Alfred Eisenstaedt

photographer

German-American^[4,5] b. 6 December 1898, Dirschau (Tczew), West Prussia, German Empire (now Poland)^[1,3] d. 23 August 1995, Oak Bluffs, Massachusetts, U.S.^[2] active 1928–1972

Alfred Eisenstaedt (1898–1995) was a pioneering German-born American photojournalist and photographer. Born in West Prussia, he moved to Berlin as a child and began his photographic career in the late 1920s. He became one of the most renowned photographers for Life magazine, where he served as a staff photographer from 1936 to 1972. Eisenstaedt was celebrated for his ability to capture candid, human-interest images of world leaders, celebrities, and historical events using a small 35mm Leica camera and natural lighting. His most iconic work is the photograph 'V-J Day in Times Square,' which captured an American sailor kissing a nurse following the end of World War II. He was inducted into the International Photography Hall of Fame in 2020.^[6,7,8]

• photojournalism
• human interest
• candid photography