The Facts
On September 2, 2026, the Getty Museum announced a major multi-year acquisition of 53 photographs by German-born artist Josef Breitenbach (1896–1984), adding to 32 works already donated since 2017. The acquisition, through both purchase and donation from Peter C. Jones, president of the Josef and Yaye Breitenbach Charitable Foundation, establishes the museum as one of the most significant public repositories of Breitenbach's work. The collection spans his career from the late 1920s through the 1950s, including gelatin silver prints and experimental pieces using solarization, photograms, and hand-applied chemicals. Highlights include "We New Yorkers" (1942), a photocollage reflecting his experience as a refugee fleeing Nazi-occupied France, and an aerial view of Paris shot through the Eiffel Tower (1928).
The Signal
The acquisition signals a strategic institutional commitment to building depth in 20th-century experimental photography, particularly works that engage with migration and displacement—themes resonant in Los Angeles, where about one-third of the population is foreign-born. For collectors and curators, Breitenbach's technical innovations, such as hand-coloring and camera-less processes, place him within the Surrealist tradition and broaden the market for mid-century émigré photographers. The Getty's expanded holdings, accessible online and in its study room, may elevate Breitenbach's standing among scholars and increase interest in his estate, which Jones has championed through exhibitions and an archive at the Center for Creative Photography.
- Artists: Josef Breitenbach
- People: Peter C. Jones, Nicole Entin
- Museums: Getty Museum, Center for Creative Photography
- Locations: Los Angeles, New York, Paris, Munich, Tucson
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