Fred Herzog: A Color Legacy

Previously unseen imagery from the archives of a pioneering figure in color photography

Fred Herzog was a master of color photography. His iconic Kodachrome street shots from the 1950s and 1960s capture urban life in warm red-orange tones, offering precise observations of people and city movements. Poetic, witty and always respectful, his images create an intimate atmosphere.
After moving to Vancouver in 1953, Herzog built a vibrant visual tribute to the city. He also traveled to the US, Barbados, Curaçao, Guatemala and Mexico, his Leica always in hand. In an era dominated by black-and-white photography, Herzog’s use of color was groundbreaking. His bestseller Modern Color remains celebrated worldwide. Now, newly released photographs from his archive, managed by Equinox Gallery, continue his legacy, offering fresh insight into his unique perspective. These images not only preserve Herzog’s vision but also reaffirm his place as a pioneer of modern color photography.
Fred Herzog (1930-2019) arrived in Vancouver from Germany in 1953. Professionally employed as a medical photographer, he spent his evenings and weekends photographing the city and its inhabitants in vibrant color. Though he was working prolifically from the 1950s, Herzog was relatively unknown until a major retrospective at the Vancouver Art Gallery in 2007 brought his work to a wider public. Digital inkjet printing enabled Herzog to finally make satisfactory prints from his slides and exhibit his important early color street photography.