Philippe Halsman (1906-1979) was born in Latvia and began his photography career in France. In the 1930s, using a twin-reflex camera that he designed himself, Halsman photographed many prominent artists and intellectuals including Le Corbusier, André Gide and Marc Chagall. He moved to the United States with his family in 1940, with assistance from Albert Einstein, who helped the photographer obtain an emergency visa. Halsman spent the next 30 years as one of the most prolific photographers in America. No other photographer ever matched Halsman’s record of 101 cover portraits for LIFE magazine.
