Alfred Wertheimer was born in Germany in 1930. After emigrating to America and settling in Brooklyn as a young boy, he took an early interest in architecture and design which led him to attend Cooper Union, from which he graduated in 1951. Following his service as an Army Signal Corp photographer, he briefly worked in the world of fashion photography but was increasingly drawn to photojournalism. In the spring of 1956, a series of commercial assignments for RCA Records led to a shoot of a newly-signed singer named Elvis Presley. Instantly impressed, Wertheimer devoted four months of his own time to intensely shadow the young star. The result would be the most intimate and candid look at the future legend ever recorded. The Wertheimer Collection has been editorially managed and represented by Contact since 1996.