Master of Photography: Alfred Eisenstaedt

Alfred Eisenstaedt: The Legendary Photographer

Alfred Eisenstaedt was born on December 6, 1898, in Dirschau, West Prussia, in what is now part of Poland. He was the fifth of six children born to a wealthy Jewish couple, Leopold and Selma Eisenstaedt. He first developed an interest in photography at age 14, when his father gave him a camera as a gift.

After completing his studies, Eisenstaedt moved to Berlin in 1920 and began working as a freelance photographer. In 1929, he was hired by the German magazine Die Dame as a staff photographer. During his time with the magazine, he developed the candid, spontaneous style of photography that would become his trademark. In 1935, he left Die Dame and moved to the United States, where he signed a contract with LIFE magazine.

At LIFE, Eisenstaedt quickly became one of their most celebrated photographers. He shot some of the most iconic images of the 20th century, including his iconic 1945 photograph of a sailor kissing a nurse in Times Square on V-J Day. He also captured images of numerous celebrities, including Albert Einstein, Marilyn Monroe, and John F. Kennedy. He photographed five US presidents and countless Hollywood stars, and even captured Pope John XXIII’s coronation in Rome in 1958.

Throughout his career, Eisenstaedt received numerous awards and honors, including the American Society of Magazine Photographers’ Lifetime Achievement Award in 1987. He was also inducted into the International Photography Hall of Fame in 1989. He continued to work until just a few months before his death in 1995 at the age of 96.

Eisenstaedt’s legacy lives on through his photographs, which have been reproduced countless times and are widely recognized as some of the most iconic images of the 20th century. His most famous photographs include “The Kiss in Times Square,” “Albert Einstein in Princeton,” and “Marilyn Monroe on the Set of ‘The Seven Year Itch’.

Alfred Eisenstaedt was a master of his craft. He captured some of the most iconic images of the 20th century and inspired generations of aspiring photographers. His work will continue to be admired and celebrated for many years to come.


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