ca. 1929. "Gian Paola" - portrait of person with brightly lit face and clenched hand emerge from a sea of black. This circa 1929 photograph was exhibited at the 1928 Seattle Camera Club (SCC) show. According to the book, "A Turbulet Lens: The Photographic Art of Virna haffer," this unusual work had "intense and disturbing qualities" quite at odds with other exhibition entries that stressed beauty. (A Turbulet Lens:The Photographic Art of Virna Haffer, p. 92)
Brightly lit head of man with deep dark-set eyes and black background. Area below the sharply etched cheekbones is in darkness. Forehead and nose area highlighted. (Virna Haffer Collection)
ca. 1929. Digitized for use by Frye Museum/jg. This is entitled "Kwei Dun" and was a bromoil print which resembled a painting. This is believed to be a portrait of Chinese finger painter Kwei Dun who arrived in Seattle in 1924 to study art and architecture at the University of Washington. (Virna Haffer Collection) (Bullock: A Turbulent Lens, p. 107)
"Nineteen Twenty Seven" - female nude holding drape across front of her body. This is possibly a self-portrait of Virna Haffer. She wore her dark hair heavily banged and cut short during the late 1920s. (Virna Haffer Collection)
ca. 1929. Digitized for use by Frye Museum/jg. This painting-like piece is listed as "Kwei Dun" according to the book "A Turbulent Lens." A black and white version can be seen at series VH, image KWEI. The circa 1929 portrait was made of Chinese finger painter Kwei Dun who had traveled to Seattle to study art and architecture at the University of Washington. (Bullock: A Turbulent Lens, p. 107)
ca. 1934. This is believed to be Virna Haffer's "With a Weird Spark," an abstract composition of a man and woman and pattern in "sky" (sea shell), circa 1934. (Virna Haffer Collection) (Bullock: A Turbulent Lens, p. 132)