Elvis

In 1956, a twenty-one-year-old singer named Elvis Presley was at the beginning of his remarkable career. Alfred Wertheimer, a young New York photojournalist, was asked by Elvis’s new label, RCA Victor, to photograph their new artist. In the course of his one-day assignment for RCA, Wertheimer was struck by the stunningly photogenic performer and felt compelled to continue documenting the everyday moments in Elvis’s life during that crucial year.

Wertheimer’s unobtrusive photographs of Elvis in performance, with his fans, in the recording studio, and at home with his family present a unique look at one of the world’s most famous cultural figures. These images were the first and the last unguarded look at Elvis, and also constitute an important visual document of post–World War II America.

With hundreds of gorgeously reproduced high-quality prints, Elvis is the result of a special alchemy between an exceptionally talented photographer and a charismatic young man on the brink of superstardom.