Ed Van Der Elsken

Ed van der Elsken was a Dutch photographer and filmmaker who was born in 1925 in Amsterdam, Netherlands. He is known for his documentary photography, which captured the spirit of the post-war era and the counterculture movement of the 1960s.

Van der Elsken began his career as a photographer in the 1950s, working for the Dutch magazine "De Bijenkorf" and traveling extensively throughout Europe and beyond. He was drawn to the energy and vitality of youth culture, and his photographs often featured young people in various states of rebellion and self-expression.

One of Van der Elsken's most famous works is his book "Love on the Left Bank" (1956), which features photographs of the bohemian community in Paris during the 1950s. The book is a celebration of youthful exuberance and non-conformity, and it captures the raw, spontaneous energy of the time.

Ed van der Elsken's work remains to be widely shown at contemporary art museums throughout the world. Recent solo- and group shows were held at the Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam (2020 & 2018), the Nederlands Fotomuseum, Rotterdam (2019), Stedelijk Museum, Amsterdam (2017), Jeu de Paume, Paris (2017), Taka Ishii Gallery, Tokyo (2015), Museum Boerhaave, Leiden (2014), Stadsarchief Amsterdam (2014), Nederlands Fotomuseum, Rotterdam (2010), Foam, Amsterdam (2005), The Metropolitan Museum, Tokyo (2003), The Palazzina di Giardini, Modena (2002) and many others.