Nathan Farb, 85, Dies; Photographer Captured Hippies, Soviets and Mountains
Nathan Farb, a photographer who captured everything from New York hippies in 1967 to secret portraits in Soviet Russia, died at age 85. He was best known for his large-format photos of the Adirondack Mountains.
Nathan Farb, whose camera captured some of the most diverse subjects in photography, died at 85. His work spanned from documenting hippies in New York City during the famous Summer of Love in 1967 to creating secret portraits in Soviet-controlled Siberia.
Farb became best known for his stunning 8x10 photographs of the Adirondack Mountains in upstate New York. But his most daring work happened in 1977, when he smuggled portraits out of the USSR after taking them with a view camera and Polaroid back.
His love for outdoor photography started early. As a Boy Scout in downtown troop 326, Farb went hiking and camping in the wilderness. That connection to nature never left him, and he spent decades capturing the beauty of forests and mountains.
Even at 80, Farb was still working on what he called his "vision quest project," a multimedia work he had been developing for years. Photography became the medium that dominated his entire life after he discovered it as a young man.
Farb's work stands as a unique record of American culture and international life during some of the most turbulent decades of the 20th century.
Farb documented major cultural moments that shaped modern America, from the Summer of Love to life behind the Iron Curtain. His work preserved historical moments that help us understand how society changed over decades.
Details about memorial services and the future of Farb's photographic archive are still emerging.
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