Alfred Eisenstaedt, the Man Behind the Lens
By Phin Upham
If you’ve ever seen the iconic photo of the nurse kissing the sailor who had just returned home from World War II, you were looking at the work of Alfred Eisenstaedt. He was raised in Germany, with his family relocating from West Prussia, Imperial Germany to Berlin in 1906.
From a young age, Alfred demonstrated a keen interest in photography and began taking pictures with the first camera he’d received at age 14. The boy loved his Eastman Kodak Folding Camera, and he continued to nurture that passion into adulthood.
He served in the German military during World War I, photographing the artillery unit. During that time, he got wounded in 1918. He was discharged and took a job as a belt and button salesman afterward. Photography became more of a hobby at that point, but it quickly grew into recurring freelance gigs.
In 1929, he was hired by the associated press in Germany, earning the title of “photography extraordinaire”. He photographed the historic meeting between Hitler and Mussolini, and he shot a memorable photo of Joseph Goebbels, who had scowled at him only moments before as he found out Eisenstaedt was of Jewish decent.
AS the Nazis began targeting Jews, Eisenstaedt’s family fled the country to America. He took a job with Life magazine in 1936, part of the magazine’s original staff of four photographers. He held that job until 1972, achieving notability and multiple accolades for his work.
Alfred Eisenstaedt passed away at midnight of August 23, 1995, in his bed, surrounded by family and friends.
Phin Upham is an investor from NYC and SF. You may contact Phin on his Phin Upham website or LinkedIn page.