Ernst Kassowitz was born on February 7, 1888, in Vienna, Austria, to
Max and Emilie Kassowitz. During World War I, he was a prisoner of war in
Siberian and Russian camps; after two attempts, he escaped successfully. He
immigrated to the United States in 1935. Although trained as an engineer,
Kassowitz pursued his longtime interest in photography upon moving to the
United States; he opened his first studio in Milwaukee shortly after
immigrating. Several months later, he moved to the Pacific Northwest, opening
another studio in Portland in 1936. That year, his photograph "City Lights", of
Central Park at night, was published in the
The photographs display a broad view of cultural life in Portland and Seattle from the 1930's to the early 1950's: transient Eastern and Western European artists and thinkers, painters Mark Tobey and Morris Graves, dance groups, and scenes from Austria and the Pacific Northwest.
The collection is open to the public.
Restrictions may exist on reproduction, quotation, or publication. Contact Special Collections, University of Washington Libraries for details.
Written on verso: French-Canadian lumberjack.
MPH494
Archipenko (1887-1964) was born in Kiev, Ukraine and became a world famous sculptor and painter.
Anderson (1906-1998), born in Edmonds, Washington, was an abstract expressionist painter, identified by Life Magazine as one of the "northwest mystics," or the Northwest School, along with Kenneth Callahan, Morris Graves and Mark Tobey.
Written on verso: '84 yr. old William Bailey (Ex. slave).
MPH495
Edward George Power Biggs (1906-1977) was a British-born American concert organist and recording artist.
MPH465
Brahms (1833-1897), born in Hamburg, Germany, was composer and pianist, composing for piano, chamber ensembles, symphony orchestra, voice, and chorus.
Bushell is a notable Washington born musician and conductor, beginning his professional career playing cello with the Seattle Symphony. He earned his degree in Music at the University of Washington, continuing his studies at Cornish School for the Arts and Mills College.
MPH498
Written on verso: Curator, S. Art Museum.
Callahan (1905-1986) was born in Spokane, Washington and is a notable abstract expressionist painter, credited as the founder of the Northwest School, of which Morris Guy Anderson, Morris Graves, and Mark Tobey were a part of. He was curator of the Seattle Art Museum for twenty years, from 1933-1953.
Written on verso: Wood Sculptor.
Carter (1891-1992) was a notable Pacific Northwest woodcarver who grew up in Canada, deriving much of his artistic inspiration from the Kwakiutl and Tlingit Indians.
MPH466
Camfferman (1890-1957) was a notable painter in the Pacific Northwest, who, with his wife Margaret Gove Camfferman, established the Camfferman Art Colony on Whidbey Island, Washington in 1915.
MPH467
Chapple was a notable musician and conductor, serving as director of the University of Washington School of Music from 1948-1971.
Chase (1895-1988), born in Seattle, was a notable Pacific Northwest artist, creatively adapting the Japanese method of color woodblock printmaking to create Northwest and Western landscapes.
MPH475
Chong (1912-1973)was an artist born in Canton, China, who emigrated to the United States when he attended the University of Washington.
MPH468
Darby (1917-2004) was a notable Broadway photographer, documenting hundreds of theater classics from 1939 through 1965.
Written on verso: '___ Davis' mother' (text illegible)
De Lacy (1910-1986) was an American politician who served as a member of the United States House of Representatives from 1945 to 1947, he represented the First Congressional District of Washington as a Democrat, replacing Warren G. Magnuson.
MPH464
Duncan (1903-1998), born in Danville, Kentucky, was an American baritone opera signer and actor.
MPH497
Dusanne (1884-1972) was a professional modern art dealer in Seattle, who aided in the rise and international fame of the Northwest School of artists.
Written on verso: Mme. Zoe Dusanne
MPH470
Elshin (1892-1976) was a Russian born artist, who, following the Bolshevik Revolution in 1917, fled to Shanghai where he worked as a newspaper cartoonist for three years before moving to Seattle. He maintained a long and active painting career in the Pacific Northwest with four solo exhibitions at the Seattle Art Museum (1934, 1943, 1956 and 1965)
MPH 503,UW28033z
Farmer (1913-1970) was a Seattle born stage and screen actress who attended the University of Washington during the mid 1930s. She is perhaps better known for sensationalized accounts of her life including her involuntary commitment to a mental hospital. She is also the subject of two films.
