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Golden Years
Golden Years
January 1, 2025
Ajax players Johan Cruijff, Klaas Nuninga, Sjaak Swart and Piet Keizer for the cover of Elsevier, 1967 © Paul Huf / MAI.
During the 1950s, Paul Huf (1924–2002) became one of the leading figures in the fields of advertising, fashion and portrait photography. The exhibition at the Fotografiemuseum Amsterdam (Foam), which Paul Huf helped establish in 2001, celebrates the artist’s centenary with a profound insight into his multi-faceted oeuvre.
Golden Years comprises more than 100 images. The selection ranges from iconic campaigns such as Vakmanschap is Meesterschap (Craftsmanship is Mastery) created for the Grolsch Brewery, to fashion shoots for magazines such as Avenue or Margriet, all the way to famous portraits of Ajax football club legends Klaas Nuninga, Sjaak Swart, Piet Keizer and Johan Cruijff. The self-taught photographer’s creative versatility is also illustrated by his forays into film-making: his 1975 documentary about the painter Carel Willink was recognised with multiple awards, and will be screened for the first time at this exhibition.
Inspired by his father, who was a keen hobby photographer, Huf discovered his love for the medium as a teenager, honing his development and printing techniques by experimenting in a homemade darkroom. His career was marked by numerous awards and international exhibitions. In 2007, the annual Foam Paul Huf Award was established in the late artist’s honour, with the aim of supporting emerging photographers on a global scale.
Katrin UllmannGolden Years comprises more than 100 images. The selection ranges from iconic campaigns such as Vakmanschap is Meesterschap (Craftsmanship is Mastery) created for the Grolsch Brewery, to fashion shoots for magazines such as Avenue or Margriet, all the way to famous portraits of Ajax football club legends Klaas Nuninga, Sjaak Swart, Piet Keizer and Johan Cruijff. The self-taught photographer’s creative versatility is also illustrated by his forays into film-making: his 1975 documentary about the painter Carel Willink was recognised with multiple awards, and will be screened for the first time at this exhibition.
Inspired by his father, who was a keen hobby photographer, Huf discovered his love for the medium as a teenager, honing his development and printing techniques by experimenting in a homemade darkroom. His career was marked by numerous awards and international exhibitions. In 2007, the annual Foam Paul Huf Award was established in the late artist’s honour, with the aim of supporting emerging photographers on a global scale.
Ajax players Johan Cruijff, Klaas Nuninga, Sjaak Swart and Piet Keizer for the cover of Elsevier, 1967 © Paul Huf / MAI.
Couture for magazine Margriet, 1967 © Paul Huf / MAI.
Young people at east bank of Sloterplas, Sloten Amsterdam © Paul Huf / MAI.
Ostrich hat, space-inspired fashion for Avenue, 1966 © Paul Huf / MAI.
‘Craftsmanship is mastery’ Grolsch beer campaign, 1979 © Paul Huf / MAI.