Unemployed People in Brussels

From their first meeting in Paris in 1935, Esther Hartog and Wally Elenbaas became inseparable. Hartog learned photography from Elenbaas, who had trained with the Vereniging van Arbeidersfotografen (Association of Workers’ Photographers). The devoted couple undertook several photo projects, with some photographs bearing both of their names. While their commitment to documenting the lives of workers remains evident, their work also exhibits elements of Surrealism, characterized by peculiar still lifes, distinctive framing, and unconventional perspectives.