HELMAR LERSKI (1871-1956) Head of a Bedouin * Head of a Tel-Aviv Vagabond. Together, two photographs from the series Arabs and Jews. Silver prints, the images measuring 11 3/8x9 inches (28.9x22.9 cm.), each with Lerski's signature and title, in ink, on verso. 1931-35
Helmar Lerski was born Israel Schmuklerski in Strasbourg. After his family relocated to Zurich during the war years, he moved to the U.S., where, as an actor, he adopted the name Helmar Lerski. Later on he emigrated to Germany, where he lived through the 1920s, cementing his reputation as a photographer. In the 1930s, in Palestine, he began a series of portraits, which drew from his experiences as a cinematographer. He continued to work in photography and film, returning to Zurich in 1948.
