Product Description

Widely regarded as the most influential photographer of the 20th century, he was born Eduard Jean Steichen in Luxembourg in 1879. He worked in every aspect of the art -- fashion, industrial, nature, combat, portrait, table-top. As a leading museum curator created the famous "Family of Man" photo exhibition. He died in Connecticut in 1973. This film was made in 1964. In every branch of photography to which he set his hand Steichen became a master. His portraits of Gershwin, Garbo, Eugene O'Neill, Marlene Dietrich, Chaplin and George M. Cohan are the definitive images by which we remember those celebrated artists. His photomurals of dams, bridges and huge buildings astonished audiences when they were first shown. In the 20’s and 30’s he was the best known and most expensive commercial advertising photographer in New York. A pioneer in aerial photography, during World War Two he was in charge of naval combat camera crews. This half-hour documentary was shot when Steichen, at 86, reflected on his long life and many achievements. "Photography," he says, "is both ridiculously easy and impossibly difficult."

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #54805 in DVD
• Released on: 2006-06-27
• Rating: NR (Not Rated)
• Aspect ratio: 1.33:1
• Formats: Black & White, Color, DVD, NTSC
• Original language: English
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 30 minutes

Customer Reviews

The voice of genius
The DVD has some great "home movie" shots of the master describing some of the highlights. But I was dissappointed by the lack of real insight. I expected more and higher quality production. It does have historic quality but I have seen the same footage mkore effectively produced and incorporated into better media.

Intimate Personal Interview
This is 30-minute DVD is an intimate personal interview with Edward Steichen at age 85. It is about the man, not about his career in photography nor about his work in photography's many genres. As such, it will disappoint someone looking for a review of the works. It's about the man, not the works, and gives some good insight into his creative mind.

Worth renting, but not worth buying
Show content - 3 stars. Value - 1 star. This is a 30 minute black and white documentary made in 1964 which is largely an interview with Steichen and a look at his home and property in Connecticut, along with a few minutes about his wife. Steichen is interesting and has some good insights about his life, his career, his photography and his process. But it's not a documentary about his career and work. A list price of $19.99 is, quite simply, insane for so little content. Kultur Video should put several of these 30 minute shows on a single DVD and then it might be worth a purchase, but I suggest you rent it from NetFlix or see if you can find it at your local library. Your money is better spent buying one of the Steichen books instead.