Edmund Teske (American, 1911-1996) began seriously photographing in1932. During the early 30s he was a resident in the theatre department at the Jane Addams Hull House and met photographers Max Thorek, Edwin Boland, and A.George Miller. Teske was a ceaseless explorer of the photographic medium and developed a process called duotone solarization with stunning visual results; but his real breakthrough was the discovery of the principles of Vedanta. This playful, subtle, and sophisticated philosophy based on ancient texts steeped in Indian mythology allowed Teske to realize his full potential as one of the most inventive photographers of the 20th century. One of his most important projects was a pioneering study of passengers on public transportation. These images contain both the beauty of classical portraiture and the strength of uncompromising documentary.  They pre-date by several years the famous body of work on NYC subway riders by Walker Evans. Other images explore everything from life in the streets to the abstractions offered by discarded artifacts.