This clip presents a portion of my Emmy award-winning documentary on the great Life Magazine photojournalist, Alfred Eisenstadt (Eise). He photographed for over 50 years and was doing well in prewar Germany until he had to leave for obvious reasons (Jewish).
   • Photojournalist Alfred Eisenstadt Too...   - to see the documentary.

I got the opportunity to take him to Germany in 1980 to experience his birth country again and to see how he felt about the West and East Germany (before the wall came down). It was still during the Cold War but he loved Germany as he once had and in making this film, viewers got a sense of the uniqueness of his character, his extraordinary photographic talent, his passion for life and his pride at being a German American.


Alfred Eisenstaedt was a renowned German-born American photojournalist. He was born in 1898, in Dirschau, West Prussia (now Tczew, Poland), and passed away in 1995, in Oak Bluffs, Massachusetts.

Eisenstaedt’s insightful portrayals of people captured moments that revealed the essence of his subjects. He had a remarkable ability to blend into the surroundings and capture the essence of everyday life, whether it was on the streets of New York City or in war-torn Europe.
Alfred Eisenstaedt began taking photographs as a teenager. He served in the German Army during World War I. After the war, he started working as a freelance photographer and eventually joined the Associated Press in 1929. His work there gained international attention. With the rise of the Nazi regime, Eisenstaedt, who was Jewish, emigrated to the United States in 1935. Shortly after, he became one of the first four staff photographers for Life magazine, where he worked until 1972.

Some of his most famous photographs include:
V-J Day in Times Square (1945): Perhaps his most iconic image, this one captures a U.S. Navy sailor kissing a woman in a white dress in Times Square on Victory over Japan Day. The spontaneity and joy of the moment became symbolic of the end of World War II.

Children at Puppet Theater: This photograph depicts children sitting in front of a puppet theater in Paris, France, in 1963. It is a charming and evocative image of childhood innocence and wonder.

Albert Einstein: Eisenstaedt captured a portrait of the famed physicist Albert Einstein in 1938, which has become one of the most recognizable images of Einstein.

Sophia Loren: He photographed the Italian actress Sophia Loren in 1955, capturing her elegance and beauty.

Ernest Hemingway: Eisenstaedt photographed the legendary writer Ernest Hemingway on several occasions, including a memorable shot of him in Cuba in 1952.

Portraits of Famous Individuals: Eisenstaedt photographed many 20th-century luminaries across various fields including Marilyn Monroe, Winston Churchill, and John F. Kennedy.

Eisenstaedt was a master of Leica camera which allowed him to move freely and capture candid shots that revealed the personality and essence of his subjects. He preferred available light and unposed, natural moments, which set his work apart in the era of more staged photojournalism.

Eisenstaedt's work with LIFE magazine helped to define the genre of photojournalism, and his photographs continue to inspire and captivate audiences worldwide. He received numerous awards and honors throughout his career, including the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1989.

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Thank you
David Hoffman filmmaker