MPH521, UW23919
Fisher was notable Seattle area business man (?)
Fort (1917-1975) was an American dancer, choreographer and dance educator.
MPH476
Strip of six small portraits, taped together. Includes headshot, nude and image of dance performance.
Strip of six small portraits, taped together. Includes various dance poses, both nude and clothed.
Dr. Fuller (1897-1976) founded the Seattle Art Museum in 1931. Dr. Fuller directed SAM for its first 40 years and donated much of his own collection and acquired important works by contemporary Northwest artists such as Mark Tobey, Morris Graves and Kenneth Callahan.
Written on verso: Seattle Art Museum'
MPH474
drawing is same image as first photo in the series.
drawing is same image as first photo in the series.
Written on verso: Mr. Graven, head of Y.M.C.A. in Portland
Graves (1910-2001), born in Oregon, was an expressionist painter, who, along with Guy Anderson, Kenneth Callahan and Mark Tobey, founded the Northwest School. He spent much of his professional career in Washington.
Written on verso: ½5/?
MPH491, UW28449
Written on mat: 'Photo of Morris Graves by Ernst Kassowitz, 1937 when Morris was 27 years old. Given to me 1978, Sept. when Ernst was 90 years of age. Took it to Morris but he did not like it. H.F.'
UW Neg. 105
MPH459
UW29170
Written n verso: 'Greenwood, Pacific National Bank'
Hennig (died 1980s) was an Austrian born ski instructor who, along with Sigurd Hall, made the first ski ascent of Mount Rainier. He published Sun Valley Ski Guide, which was North America's first guidebook for high mountain ski touring.
Written on verso: Ski Instr. Sun Valley
MPH493
Horsfall (1883-1968) was a prominent Pacific Northwest musician. He was flutist in the Seattle Symphony for 46 continuous seasons and a member of the University of Washington faculty for 20 years.
MPH501
Immel (1896-1964) was a watercolorist and commercial artist, best known for his watercolor floral studies.
Isaacs (1886-1964) served as the first Director of the University of Washington School of Art. As an artist trained in the European tradition, he experimented with the depiction of the human form transitioning from realism to abstraction of the course of 50 year career.
Written on verso: Prof. Walter F. Isaacs (U of W)
MPH469
Jamieson (1915-1976) was trained at the Abbot School of Fine and Commercial Arts and the Corcoran Art School in Washington, D.C. He was a combat artist for the United States Navy and is best known for his watercolors.
Written on verso: Cornish Faculty
MPH461, UW29719z
Johanson (1911-2000) was an American sculptor, mosaic artist, and jewelry designer. She was a student of sculptor Dudley Pratt and took classes with Alexander Archipenko during his visits to the University of Washington in the 1930s. She graduated from the University of Washington in 1934 and had one solo show at the Seattle Art Museum in 1944 along with numerous other gallery awards. Her pebble mosaic "Men Com and Go Like Waves of the Sea" is installed at Pacific Science Center in Seattle, WA.
Written on verso: Sculptress
MPH496
Kassowitz was an Austrian photographer and artist.
MPH456
Written on verso: Text written in German. 'Portland, 1015 SW Broadway'
Dina was the wife of Ernst Kassowitz, and Helmuth was his youngest son.
Written on verso: Dina + Helmuth, 1929; March 13, 1930 (Helmuth 1 year)
Helmuth was the youngest son of Ernst Kassowitz.
Lanczos (1893-1974) was a Hungarian-Jewish mathematician and physicist. His work had profound impact on 20th century science. He worked for Seattle's Boeing Aircraft Company between 1944 and 1949.
MPH500
Lichine was a Russian-American ballet dancer and choreographer, with an international career staging works for many ballet companies and for several Hollywood film studios. Tatiana Riabouchinski was his second wife.
Written on mat: 'Mood.'
MPH457
MPH457
Lee was a Pacific Northwest artist, noted for his watercolor works.
Written on verso: Artist - Boatbuilder (now in San Francisco).
Written on verso: 'Marcel Maas, Pianist'
MPH460
Written on verso: Portland
Peck (1907-2002) was a painter, designer, illustrator, and graphic artist. He is known for his beautiful drawings and watercolors. Peck moved to Seattle in 1947 to serve as the director of the new art department at the Cornish School for the Arts.
