Eric Bachmann (photographer)

Eric Bachmann (6 March 1940 – 20 February 2019 ) was a Swiss photographer and photojournalist. He made portraits of Muhammad Ali, Clint Eastwood, Karl Lagerfeld and Patti Smith. In his book Leutschenbach Karambuli Bachmann documented more than 30 years of Swiss television history.

Life and work
Eric Bachmann began his career in photography with an apprenticeship at Johannes Meiner's studio. From 1959 onwards, Eric Bachmann was involved in setting up the photography department of the Swiss television DRS. In 1962 he became self-employed. As a freelance photographer, he supplied magazines, magazines and newspapers with images about politics and culture for more than 50 years.

Bachmann went on reporting trips all over the world. He documented Albert Schweitzer's funeral in Lambarene, the Rwandan genocide and numerous underwater expeditions in the Red Sea. In December 1971, Muhammad Ali visited Zürich to compete in a prize fight against German Jürgen Blin. Bachmann accompanied Muhammad Ali during ten days, even during training sessions on the snow covered Uetliberg.

Bachmann was living in Kaiserstuhl, Aargau, he died on 20 February 2019, aged 78. His archive with an estimated 200,000 negatives and slides was given to his nephew Dominik.

Individual Publications

 * So ischs gsi ...: Geschichten aus Kaiserstuhl. Kaiserstuhl: Parterre Amtshaus, 1986; 2002. Text by Heidi Schmid. ISBN 978-3-908013-01-3.
 * Leutschenbach Karambuli: Perlen aus dem Archiv eines Fernsehfotografen. Zürich: Edition Patrick Frey, 2001. Text by Walter Bretscher. ISBN 978-3-905509-35-9.
 * Muhammad Ali, Zürich, 26.12.1971. Zürich: Edition Patrick Frey, 2014. Text by Peter Hartmann. ISBN 978-3-905929-65-2.
 * Zürich: Edition Patrick Frey, 2014. English-language version. ISBN 978-3-905929-64-5.
 * Casa Verdi. Zürich: Edition Patrick Frey, 2016. Texts by various authors, English and German. ISBN 978-3-906803-25-8.

Exhibitions

 * 2014: L'Homme dans le monde – Der Mensch in der Welt, Zürich; Lausanne; Gex et al.
 * 2018: Now You See Me! – Muhammad Ali (1942–2016), Zürich, Bildhalle. With Thomas Höpker, Gordon Parks, Marvin Newman and Steve Schapiro.