Todd Webb championed unmodified photographs in the post-WWII era. Now, 65,000 of his historic images will be preserved

Three African-American people pictured from behind. They are dressed smartly. — Coney Island, 1946 (Image credit: Todd Webb (courtesy of MUUs Collection))

A US photography archive has announced that it plans on digitizing a behemoth collection of work by Todd Webb (1905–2000), the renowned US photographer best known for documenting the streets of New York and Paris in the immediate years following World War II.

The extensive body of work, which includes some 15,000 prints and a staggering 50,000 negatives created by Webb, was acquired by MUUS Collection, a New Jersey-based archive and platform dedicated to 20th-century photography, who made the announcement last week.

Group of men walk along pavement in front of shop. — The Sixth Avenue (Sixth Avenue Between 43rd and 44th Streets), New York, New York, 1948 (Image credit: Todd Webb (courtesy of MUUS Collection))

Man stands behind cart selling items in the street. — The Cherry Man, Rue Mouffetard, Paris, 1950 (Image credit: Todd Webb (courtesy of MUUS Collection))

Webb’s post-war photography is celebrated for intimately depicting life spanning wartime austerity through to post-war optimism, with a focus on urban environments.

Latest Videos From

He was an advocate of “straight photography,” a modernist movement that championed unmanipulated photographs in sharp focus, pioneered by figures including Ansel Adams, a contemporary and friend who influenced Webb.

However, unlike many contemporaries who preferred smaller 35mm cameras, Webb used a large-format camera to capture stark detail, especially architectural lines. His subjects ranged from downtown skyscrapers to children playing in suburban neighborhoods, documenting New York from 1945 onward and Paris between 1949-1953 as the cities transitioned back to peacetime.

portrait of Berenice Abbott. — Berenice Abbott, New York, 1946 (Image credit: Todd Webb (courtesy of MUUS Collection))

Portrait of Dorothea Lange. — O'Keeffe on the Portal, Ghost Ranch, 1963 (Image credit: Todd Webb (courtesy of MUUS Collection))

Later, in the 1950s, Webb received Guggenheim Fellowships enabling him to document the pioneer trails of early American settlers as he crossed the US on foot from New York City to San Francisco.

Active into the 1980s, Webb also photographed fellow renowned artists and friends, including painter Georgia O'Keeffe (1887-1986), and photographers Berenice Abbott (1898–1991) and Dorothea Lange (1895–1965).

MUUS Collection also said Webb's archive includes journals and ephemera documenting the photography community of post-war New York, with plans to also digitize these alongside the newly-acquired prints and negatives.

In November, MUUS Collection will exhibit works by Todd Webb alongside those of pioneering documentary photographer Eugène Atget (1857–1927) at Paris Photo.

Read about the Aberfan disaster photographer who is still haunted by his award-winning image.

I’m a writer, journalist and photographer who joined Digital Camera World in 2026. I started out in editorial in 2021 and my words have spanned sustainability, careers advice, travel and tourism, and photography – the latter two being my passions.

I first picked up a camera in my early twenties having had an interest in photography from a young age. Since then, I’ve worked on a freelance basis, mostly internationally in the travel and tourism sector. You’ll usually find me out on a hike shooting landscapes and adventure shots in my free time.

You might also like