Werner Bischof

Werner Bischof is known for humanist photojournalism that documented postwar Europe, Asia, and the Americas. His work often focused on civilians, children, and the visible cost of war and poverty.

Bischof became Magnum Photos' first new full member in 1949. The agency had been founded in 1947 by photographers including Robert Capa, Henri Cartier-Bresson, George Rodger, and David Seymour.

Bischof photographed Japan in the early 1950s during the country's postwar recovery. His Japan work is known for careful composition and attention to ordinary people rather than only political events.

Bischof died in a car accident in Peru in 1954 while working in South America. He was only in his late 30s, which is why his Magnum career is often described as brief but highly influential.