Description
The papers document Edmund Teske's life
and work as a photographer, poet and teacher. Materials include correspondence informative
of Teske's relationships with his family, colleagues and critics; poetry and writings about
photography and philosophy; exhibition materials; newspaper clippings and journal articles;
teaching files; interview recordings and transcripts; and photographic materials.
Background
Edmund Teske was an American photographer, poet and teacher who gained prominence through
his work photographing the Taliesin Fellowship of Frank Lloyd Wright in the 1930s and 1940s.
Born in Chicago in 1911, Teske studied art, acting and set design. A primarily self-taught
photographer, he had his first formal photography exhibition at the Blackstone Theatre,
Chicago, in 1933. While employed at a commercial photography studio in Chicago, he was
exposed to the work of a number of prominent contemporary photographers and artists,
including Edward Weston, Edward Steichen, Alfred Stieglitz, Anton Bruehl, Man Ray, and
Georgia O'Keeffe.