13 Facts About Alfred Eisenstaedt

Alfred Eisenstaedt was a German-born American photographer and photojournalist.

Alfred Eisenstaedt was "renowned for his ability to capture memorable images of important people in the news" and for his candid photographs taken with a small 35mm Leica camera, typically with natural lighting.

Alfred Eisenstaedt was born in Dirschau in West Prussia, Imperial Germany in 1898.

Alfred Eisenstaedt was fascinated by photography from his youth and began taking pictures at age 11 when he was given his first camera, an Eastman Kodak Folding Camera with roll film.

Alfred Eisenstaedt later served in the German Army's artillery during World War I and was wounded in 1918.

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The following year, 1936, Time founder Henry Luce bought Life magazine, and Alfred Eisenstaedt, already noted for his photography in Europe, was asked to join the new magazine as one of its original staff of four photographers, including Margaret Bourke-White and Robert Capa.

Alfred Eisenstaedt remained a staff photographer from 1936 to 1972, achieving notability for his photojournalism of news events and celebrities.

Unlike most news photographers at the time who relied on much larger and less portable 4"×5" press cameras with flash attachments, Alfred Eisenstaedt preferred the smaller hand-held Leica, which gave him greater speed and more flexibility when shooting news events or capturing candids of people in action.

Alfred Eisenstaedt's photos were notable as a result of his typical use of natural light as opposed to relying on flash lighting.

Alfred Eisenstaedt was fond of Martha's Vineyard's photogenic lighthouses and was the focus of lighthouse fundraisers organized by Vineyard Environmental Research Institute .

Two years before his death, Alfred Eisenstaedt photographed President Bill Clinton with wife Hillary and daughter Chelsea.

Alfred Eisenstaedt met Kathy Kaye, a South African woman, and married her in 1949.

Alfred Eisenstaedt died in his bed at midnight at his beloved Menemsha Inn cottage known as the "Pilot House" at age 96 in the company of his sister-in-law, Lucille Kaye, and a friend, William E Marks.