Alfred Eisenstaedt Alexis Wells Modern Literature and Communication Mrs.

Fine 11th period

Alexis Wells Mrs. Fine Modern Literature and Communication 24 February 2012

Wells 1

Alfred Eisenstaedt was one of the worlds most famous photographers. Alfred was one of the original photography staff to work with Life magazine from 1936 through 1972. He was considered the father of photojournalism and often went by the nickname of Eisie. Alfred perfected certain techniques for capturing the spontaneous moment that has given us some of our most enduring photographic images(Alfred Eisenstaedt, Ray Zone). He produced more than 86 life covers and captured more than 2500 assignments. One of Alfreds most famous photographs is called V-J Day(Victory over Japan). It was taken in Times Square in 1945. Even though most people did not know who Alfred Eisenstaedt name, they surely knew his pictures. Born December 6, 1898 in Dirchau, West Prussia. Alfred Eisenstaedt was the oldest of three sons to Joseph and Regina Shoen Eisenstaedt. For his 14th birthday, Alfreds uncle gave him an Eastman Kodak Folding camera with roll

Wells 2 film. Alfred soon lost interest in photography. Alfred attended the Hohenzollern Gymnasium, Berlin. He later attended the University of Berlin from 1913 through 1916. In 1916 Alfred was drafted in the German Army at the age of 17 in the middle of World War 1(Alfred Eisenstaedt, Elyse Fleets). Alfred completed all of his training and served as a field artillery cannoneer. In 1917 his army services tragically ended when he was hit during British. While Alfred unfortunately lost the both of his legs, he also lost the rest of his battalion. Alfred was sent back to Germany and there he continued his education at the University of Berlin. Back in Germany

Alfreds familys business was suffering because of the economic decline. Alfred was forced to find work because his family lost all of their money. For about 10 years Alfred sold belts and buttons. In 1920 a camera called the Ermanox caught his eye. This is when Alfred became interested in photography again. The camera was invented by another German by the name of Erich Salomon. In the year 1925 Alfreds friend taught him

Wells 3 how to enlarge his photographs. This made Alfred more eager to do photography. Soon after that Alfred set up his very first dark room in his families bathroom. In 1927 while on vacation in Czechoslovakia Alfred captured a picture of a woman playing tennis. This photograph was the first picture that Alfred ever sold. He sold it to Der Weltspiegal, a German weekly, who bought the photograph for $3. Until that point in time Alfred had no idea that people paid money for photographs. After this his love for photography grew larger and made him want to go out and take more photographs. Three days after Alfreds 31st birthday, Alfred was on his was sent to Norway to capture pictures of the writer Thomas Mann. Alfred captured pictures of Thomas Man accepted the Nobel Prize for Literature. This was Alfreds first assignment as a photographer for a German magazine called Funkstundle. As Alfreds second freelance assignment he went to take pictures of a royal wedding in Italy. Alfred captured pictures of everything but the bride and groom. Alfreds last assignment in Germany took him to

Wells 4 Ethiopia. There Eisenstaedt took many photographs of Italys invasion of the country. John F. Kennedy, Albert Einstein, Marilyn Monroe, as well as Winston Churchill were just a handful of people that Alfred Eisenstaedt captured pictures of during his many years of photography. In 1935 Alfred Eisenstaedt immigrated to New York City. This is where he started to work for Life magazine, it was just recently founded. Using cumbersome equipment with tripods and glass plate negatives, Eisenstaedt produced many assignments on musicians, writers as well royalty(Alfred Eisenstaedt, Ray Zone). Before going to New York Alfred produced another one of his famous photographs in 1932. The photograph is of a waiter on the ice rink of the Grand Hotel. I did one smashing picture, Eisenstaedt has written, of the skating headwaiter. To be sure the picture was sharp; I put a chair on the ice and asked the waiter to skate by it. I had a Miroflex camera and focused on the chair. (Eisenstaedt, Alfred)

Wells 5 Alfred received many rewards for his work during the years including the international Understanding Award for outstanding achievement. He also received the National Medal of the Arts as well as many more. ForAlberts kind of photography he was never heard, never seen, in his eyes this is how he produced most of his famous pieces. I Just kept motionless like a statue, he said They never saw me clicking away. For the kind or photography I do, one has to be very unobtrusive and to blend in with the crowd. (Eisenstaedt, Alfred). Eisenstaedt married a South African woman named Kathy Kaye in 1949. Kathy died in 1972. Alfred never remarried. Alfred Eisenstaedt died at the age of 96 in his cottage home in Marthas Vineyard, Massachusetts. Alfred died on August 23, 1995. In all of Alfred photojournalism career he produced more than 90 LIFE magazine cover photos as well as over 2,500 picture stories.

Citation Page Alfred Eisenstaedt Biography." Bio.com. A&E Networks Television. Web. 24 Feb. 2012. <http://www.biography.com/people/alfred-eisenstaedt9285539>.

"Alfred Eisenstaedt." Art Galleries : Art Paintings : Art Gallery : Los Angeles County Museums of Art : ArtSceneCal.com. Web. 24 Feb. 2012. <http://www.artscenecal.com/ArticlesFile/Archive/Articles19 97/Articles0397/AEisenstaedt.html>.