ICP’s Infinity Awards are to Photography, what the Oscar’s are to the Actor’s Guild. The awards ceremony opened with inspiring words from ICP Director, Willis ‘Buzz’ Hartshorn, honoring the two Photojournalist’s who died in action, Tim Hetherington and Chris Hondros. It was an intensely emotional moment. An excellent series of short films of each award recipient was shown before they took to the stage to accept their awards.
“It’s so wonderful to be here with photographers passionate about what they do,” said Elliott Erwitt, recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award. Erwitt was with Magnum Photo for 57 years. His photograph titled, “New York City, 1953,” of his first wife and baby, was published in the Museum of Modern Art’s book and exhibition, “The Family of Man,” curated by Edward Steichen.
“My tools were words and images and I could use those tools to show injustice,” said Ruth Gruber, recipient of the Cornell Capa Award. Gruber photographed as a foreign correspondent for the New York Herald Tribune. In 1944, while the war and holocaust raged, Gruber was sent on a covert mission by President Roosevelt to escort 1,000 refugee’s across the Atlantic to the U.S. When she took the stage to receive her award, now 100 years old, she also took everyone’s heart.”
Elizabeth Avedon
