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A Turbulent Lens: The Photographic Art of Virna Haffer
One of the most innovative Northwest artists of her time, Virna Haffer was an internationally recognized and respected Tacoma photographer who has slipped from both regional and national art history books. In a career spanning more than six decades, Haffer found success as a photographer, printmaker, painter, musician, sculptor, and published writer, though she is primarily known as a photographer. Self-taught, she began her ambitious career in the early 1920s, both running a successful portrait studio and also exhibiting her unique artistic images around the world. Margaret E. Bullock, curator of collections and special exhibitions at Tacoma Art Museum, art historian Christina S. Henderson, and independent curator and gallery owner David F. Martin examined more than 30,000 of Virna Haffer's photographic negatives, prints, and woodblocks at the Washington State Historical Society and Tacoma Public Library's Special Collections were examined to create this book.
144 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2011
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February 15, 2026
A good collection of Haffer's photography.
This book contains several short biographical essays on Virna Haffer and reproduces a wide range of her work. The book is printed in color, so it provides an accurate rendering of her photography, much of which is pictorialist style and, while technically monochrome, often has color tinting due to the type of process used. Books which print pictorialist works in pure black and white fail to show the full character of the art, so I always appreciate the books like this one that do it well.
The biographical part of the book is fascinating, detailing her life growing up in an commune populated by liberals, socialists, anarchists, and other political outsiders. The community has an extensive library and advocates constant, self-directed education. Virna was largely self-taught and well on her way to being a leading photographer at a surprisingly young age.
If you have read other books on pictorialism, the historical part is likely familiar - there is a huge influence by the Issei, the 1st generation Japanese immigrants. They are often founding members of local camera clubs and provide significant contributions to the development of pictorialism. But their influence abruptly vanishes when they are all rounded up and sent to concentration camps during WWII. Their belongings, including camera equipment and artworks, are confiscated and disposed of. Their photography businesses and galleries are shut down.
In Haffer's life, this is embodied in the story of Yukio Morinaga. At one time he was the second most exhibited photographer in the world. He was Virna's friend and photographic collaborator. Virna was able to save some of his photography from destruction when he was arrested. After the war, when Morinaga was released, destitute and in declining health, she bought a house for him to live in and provided food until his death.
But the main part of the book is, of course, her photography. There is a good selection of it and it is reproduced in good quality with accurate coloring. My only complaint (which is common with these types of books) is that I wish more of the photographs were reproduced at the largest size that will fit the pages. While some photos are full page sized, some interesting photos are reproduced in a tiny size.
Overall, I recommend the book to anyone interested in Virna Haffer's life and work.
This book contains several short biographical essays on Virna Haffer and reproduces a wide range of her work. The book is printed in color, so it provides an accurate rendering of her photography, much of which is pictorialist style and, while technically monochrome, often has color tinting due to the type of process used. Books which print pictorialist works in pure black and white fail to show the full character of the art, so I always appreciate the books like this one that do it well.
The biographical part of the book is fascinating, detailing her life growing up in an commune populated by liberals, socialists, anarchists, and other political outsiders. The community has an extensive library and advocates constant, self-directed education. Virna was largely self-taught and well on her way to being a leading photographer at a surprisingly young age.
If you have read other books on pictorialism, the historical part is likely familiar - there is a huge influence by the Issei, the 1st generation Japanese immigrants. They are often founding members of local camera clubs and provide significant contributions to the development of pictorialism. But their influence abruptly vanishes when they are all rounded up and sent to concentration camps during WWII. Their belongings, including camera equipment and artworks, are confiscated and disposed of. Their photography businesses and galleries are shut down.
In Haffer's life, this is embodied in the story of Yukio Morinaga. At one time he was the second most exhibited photographer in the world. He was Virna's friend and photographic collaborator. Virna was able to save some of his photography from destruction when he was arrested. After the war, when Morinaga was released, destitute and in declining health, she bought a house for him to live in and provided food until his death.
But the main part of the book is, of course, her photography. There is a good selection of it and it is reproduced in good quality with accurate coloring. My only complaint (which is common with these types of books) is that I wish more of the photographs were reproduced at the largest size that will fit the pages. While some photos are full page sized, some interesting photos are reproduced in a tiny size.
Overall, I recommend the book to anyone interested in Virna Haffer's life and work.
Displaying 1 of 1 review