada when uncontrolled agricultural farming led to the Dust Bowl...
(1936; cinematographer) - People of the CumberlandPeople of the CumberlandPeople of the Cumberland is a 1937 short film directed by Sidney Meyers and Jay Leyda and produced by Frontier Films. The film is designed to support the U.S...
(1938; cinematographer) - The RiverThe River (1938 film)The River is a 1938 short documentary film which shows the importance of the Mississippi River to the United States, and how farming and timber practices had caused topsoil to be swept down the river and into the Gulf of Mexico, leading to catastrophic floods and impoverishing farmers...
(1938; cinematographer) - The City (1939; cinematographer/co-director)
- New Hampshire Heritage (1940; cinematographer/director)
- Youth Gets a Break (1941; cinematographer)
- Troop TrainTroop TrainTroop Train was a 1943 short propaganda film produced by the Office of War Information.While the films assumed purpose would be to educate the American public about the role of railroad transportation of military divisions, Troop Train takes a more stylistic approach, with absolutely no narration...
(1942; cinematographer/director) - The Joy of Seeing (1960-1975; cinematographer/director), includes:
- Seaweed, a Seduction (1960)
- One Man's Island (1969)
- Glory, Glory (1971)
- A Look at Laundry (1971)
- Beyond Niagara (1973)
- Look Park (1974)
- Hooray for Light! (1975)
- Showdown (1975)