With great sadness, we announce the passing of
Joan Liftin, legendary photographer, photo book editor, and teacher for many years. A creator led by her imagination and instinct, Joan lived and breathed photography. She was surrounded by the most genuine, honest, and selfless movements of photographers starting with her loving husband
Charles Harbutt and
Sylvia Plachy, Jeff Jacobson,
Alex Webb, and
Bridgitte Grignet, amongst others. Joan will be remembered as an artist who quietly shared her life through unique, in-depth images and photo books, some featuring her work, many celebrating through editing the work of others. She will be missed sorely.
Joan is the author of three photo books
Drive-Ins (2004),
Marseille (2015) and
Water For Tears (2018). She was chair of the documentary program at the International Center of Photography (from l988 to 2000) and the director of Magnum Photos library. She edited many books, including Mary Ellen Mark's
Falkland Road, Charles Harbutt's
Departures and Arrivals,
Magnum's Paris (with Inge Morath) and Andrea Stern's
Inheritance and
Dog Days. In 2017, her archive was acquired by the Center for Creative Photography in Tucson, Arizona.