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Hy Hirsh

By Dr William Moritz

Hy Hirsh (1911-1961) worked at Columbia Studios as editor, cameraman and still photographer 1930-1936 to support himself while developing a reputation as art photographer. WPA photographer 1936-37, played role in experimental film Even As You and I. Official photographer for DeYoung Museum in San Francisco 1937-1954. Numerous one-man shows of photographs 1935-1955. Collaborated with Sidney Peterson on The Cage, Horror Dreams, Clinic of Stumble, and Lead Shoes (1947-49), and Harry Smith on Film No. 4 (1948), as well as technical help for Frank Stauffacher, Jordan Belson, Patricia Marx and Larry Jordan. Gourmet cook, and avid music fan, with recording equipment for documenting jazz performances. Began making abstract animation films in 1951 with Divertissement Rococo, followed by a stereoscopic filmCome Closer and Eneri (1952-53). Also produced some 15 documentaries for American television.

Moved to Europe in 1955, worked in Spain, Holland (at the puppet animation studio Dollywood), and France on advertising films and fine art photography for Elle, Realities, Vanity Fair and other glossy magazines. His films Autumn Spectrum and Gyromorphosis received awards at the 1958 Brussels Exposition. In addition to this formal films, he also prepared multiple-projection shows with live jazz performances.

His Paris apartment neighbored such artists as Walerian Borowczyk, Tajiri Shinkichi, Baird Bryant and Johanna Demetrakis. When he died suddenly of a heart attack, police found hashish in his possession and commandeered his estate. When his belongings were finally released three years later, a number of his films were missing, or only preserved as single used projection copies. The presence of his films at the Creative Film Society in Los Angeles after 1965 proved a seminal influence on emerging filmmakers Pat O’Neill, William Moritz and Chick Strand.