(1939 – 9.04.2022)
Photographer, photojournalist. A member of ZPAF since 1973 (card no. 404).
The passion for photography was instilled in him by Eugeniusz Nasierowski, a friend of his father. Encouragement from the professional, who ran his own workshop, directed Weinberg’s steps towards the (still existing) Fototechnic Technical School on Spokojna Street in Warsaw, where he studied not only with Eugeniusz’s daughter, Zofia Nasierowska, but also, among others, Marek Karewicz. Between 1959 and 1960, Weinberg worked as an instructor in the photography studio at the Youth Palace in Warsaw.
Soon he became, for about two years, an assistant to the already famous photographer at the time – Edward Hartwig. Traveling together and seeing the world of theater from behind the scenes allowed Weinberg not only to polish his technique in such skills as analyzing the lighting of a scene, but above all made him sensitive to the issue of building anecdotal frames when recording cultural events. In 1962, in the Stolica magazine’s annual open photographic competition for works on Warsaw themes, Weinberg (using the emblem “Szwejk” at the time) was awarded first prize in the single-photo category for his
Associations of Roadways (Skojarzenia jezdni). At the beginning of November 1963, he began working as deputy head of the photo lab at the “Polonia” publishing house. At that time he had the opportunity to familiarize himself with the processes of selecting photographs for publication and their framing.
He assumed the position of photojournalist for the monthly magazine Poland (East) in early February 1965. Especially important for him was the first prize in the category of black-and-white photos for his work in the series Come Mom to the Oath (Przyjedź mamo na przysięgę)at the 13th National Press Photography Contest in 1971. Taken in 1968, the photos perfectly reflect his distinctive style, which is marked by a special sensitivity to the ephemeral and small, though highly significant, gestures and social behavior. The series is distinguished by a unique lightness of expression, in which the backstage of the depicted events and seemingly background situations become crucial. At the next edition of the competition, the photographer received an award from the editors of the “Peasant Road” (“Chłopska Droga”) for his photo Highlander-Smith (Góral-kowal).
Weinberg showed a particular predilection for recording cultural events (Piwnica pod Badanami, Klub Hybrydy, Opole Festival, Autumn Song Exchange in Gdansk) or subjects related to education and the scientific community. He avoided the use of flash, using found light and high-sensitivity film, which allowed him to discreetly show the atmosphere of evening music meetings or subtly outline the contours of figures in the laboratory. The works in this thematic area are characterized by a high degree of graininess or even slight movement, which emphasizes the dynamic movement of the actors all the more strongly. He used rolleiflex (medium format, 6×6 cm) and pentacon six cameras, among others.
Doing commissioned photojournalism, he spent a lot of time in the field; he often traveled then together with the journalist preparing the material from the literary side (usually it was Jerzy Segel). Among other things, he took part in a multi-week trip to create a series of photographs that fit in with the slogan promoted by the authorities: Oder River border of peace. Avoiding subjects sensitive to the censors, he showed the “good face” of the People’s Republic of Poland: Polish cars, fashion and – the least appreciated by the photographer himself, although extremely interesting to the contemporary viewer – the industrial landscape. However, he was able to go beyond the narrow, political context of the scenes he photographed by showing universal human experiences and looking at everyday life in a non-obvious way (which is especially evident in his photo essays from factories or State Agricultural Farm areas).
Weinberg parted ways with the monthly magazine Poland (East) in September 1976 at the request of himself, motivating his resignation by a desire to become more active in the Union of Polish Artists Photographers (Związek Polskich Artystów Fotografików, ZPAF). Later Weinberg took up advertising photography. His portraits were featured on the album covers of such popular bands as Bajm, Dwa Plus Jeden, Lombard and Papa Dance. In the mid-1970s he began working with Marek Czudowski. The realizations of the Czudowski & Weinberg tandem were highly appreciated by, among others, Jerzy Busza, who considered their photo shoots depicting the reality of Polish show business at the time as one of the most interesting photographic phenomena for contemporary critics. Their staged photos, often saturated with eroticism, were also presented in gallery spaces (Walbrzych Gallery of Photography, September 1988).
W 2008 roku prace Weinberga były prezentowane w ramach wystawy zbiorowej Polska lat 70. zorganizowanej przez ZPAF w Pałacu Kultury i Nauki. W 2015 roku w Warszawie odbyła się ekspozycja jego zdjęć poświęconych ul. Próżnej i odbywającym się na niej Festiwalu Kultury Żydowskiej Warszawa Singera. Od 2020 roku cyfrowe archiwum Harry’ego Weinberga jest opracowywane przez Fundację Archeologia Fotografii. W 2021 roku w Społecznym Centrum Fotografii na Chłodnej 20 Fundacja zorganizowała wystawę monograficzną Harry Weinberg. The Carousel (curated by: Anna Hornik, Marta Przybyło), where 45 of Weinberg’s photographs were presented.
The biography was prepared by Weronika Kobylinska-Bunsch.
Originally printed: The Beginning of the Future. Photography in the Poland Monthly in 1954–1968. , Zachęta – National Gallery of Art, Warszawa 2019
updated: 07.12.2023
