[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 156 (2010), Part 5]
[Senate]
[Page 6499]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                         ADDITIONAL STATEMENTS

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                        REMEMBERING ERNEST BRAUN

 Mrs. BOXER. Mr. President, it is with a heavy heart that I ask 
my colleagues to join me today in honoring the memory of a remarkable 
man, Ernest Braun of Marin County, CA. Ernest was a passionate 
photographer and avid environmentalist who loved sharing the gifts of 
photography and nature with his family and community. He passed away on 
March 23, 2010.
  Ernest Braun was born on September 13, 1921, in St. Louis, MO, to 
Maurice and Hazel Braun. At their home in San Diego, the Braun family 
celebrated the out of doors during Ernest's early years. Maurice Braun, 
an impressionist painter inspired by California's landscape, shared his 
deep appreciation of nature with his children. While still very young, 
Ernest was given his first camera as a Christmas gift, and his world 
would never be the same. The camera became Ernest's tool for sharing 
his perspective of the world with those around him.
  During World War II, Ernest served in the U.S. Army as a combat 
photographer, capturing images of the atrocities of war in Europe. 
Ernest's photos of concentration camps and numerous battles brought the 
conflict home to American shores. He served his country greatly with 
his portrayals of the human cost of war. Following the end of the war, 
he lived briefly in New York before he and his new wife, Sally Long, 
settled in San Anselmo, CA. Inspired by the beautiful vistas of Marin 
County, in the 1960s Ernest discovered his true love: nature 
photography. He believed strongly in the importance of humanity's 
relationship to the natural world, and he created images to help people 
see and maintain that connection.
  Ernest became an award-winning photographer serving architectural, 
industrial, and commercial clients while nurturing his dedication to 
showcasing the beauty of Mother Nature. Ernest was deeply committed to 
his craft and worked to ensure others had the opportunity to explore 
photography. Ernest taught photography at several schools including the 
University of California, Berkeley, and the University of California, 
San Diego. In addition, he traveled around the world teaching 
environmental photography workshops in Peru, Kenya, New Zealand, 
Alaska, Ecuador, China, New Zealand, the Galapagos Islands, and 
elsewhere. Ernest was a revered and sought-after photographer whose 
gift for the art form was admired by many.
  Ernest's photography has been exhibited in prestigious institutions 
all over the country, including the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art 
and the Time-Life Gallery in New York City. In 1968, Ernest was voted 
the Nation's top architectural photographer by the American Institute 
of Architects, and in 1970 he won first prize in the landscape division 
of Life magazine's photo contest. Many of his images have also been 
published in books celebrating our environment.
  Ernest was a kind and decent man with whom I had the great pleasure 
of being personally acquainted. He will certainly be remembered for his 
skillful photographic representations of the world around him and for 
his love and dedication to nature. Although he will be dearly missed, 
we take comfort in knowing that future generations will continue to 
benefit from the timeless gifts of the photographs he left behind.
  Ernest is survived by his daughter Jennifer; his sons Jeff, 
Christopher, and Jonathan; and his four grandchildren. Our hearts go 
out to Ernest's family and friends during this difficult time.

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