On August 1, the Bruce Museum opened its newest event “Theodore Nierenburg: Photographs from His World Travels”.
Theodore Nierenburg was a photographer from the Westchester area. An engineer by training, Nierenburg founded Dansk International Designs in 1954, known for its Scandinavian-style tableware and home décor. After a trip to Europe, he became interested in the work of foreign industrial designers and began travelling the world for inspiration. These travels fueled his professional career, and after his retirement in 1985 they became his life passion.
“Traveling had always been an important part of our lives,” reminisces his wife, Martha Nierenberg. “First it was more about business since Dansk designs were manufactured in different parts of the world according to their raw materials. Later it was purely about exploring remote parts of different continents. I would drive and Ted would shoot roll after roll of film.”
Theodore studied with many well-known photographers, and over the years amassed a vast body of works. During his travels, he focused on taking portraits of the indigenous people that lived in the remote corners of the world that they journeyed through.
The exhibition at the Bruce Museum will feature 25 portraits vibrant portraits taken of indigenous people from around the world. His wife Martha donated each of the works to the Museum after his death in 2009. The collection will allow viewers to come face to face with people from completely different cultures and lands, so even if you’re staying home this summer you can explore the world through the lens of Theodore Nierenburg.