Ellen (Rosenberg) Auerbach (May 20, 1906 – July 30, 2004) was a German-born American photographer who is best remembered for her innovative artwork for the ringl+pit studio in Berlin during the Weimar Republic.
Early life
Auerbach (born Ellen Rosenberg) was born May 20, 1906, in Karlsruhe, Germany. She was born to a liberal Jewish family, and was the daughter of Max Rosenberg and Melanie Gutmann. Her father was a successful businessman while her mother looked after the family.
Rosenberg took no interest in the family business, so her parents allowed her to study, but provided little financial support or encouragement. Between 1924 and 1927, Auerbach studied art at the Badische Landeskunstschule in Karlsruhe. This first experience led her to pursue photography as a way of earning a living.
Studying photography
In 1929 Rosenberg moved to Berlin to study photography with Walter Peterhans, who was a member of the Bauhaus design movement. Whilst studying under Peterhans, Rosenberg met Grete Stern, Peterhans' only other private student. Berlin's liberal environment allowed women to live free social and sexual lives, and Rosenberg was able to break away from her family's traditional expectations. He also encouraged her to pursue photography throughout her life. This was one of the world's first female-run photographic businesses. They named the studio after their childhood names, ringl+pit (pit for Rosenberg), which also advantageously disguised their genders Unusually, they signed all of their work together.
At first they received few commissions. They photographed friends and lovers they met through bohemian circles, including the dancer Claire Eckstein and the poet Marieluise Fleisser. In 1931 ringl+pit<nowiki/>'s work received positive reviews in the magazine Gebrauchsgraphik and in 1933 they won first prize for one of their posters in Brussels.
In 1936 the Abyssinian war broke out, and Walter Auerbach and Rosenberg left for London to visit Stern. Stern and Rosenberg collaborated once again in a few commissions, including one for a maternity hospital, their final work together. During her time in London Rosenberg made a short film of Brecht, reciting his poetry; however, the film was silent. where she worked freelance for magazines, including Time, Life and Photo Technique. She also made record covers for Columbia Masterworks.
In 1996, a documentary about her partnership with Grete Stern, Ringl + pit, won a number of awards. Very few of ringl+pit<nowiki/>'s photographs survive today; most those still in existence are held by museums and collectors.