Allen Stross, Berkeley’s Master of Photography
April 8 through May 5, 2018
Berkeley residents will remember Allen Stross as the ever-present photographer around town, capturing the diverse population, vibrant parades and distinctive architecture of the town. Even 
into his nineties, he could be seen photographing historical walks, cultural events, and life at the North Berkeley Senior Center.
A native of Detroit, Allen Stross studied photography at Detroit’s Cass Technical High School, the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, Wayne State University, the Winona School of Professional Photography, and in countless workshops, including with Ansel Adams. He earned the prestigious award of Master of Photography from the Professional Photographers of America. He became known as the “photo philanthropist of Berkeley” because of his proclivity to give out prints, magnets, and buttons to the subjects of his photographs.
Stross served in the US Navy during World War II, attended various professional photography schools, and graduated from Wayne State University in 1962. He taught many photography classes and workshops, including stints at Wayne State, University of Michigan Extension, Henry Ford Community College, SF State, and UC Berkeley Extension. He had other employment periods at the Detroit Free Press, Brooks Camera and other studios in Detroit, and was a producer of postcards for much of his life.
The exhibit will cover his art from early high school through his years in Southern California and Detroit studios, the Detroit Free Press, Wayne State photojournalism courses, and in and around Berkeley.
History Center hours are 1-4 PM, Thursday through Saturday
Note: The Center will be closed on Saturday, April 28, for the Bay Area Book Festival. Visit our booth on Milvia in front of “New City Hall.”
Admission free, donations welcome; wheelchair accessible
Berkeley Historical Society and Berkeley History Center
1931 Center Street, Berkeley
Telephone: 510-848-0181
Mailing address: P.O. Box 1190, Berkeley, CA 94701
E-mail: info@berkeleyhistoricalsociety.org
Follow the Berkeley Historical Society on Facebook
See the CALENDAR page for BHS events and other local events of interest.
For past exhibits and events, see our Web Archive.