Europe in the Fifties

Through a Soldier's Lens

Bill Perlmutter

Bill Perlmutter traveled in 1954 on assignment for the US Army through Europe. Europe in the ‚ Fifties. Through a Soldier’s Lens shows a selection of his images taken in Germany, France, Italy, Portugal, and Spain.

The photographer’s view of war-torn Europe is direct and intuitive. The young GI sets out to start his coverage in a discreet manner, always conscious of his subjects’ privacy. With an open mind and obvious interest in people, he is witness to a Europe which is marked by visual reminders of the war fought ten years earlier. Despite post-war conditions and austerity, he is witness to a Europe determined to move forward. It is all there in front of Perlmutter’s camera, which captures street scenes as a curious and impartial spectator. He never judges, but always leaves his subjects with a sense of dignity.

Bill Perlmutter was born in New York on September 5, 1932. Perlmutter’s images are in the permanent collections of The Museum of Modern Art, The Whitney Museum of American Art, The Smithsonian Museum, and The Museum of the City of New York.Today, Bill Perlmutter lives and works in New York City.