The Jewish Museum in London presents a large photographic retrospective of Elsbeth Juda who managed to mix the art of artistic portraits to a more commercial ambition not for her own profit but for her adopted country. Born in Germany in 1911, she left to flee Nazism and moved to England. She studied photography with Lucy Moholy, the wife of the artist László Moholy-Nagy. From London, she was going to renew photography with her glamorous modernism. The presentation of fashion was transformed. Elsbeth Juda imagined surprising and out of norm scenarios. Known professionally under the name “Jay” she created fashion photographs for numerous magazines (including Harper’s Bazaar) and for a large number of advertising agencies for more then 45 years.
But this exhibition highlights in particular, her pictures for the magazine led by her husband: The Ambassador. She published gorgeous portraits. The magazine became quintessential for the marketing of a Great Britain eager to regain its prewar power of international exporter. The magazine was published monthly in four languages and was well known throughout the world. It permitted Photography to found its proper place. Elsbeth Juda and her husband became the champions for the defense of the image of Great Britain, for which they published the numerous facets of its industrial, cultural and artistic production. In contacts with the great creators of her time, Elsbeth Juda managed to evolve and create depth in images of promotion. Her pictures of great quality are unfortunately seldom seen hence the interest in such an exhibition.
Jean-Paul Gavard-Perret
Jean-Paul Gavard-Perret is an author on photography and a master of conferences in communication at the university of Savoie in France
Elsbeth Juda, Grit and Glamour
Du 1erMars au 1er juillet 2018
Jewish Museum
Raymond Burton House
129-131 Albert St, Camden Town
London NW1 7NB
United Kingdom
