Who is Izzy Orloff?
(Image courtesy of the State Library of Western Australia)
Abraham “Izzy” Orloff is one of Western Australia’s most prolific and avant-garde professional photographers throughout the 1920 to 1940’s. Based in Fremantle, he is known for his images of urban life around Fremantle and Perth with his business focusing on portraiture, architecture, streetscapes and captivating images of people.
Born in Ukraine, Izzy migrated to Fremantle in 1912 and later worked at Dease Studios in Barrack Street, Perth where he also developed film for customers. He set up his own business in 1922, La Tosca Studios at North Fremantle where is specialised in portraits, group photos, candid photography at dance halls and provided the Sunday Times with news photographs up until the 1960s.
For well over three decades, Izzy amassed a variety of images that depicted the life of the state at a time of great social upheaval and at a time where producing photographs was time-consuming and expensive.
Although he worked as a portrait artist and worked for the press, Orloff was arguably best known for his streetscapes, for which he used a large format camera to produce high quality panoramic images. Working in Fremantle he also captured many maritime arrivals, including this image of the HMS Hood arriving in the harbour in 1924.
As one of WA’s premier professional photographers, it is fitting that the Western Australian Professional Photography Awards be named after Abraham “Izzy” Orloff and be known as the “The Orloff Awards”.
(Image courtesy State Library of Western Australia).
(Image courtesy State Library of Western Australia).
(Image courtesy State Library of Western Australia).
Sources of further information and photographs can be found at the State Library of Western Australia;
https://slwa.wa.gov.au/stories/wa-history/abraham-izzy-orloff
https://slwa.wa.gov.au/stories/slwa-abc-radio/izzy-orloff-collection
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