Alfred Wertheimer, A Conversation
Los Angeles, 01/08/10
It was 1956, Anne Fulchino, a publicist at RCA Records, was on the phone with her young, talented, albeit still not widely known friend. They were discussing the gig she had lined up at CBS' Studio 50 - home of the weekly live broadcast of Tommy and Jimmy Dorsey's Stage Show.
Wow! The Dorsey brothers, Benny Goodman, all the big bands he was so fond of. A dream gig!
But it wasn't quite as he expected. "No", said Anne, "I want you to go to the studio and shoot Elvis Presley"... there was a pause - a very long pause and when Anne's friend spoke he asked simply; "Who is Elvis Presley?"
That telephone call led twenty-six year old photographer Alfred Wertheimer on a journey that redefined his life and gave way to the iconic images of The King everyone the world over has known ever since.
In marking the anniversary of Elvis' birth 75 years ago the Smithsonian Traveling Exhibition Service, in conjunction with the History Channel and the Washington, DC based Govinda Gallery, a retrospective of Wertheimer's Elvis portraits, titled "ELVIS at 21" launched its debut today at Los Angeles' Grammy Museum before embarking on a three year, nine city tour.
Following a members' only cocktail reception more than 200 people packed the museum's auditorium for "A Conversation with Alfred Wertheimer", a delightful 90 minutes of banter between Mr. Wertheimer, Chris Murray (Director of The Govinda Gallery) and Robert Santelli, Executive Director of the Grammy Museum and the evening's moderator - with often quite funny remembrances of the months Mr. Wertheimer spent in close proximity to Elvis in New York & Memphis, on trains, backstage, in hotel rooms and at his parents' home.
Read MoreIt was 1956, Anne Fulchino, a publicist at RCA Records, was on the phone with her young, talented, albeit still not widely known friend. They were discussing the gig she had lined up at CBS' Studio 50 - home of the weekly live broadcast of Tommy and Jimmy Dorsey's Stage Show.
Wow! The Dorsey brothers, Benny Goodman, all the big bands he was so fond of. A dream gig!
But it wasn't quite as he expected. "No", said Anne, "I want you to go to the studio and shoot Elvis Presley"... there was a pause - a very long pause and when Anne's friend spoke he asked simply; "Who is Elvis Presley?"
That telephone call led twenty-six year old photographer Alfred Wertheimer on a journey that redefined his life and gave way to the iconic images of The King everyone the world over has known ever since.
In marking the anniversary of Elvis' birth 75 years ago the Smithsonian Traveling Exhibition Service, in conjunction with the History Channel and the Washington, DC based Govinda Gallery, a retrospective of Wertheimer's Elvis portraits, titled "ELVIS at 21" launched its debut today at Los Angeles' Grammy Museum before embarking on a three year, nine city tour.
Following a members' only cocktail reception more than 200 people packed the museum's auditorium for "A Conversation with Alfred Wertheimer", a delightful 90 minutes of banter between Mr. Wertheimer, Chris Murray (Director of The Govinda Gallery) and Robert Santelli, Executive Director of the Grammy Museum and the evening's moderator - with often quite funny remembrances of the months Mr. Wertheimer spent in close proximity to Elvis in New York & Memphis, on trains, backstage, in hotel rooms and at his parents' home.
