Itzhak Perlman speaking with woman
A black and white photograph print of world renowned Israeli-American violinist Itzhak Perlman, 1991. The image is a candid shot of him in profile as he speaks to a woman by a door as another man looks on. The photographer, Robert Weinberg, took the photograph for the Allied Jewish Federation at a performance Perlman gave at Fiddlers Green.
The World in Denver series represents the work of Robert Weinberg, a Denver-area photographer whose career in photojournalism, portraiture, abstract photography, and landscape photography spans over forty years. Weinberg, a Denver native, first became involved with photography in 1966 when he purchased a Canon SLR camera for his AmeriCorps volunteer work in East St. Louis, Illinois. With this spark of interest, he later went to Colorado Mountain College in Glenwood Springs where he earned an associate’s degree in commercial photography in 1975. After graduation, Robert spent time working with Colorado Camera, before later doing photojournalistic work for the Intermountain Jewish News in and around Denver in the 1980s and 1990s. Much of his focus was in taking portraits of prominent Denverites for spotlight articles and covering major events and visitors in the city. He also started his own photography business in the 1980s, which often included both portraiture and product photography for individual clients, events, and businesses. His interest in landscape photography focused on both urban landscapes and the Great Sand Dunes, the latter of which encompasses some of his most passionate interest over the years. “The World in Denver” features his most prominent work, depicting several world figures and Coloradans as they visited and lived in Denver between 1987 and 2001. The series was first put on exhibit at the Lakewood Heritage Center in 2002, to much acclaim from the Colorado press outlets and visitors.
Robert Weinberg’s eyesight began to deteriorate in 1996, as he was diagnosed with retinal pigment epithelial dystrophy, blurring his central vision. By 2003, he was legally blind, at the time forcing him to close his photography business. While this transition in his life was difficult, Robert was able to find meaningful work through the nonprofit organization Envision Xpress, which helps people with vision loss to become independent through employment in military base supply centers. Robert worked as a sales associate and equipment outfitter through Envision at Buckley Air Force Base, a position he retired from in 2021. He also spent much of his time in the 2000s and 2010s still periodically engaged in photography, ensuring that his work was accessible to the blind and visually impaired community in Colorado.
This photograph is from Robert Weinberg's The World in Denver series, a portfolio of his best work in photojournalism and portraiture throughout his career. The photographs were taken between 1987 and 2001, encompassing his career at Intermountain Jewish News and his own photography business, Robert Weinberg Photographics. The full series was first exhibited at Lakewood Heritage Center in 2002. The series was later donated to History Colorado by Weinberg in 2022.