295

Sonya Noskowiak

1900-1975

First United Methodist Church, Eureka, CA. Circa 1940.

Silver print
With Noskowiak's credit stamp on verso.
The image 9 1/2 x 7 1/2 in. (24.1 x 19.1 cm.)

  • Provenance:
    The Collection of Dr. James and Debra Pearl
  • Notes:
    German-born photographer, Noskowiak spent her upbringing in Chile and Panama before moving to California. She made a reputation for herself, as a member of Group f-64 at its foundation, with her early work that focused on abstractions of nature and architecture. However, her breakup with Edward Weston in 1935 marked a turning point in her career. She left Carmel for San Francisco where she opened a portrait studio on Union Street and pursued documentary photography, with a strong interest in lighting, angles, and planes of architectural structures.

    While Noskowiak ceased making fine artwork in the mid-1940s, she continued working in commercial photography through the early 1960s. It is believed that she didn't make more than a handful of prints from a single negative because there weren't enough sales to justify it. Most of her photographs are held in private collections.
  • Condition: For condition reports, email Deborah Rogal at [email protected]

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December 16, 2025 12:00 PM EST
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