Fred Stein
Fred Stein was born on July 3, 1909 in Dresden, Germany; his father a rabbi, his mother a religion on teacher. He was a brilliant student and became active in socialist and anti-Nazi movements as a teenager. He went to Leipzig University, inspired by humanist ideals, and obtained a law degree in an impressively short time, but was denied admission to the German bar by the Nazi government for “racial and political reasons.” He fled to Paris with his new wife and then onto New York.

In New York, Stein continued his photography while his wife worked to support them. He worked unobtrusively and quickly, presenting his subject as sole content, never as interesting or incidental material for photographic interpretation. He preferred natural or minimal lighting, and avoided elaborate setups as well as dramatic effects. He did not retouch or manipulate the negative.

Though portraits were his main income-generating work and he photographed many people on commission, he generally worked without assignment, prizing the freedom of shooting people and scenes that interested him. He would then offer his work to publishers and photo editors of magazines, newspapers, and books.

Stein died in 1967 at the age of 58. His portraits and reportage had appeared in newspapers, magazines, and books throughout the world. He had also lectured and had held a number of one-man exhibitions and had several books published.


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