Lennart Nilsson (b. 1922) is a pioneer in medical photography. In association with researchers and with the help of advanced, specially designed equipment, he has documented the inside of man down to the level of a cell. Throughout the years, he has devoted special attention to capturing the creation of a human being, from conception to birth.
Lennart Nilsson started off as a magazine photographer for companies such as Åhlén & Åkerlund in Stockholm in the middle of the 1940’s. At the end of the 40’s, when he was assigned to do a portrait of a professor at Sabbatsbergs Hospital in Stockholm, he happened to see some embryos stored in glass jars. The fact that the development of the embryos was so far progressed at just a few weeks of age so captured his attention that he photographed them. In 1953, he showed the photos to the American Life Magazine (where he was under contract as a photographer from 1965-1972). They were met with such enthusiasm that they were published, and he was encouraged to continue photographing the origins of man. This lead to Lennart Nilsson’s famous book, "A child is born", which was first published in 1965 and has since been published in four editions in over twenty countries. The latest edition was published in September 2003. In association with the publication of "A child is born" in 1965, Life Magazine did a feature article that ran 16 pages plus the cover with pictures from the book. The 8 million copies that made up the edition were sold out in four days. The article was published simultaneously in Stern, Paris Match, Sunday Times and other magazines.
Throughout the years, Lennart Nilsson has received a number of eminent awards and prizes for his photographic work; among other things he was awarded 1944’s prize ("The Little Nobel Prize") in 1972 by the Royal Institute of Technology, in 1980 he received Erna and Victor Hasselblad’s photography prize ("Hasselblad’s Prize"), in 1989 the Royal Swedish Academy of Engineering Sciences’ Big Gold Medal, and in 2002 the 12th presentation of Illis quorum. In 1982 he received an Emmy for his film, "The Saga Of Life" and in 1996 an additional Emmy for the TV series, "The Miracle of Life". Lennart Nilsson was also designated an Honorary Doctor of Medicine by the Karolinska Institute in 1976 and he is Honorary Doctor of Philosophy of the Technische Unversität Braunschweig in Germany (2002) as well as of Linköping University in Sweden (2003). 2004 he got the Knowledge Award granted by the Swedish Encyklopedia.
NASA’s unmanned spacecraft Voyager I and Voyager II both carried photographs from “A Child is Born” on their journey through our solar system and out into the universe.
Lennart Nilsson’s work can be found in collections at a number of museums and institutions, including the British Museum in London, Tokyo Fuji Art Museum and the Modern Museum in Stockholm.
For more information about copyrights and access to Lennart Nilsson's photos please contact gunilla.hedesund@abforlag.bonnier.se
The following books by Lennart Nilsson have been published by Bonniers Förlag:
Halleluja, en bok om frälsningsarmén (1963)
Ett barn blir till (A Child is Born) (1965, 1976, 1990, 2003)
Se människan (Behold Man) (1973)
Så blev du till (How was I Born?) (1975)
Vårt inre i närbild (abbreviated version of Behold Man) (1982)
Nära naturen (Close to Nature) (1984)
Kroppens försvar (The Body Victorious) (1985)
I mammas mage (Being Born) (1986)
Vi ska få ett syskon (How was I Born?) (1993)
Hans livs bilder (Images of his life) (2002)
By other publishing companies:
Myror (1959)
Liv i hav (Life in Sea), Tidens Förlag (1959)
Människan – en fantastisk skapelse (The Incredible Machine), Bra Böcker (1986)
A life, Jonathan Cape & Yellow Jersey Press (2006)
Lennart Nilsson (b. 1922) is a pioneer in medical photography. In association with researchers and with the help of advanced, specially designed equipment, he has documented the inside of man down to the level of a cell. Throughout the years, he has devoted special attention to capturing the creation of a human being, from conception to birth.
Lennart Nilsson started off as a magazine photographer for companies such as Åhlén & Åkerlund in Stockholm in the middle of the 1940’s. At the end of the 40’s, when he was assigned to do a portrait of a professor at Sabbatsbergs Hospital in Stockholm, he happened to see some embryos stored in glass jars. The fact that the development of the embryos was so far progressed at just a few weeks of age so captured his attention that he photographed them. In 1953, he showed the photos to the American Life Magazine (where he was under contract as a photographer from 1965-1972). They were met with such enthusiasm that they were published, and he was encouraged to continue photographing the origins of man. This lead to Lennart Nilsson’s famous book, "A child is born", which was first published in 1965 and has since been published in four editions in over twenty countries. The latest edition was published in September 2003. In association with the publication of "A child is born" in 1965, Life Magazine did a feature article that ran 16 pages plus the cover with pictures from the book. The 8 million copies that made up the edition were sold out in four days. The article was published simultaneously in Stern, Paris Match, Sunday Times and other magazines.
Throughout the years, Lennart Nilsson has received a number of eminent awards and prizes for his photographic work; among other things he was awarded 1944’s prize ("The Little Nobel Prize") in 1972 by the Royal Institute of Technology, in 1980 he received Erna and Victor Hasselblad’s photography prize ("Hasselblad’s Prize"), in 1989 the Royal Swedish Academy of Engineering Sciences’ Big Gold Medal, and in 2002 the 12th presentation of Illis quorum. In 1982 he received an Emmy for his film, "The Saga Of Life" and in 1996 an additional Emmy for the TV series, "The Miracle of Life". Lennart Nilsson was also designated an Honorary Doctor of Medicine by the Karolinska Institute in 1976 and he is Honorary Doctor of Philosophy of the Technische Unversität Braunschweig in Germany (2002) as well as of Linköping University in Sweden (2003). 2004 he got the Knowledge Award granted by the Swedish Encyklopedia.
NASA’s unmanned spacecraft Voyager I and Voyager II both carried photographs from “A Child is Born” on their journey through our solar system and out into the universe.
Lennart Nilsson’s work can be found in collections at a number of museums and institutions, including the British Museum in London, Tokyo Fuji Art Museum and the Modern Museum in Stockholm.
The following books by Lennart Nilsson have been published by Bonniers Förlag:
Halleluja, en bok om frälsningsarmén (1963)
Ett barn blir till (A Child is Born) (1965, 1976, 1990, 2003)
Se människan (Behold Man) (1973)
Så blev du till (How was I Born?) (1975)
Vårt inre i närbild (abbreviated version of Behold Man) (1982)
Nära naturen (Close to Nature) (1984)
Kroppens försvar (The Body Victorious) (1985)
I mammas mage (Being Born) (1986)
Vi ska få ett syskon (How was I Born?) (1993)
Hans livs bilder (Images of his life) (2002)
By other publishing companies:
Myror (1959)
Liv i hav (Life in Sea), Tidens Förlag (1959)
Människan – en fantastisk skapelse (The Incredible Machine), Bra Böcker (1986)
A life, Jonathan Cape & Yellow Jersey Press (2006)