The details of Leopold Hugo’s life are a little blurry around the edges, like the soft focus photographs he’s so famous for. There are actually two different birth years for him. One that comes from his death certificate, as December 24th 1866. The second one coming from his declaration of citizenship, also stating his birthday December 24th but this one has the birth year 1872.
I have chosen to use the later date from his declaration for two reasons. First it’s the one signed by Hugo himself and, not the mistake of a careless registrar or Grieving widow. The second is by placing his birth year 1872 the rest of the dates of the declaration line up correctly. He was born in Krakow, then Austria, now Poland, and at age 19, he immigrated to the United States, and was married December 13th 1892 to Emma Pauline Miller, in her home state of Texas. The 1900 US Census shows him living in Texas. Then there is an eight year gap in his record until 1908, when he first appears in La Jolla California directory. There he is listed as Hugo Levi, dry goods. Whether Levi was his original name, we don’t know. He didn’t use Levi on his marriage certificate. Still, using Levi in the directory, suggests he was a Jewish immigrant leaving the persecution of Europe and the anti-Semitism of Texas. But if true, La Jolla was no easier for a Jewish immigrant, then Poland, or Texas and the next year he was listed as Leopold Hugo, and never used his real name again.
In La Jolla, he sold photographic postcards taken of the surrounding beaches developing and printing them in the back of his shop.
In 1915 he was given charge as head photographer for the San Diego Panama canal exposition, where he produced many postcards of the new exposition buildings to be sold as souvenirs.
Although still listed as living in La Jolla, Hugo moved around a bit and was living in Pasadena, California in 1917 when he made a “pro German” comment about the sinking of the Lusitania, and the start of world war one. He was described as a “long hair photographer and artist” and “decidedly pro German in his talk”
He was investigated by the federal government, but nothing came of the accusations.
Whether related to the incident in Pasadena or not, he again moved, this time to Santa Cruz, in Northern California, where he again set up shop, and photographed the beautiful natural landscape expanding his interests from primarily the Pacific ocean, to include trees, especially the Cypress and Eucalyptus. He must have prospered to the extent that he built a house. Not having any children, his wife seems to have taken up gardening, especially roses in her spare time. There is mention of her having a spectacular garden.
Then in 1933, while in Texas visiting his wife’s family Leopold Hugo suffered a pulmonary edema, and died.
While his life tells a very common story; one of immigration, assimilation, settling, and moving, his art tells a very uncommon story.
It’s unknown whether he knew Anne Brigman, Alfred Steiglitz, or Karl Struss. It’s hard to imagine he didn’t. Immersed in the Pictorialist school in California, both in time, and space and style. Yet his presence is conspicuously missing from either the photos, or the essays in Camera Craft, the leading camera magazine of the day based only sixty miles away in San Francisco.
Still his contribution to the pictorialist school in specific, and land and seascape photography in general is undeniable, and I’m happy to be able to publish for the first time a monograph of his work, reproduced from my personal collection.
must have prospered to the extent that he built a house. Not having any children, his wife seems to have taken up gardening, especially roses in her spare time. There is mention of her having a spectacular garden.
Then in 1933, while in Texas visiting his wife’s family Leopold Hugo suffered a pulmonary edema, and died.
While his life tells a very common story; one of immigration, assimilation, settling, and moving, his art tells a very uncommon story.
It’s unknown whether he knew Anne Brigman, Alfred Steiglitz, or Karl Struss. It’s hard to imagine he didn’t. Immersed in the Pictorialist school in California, both in time, and space and style. Yet his presence is conspicuously missing from either the photos, or the essays in Camera Craft, the leading camera magazine of the day based only sixty miles away in San Francisco.
Still his contribution to the pictorialist school in specific, and land and seascape photography in general is undeniable, and I’m happy to be able to publish for the first time a monograph of his work, reproduced from my personal collection.
s interests from primarily the Pacific ocean, to include trees, especially the Cypress and Eucalyptus. He must have prospered to the extent that he built a house. Not having any children, his wife seems to have taken up gardening, especially roses in her spare time. There is mention of her having a spectacular garden.
Then in 1933, while in Texas visiting his wife’s family Leopold Hugo suffered a pulmonary edema, and died.
While his life tells a very common story; one of immigration, assimilation, settling, and moving, his art tells a very uncommon story.
It’s unknown whether he knew Anne Brigman, Alfred Steiglitz, or Karl Struss. It’s hard to imagine he didn’t. Immersed in the Pictorialist school in California, both in time, and space and style. Yet his presence is conspicuously missing from either the photos, or the essays in Camera Craft, the leading camera magazine of the day based only sixty miles away in San Francisco.
Still his contribution to the pictorialist school in specific, and land and seascape photography in general is undeniable, and I’m happy to be able to publish for the first time a monograph of his work, reproduced from my personal collection.