DAY 253

FAMOUS PHOTOGRAPHERS

Alfred Eisenstaedt (1898–1995)

THE ORIGINAL CANDID CAMERAMAN

One of the four original photographers for LIFE magazine’s premier issue in 1936, Alfred Eisenstaedt was one of the magazine’s most prolific photojournalists, completing over 2,000 assignments with images appearing on 90 covers.¹ Over the years, he photographed statesmen and celebrities, from Hitler to Charlie Chaplin, in his unassuming, candid style, becoming a defining force of American photojournalism.

His most famous photograph of an American soldier kissing a nurse in Times Square during the riotous celebrations at the end of World War II clearly illustrates a quintessential moment in American history. A true pioneer, Eisenstaedt received many awards over his lifetime, including the Presidential Medal of Arts, the Infinity Master of Photography Award, and Photographer of the Year from Encyclopedia Britannica.

Happy sailor kissing nurse in Times Square during impromptu V-J Day celebration following announcement of the Japanese surrender and the end of WWII, August 14, 1945. Photograph by Alfred Eisenstaedt; courtesy Getty Images.

Originally from Germany, Eisenstaedt was drafted into the German army at age 17, and later seriously wounded when shrapnel tore through both of his legs. He was the only survivor of his battalion, and turned to photography as a full-time occupation during his recuperation. He began working as a photojournalist for German publications in the late 1920s, photographing a meeting between Adolf Hitler and Benito Mussolini before his escape to the United States during Hitler’s rise to power.

Throughout his many years as a photographer, he lived his philosophy of finding and catching the storytelling moment. Working with a 35mm Leica rangefinder allowed him to capture intimate portraits of his subjects caught in unguarded moments, creating visually striking and memorable images. —GC