Written on verso: Cornish Faculty
Pratt (1897-1975) was an American sculptor, born to Boston based sculptors Bela and Helen Pratt. His sculptural education included Alexander Archipenko.
MPH486
Pretica is a renowned Seattle based architect. The Coliseum Theater building and the Langston Hughes Performing Arts Center are both products of his six decade career.
Riabouchinski (1917-2000) was a Russian-American ballet dancer and teacher. She spent most of her career with the Ballet Russe and married fellow dancer and choreographer David Lichine.
MPH458
Robinson (1910-1991) was a singer-songwriter and composer from Seattle. He wrote many popular songs and was a composer for Hollywood films.
MPH463
Caption on drawing: 'To Ernst Kassowitz with best wishes Earl Robinson'
Sacconi (1895-1973) was an expert Italian violin maker and restorer.
MPH520
MPH519
Dr. Samuels donated the land and money to build the King County Central Blood Bank.
MPH499
Stoddard (1896-1967) was a Detroit born architect. His prolific career in Seattle produced Tacoma's Winthrop Hotel, Memorial Stadium at Seattle Center, and the Green Lake Aqua Theater.
Written on verso: mother-in-law
Written on verso: Mr. Sweet?, Director of Portland Art Museum
Tobey (1890-1976) was an American abstract expressionist painter who was greatly influenced by Asian calligraphy. He, along with Guy Anderson, Kenneth Callahan, and Morris Graves, was a founder of the Northwest School.
MPH477, UW Neg. 15319
Written on verso: Cornish Inst.
Touhy was a Native American artist.
MPH490
Hoogstraten (1884-1964) was a Dutch violinist and conductor
MPH462
Von Trapp (1880-1947) was an Austro-Hungarian Navy officer. The story of his family served as the inspiration for the musical The Sound of Music.
Von Trapp (born 1939) is a former member of the Trapp Family Singers, whose lives were the inspiration for the play and movie The Sound of Music. He was the tenth and youngest child.
Whitman (1819-1892) was an American poet, essayist and journalist. He is best known for his controversial work Leaves of Grass.
Wood (1852-1944) was an American author, civil liberties advocate, solider, and attorney. He is best known for his 1927 satirical bestseller, Heavenly Discourse.
MPH489
MPH488
Wood (1921-2008) was a highly regarded American painter, dancer, and writer. Her early paintings were considered a part of the Surrealism school.
Written on drawing: Ernst Kassowitz, Seattle.
Caption on mat: 'Austrian Railroad Workers.' Written on verso: 'Austrian R.R. workmen.'
MPH485
Written on verso: 'An Irish Rebel."
MPH485
Written on verso: 'La Belle et La Bete'.
Written on verso: Railroad fireman (Austria)'
Written on verso: Old man at library.
MPH481
Written on verso: Pattern
MPH473
Duplicate of 'Dance Groupe I' in Box 2
On verso: label at bottom left corner reads 'Exhibited: Northwest Photographic Salon, Western Washington Fair, Puyallup, Washington, 1948.'
MPH509, UW23737z
MPH508
MPH511
On verso: 'Kunsthalle Wien, 16.1-15.3 1998. Ubersse. Osterreichische Photographen im Exil' (Translation: 'Overseas. Austrian Photographer in Exile.)
UW17975
UW17977
MPH510, UW17976
MPH472
MPH507, UW17974
Written on verso: Published in early 30's in "Deutche Lichtbild," A Yearbook of Photography.
MPH506
MPH514
Written on verso: Goethe sketched here and was arrested for suspected espionage.
On verso: Ubersse. Osterreichische Photographen im Exil (Translation: 'Overseas. Austrian Photographer in Exile.)
On verso: Ubersse. Osterreichische Photographen im Exil. (Translation: 'Overseas. Austrian Photographer in Exile.)
MPH516, UW17973
MPH518, UW17978
MPH517, UW17972
MPH492, UW17979
MPH471
MPH480, UW17971
MPH479
MPH478
MPH483
MPH484
MPH482
MPH487, UW21760z
Phi Gamma Delta fraternity house at the University of Washington.
On verso: 'E. no. 1' written at top right corner; 'Fiji House' written at bottom left.
On verso: 'E. no. 2' written at top right corner; 'Fiji House' written at bottom left.
UW17970