PHILIPPE HALSMAN

Philippe Halsman was a Latvian-born portrait photographer from the 1930s to the 1970s. In 1928, while in Tyrol, Austria, he was accused of his father's murder, and was wrongly convicted (at the time, Austria was quite anti-Semitic) and sentenced to prison. While serving his sentence, he contracted tuberculosis. His family petitioned for his release, and Halsman was eventually pardoned. He then moved to France before emigrating to America when France was invaded by Germany in World War II (WWII). Halsman photographed all walks of life, including the famous portrait of a sad Albert Einstein in 1947 (who had previously supported his release from prison!). He also worked with Salvador Dali, and did a photography series of comedians for NBC. Halsman passed away in 1979 at the age of 73.