Andre Kertesz

Hungarian-born photographer Andre Kertesz is considered one of the founding fathers of photojournalism, though in life he struggled with a feeling that his work did not achieve the critical acclaim he sought. Taking up a love of photography at a young age, Kertesz brought his camera into the trenches of WWI, capturing the horrors of the battlefield, but those photos were unfortunately later destroyed. Kertesz moved to France in 1925, where his work began to attract recognition, leading to him being commissioned to work in the magazine industry. He would return to Hungary, only to flee to the United States in 1935 amid the rising antisemitism and policies of persecution against Jews spreading throughout Europe. In the U.S., his unique style and avant-garde camera angles caught the eye of magazine publishers, and he would work for some of the world’s most famous magazines. His work is known for its utilization of light in composing the photograph.