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Legacy of an Icon
Legacy of an Icon
Thomas Hoepker
December 2, 2024
Girl with transistor radio, New York, 1983
© Thomas Hoepker by courtesy of Bildhalle
Many of his images are considered icons of photography, revered as historical and cultural testaments of their time – be it early works such as the image of an elderly woman in the snow (1954), his striking black and white shots of Muhammad Ali, who he repeatedly accompanied over the years, or his colourful impressions of New York in the 1980s. The highly acclaimed, multi-award-winning photographer – whose life’s work was honoured with the Leica Hall of Fame Award in 2014 – leaves a legacy that seems boundless in its abundance.
Thomas Hoepker (1936–2024) was as passionate as he was restless. His prolific career encompassed his role as a photojournalist for magazines such as Stern, Geo, Kristall or the Münchner Illustrierte, as well as his work as an art director, book author, and filmmaker. In 1989, he became the first German member of Magnum Photos, serving as the agency’s director from 2003 to 2006.
Over the past ten years, Bildhalle Zurich maintained a close relationship with the photographer, organising several exhibitions in Zurich and Amsterdam. The gallery now pays tribute to the late artist with this special homage; the official opening on 21 November was conducted by Hoepker’s widow, documentary filmmaker Christine Kruchen.
Ulrich RüterThomas Hoepker (1936–2024) was as passionate as he was restless. His prolific career encompassed his role as a photojournalist for magazines such as Stern, Geo, Kristall or the Münchner Illustrierte, as well as his work as an art director, book author, and filmmaker. In 1989, he became the first German member of Magnum Photos, serving as the agency’s director from 2003 to 2006.
Over the past ten years, Bildhalle Zurich maintained a close relationship with the photographer, organising several exhibitions in Zurich and Amsterdam. The gallery now pays tribute to the late artist with this special homage; the official opening on 21 November was conducted by Hoepker’s widow, documentary filmmaker Christine Kruchen.
ALL IMAGES ON THIS PAGE: © Thomas Hoepker
Thomas Hoepker+-
born in Munich in 1936. Early successes and awards. Photo reporter for the Münchner Illustrierten in 1960; as of 1962 member of the Kristall editorial team, then working for Stern as of 1964. In addition to black and white pictures, Hoepker is able to produce early colour pictures for the magazine. Here too, his Leica is his indispensable work tool. Starting in the 1970s, he also works as a cameraman producing numerous documentary and TV movies. Hoepker moves to New York in 1976, and from 1978 to 1981 is the Executive Editor of the American edition of GEO. He returns to Hamburg and works as Art Director for Stern's chief editorial team. In 1989 he becomes the first German member of the renowned Magnum Photos Agency, acting as its President from 2003 to 2007. He produces further documentaries with his second wife, the film maker Christine Kruchen. He is the recipient of numerous awards, including the Culture Prize of the German Photographic Society (DGPh) in 1968. In 2005, thousands of photographs are donated to the Photography Museum in the city of Munich. In 2014 Hoepker is honoured with the Leica Hall of Fame Award. After a long illness, he passed away on July 10, 2024 in Santiago de Chile. More
Girl with transistor radio, New York, 1983
© Thomas Hoepker by courtesy of Bildhalle
Ali praying in the ring, London, 1966
© Thomas Hoepker by courtesy of Bildhalle
Cinema, Naples, 1956
© Thomas Hoepker by courtesy of Bildhalle
Guggenheim Museum II, New York, 1960
© Thomas Hoepker by courtesy of Bildhalle
Woman in the snow, Hamburg, Germany, 1954
© Thomas Hoepker by courtesy of Bildhalle
Lover’s lane at the New Jersey docks, New York, 1983
© Thomas Hoepker by courtesy of Bildhalle