In Memory of Jerry Uelsmann

We are saddened to share the news that Jerry Uelsmann, University Press of Florida author, University of Florida emeritus photography professor, and groundbreaking surrealist photo artist, has passed away at age 87.

Uelsmann pioneered darkroom techniques for layering film negatives to create absorbing and otherworldly black-and-white photomontages. His many photo collections published with the University Press of Florida include Uelsmann / Yosemite, a 1996 collection based off photos taken on his many journeys to the National Park, and his 2014 Uelsmann Untitled: A Retrospective, which features work from Uelsmann’s more than fifty years spent exploring “the alchemy of the darkroom.”

“His editor and I loved working with Jerry,” remembers UPF design manager Larry Leshan. “He always wanted collaborators on his projects and valued the book designers’ input. Working with his amazing imagery and always cheerful mood was a joy!”