Hella Hammid, a renowned American photographer, was born Hella Hilde Heyman on July 15, 1921, and passed away on May 1, 1992. Her impressive career spanned teaching at the prestigious University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA),as well as contributing freelance photographs to a wide range of publications, including the iconic Life, Ebony, The Sun, and The New York Times.
One of her most notable photographs is a softly backlit image of two young Italian girls dancing, watched by other children in front of the stone abutments of a building, which was selected by the esteemed Edward Steichen for his 1955 world-touring exhibition at the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA),titled The Family of Man. This groundbreaking exhibition was seen by a staggering nine million visitors.
In her personal life, Hella Hammid married director and cinematographer Alexander Hammid (also known as Alexandr Hackenschmied) in 1949, following his divorce from the acclaimed filmmaker Maya Deren (Eleanora Derenkowsky) in 1948. The three collaborated on several of Deren's films, including At Land (1944),Ritual in Transfigured Time (1946),and Invocation: Maya Deren (1987). Early in her career, Heyman also worked as a cinematographer and actress, sometimes credited as Hella Hamon.
Throughout her life, Hella Hammid made significant contributions to the world of photography, leaving a lasting legacy in the art form.
