Alfred Wertheimer. Elvis and the Birth of Rock and Roll

When RCA Victor first approached photographer Alfred Wertheimer in early 1956 to capture images of an emerging singer from Memphis, his first thought was, "Elvis who?" At the time, Wertheimer was unaware that this assignment would become one of the defining moments of his career. Elvis Presley, only 21 years old then, was on the cusp of becoming an iconic figure in music history. Acting as an unobtrusive observer in Elvis's world, Wertheimer managed to take nearly 3,000 photos of the young artist throughout the year, capturing a vivid portrayal of someone about to ascend to legendary status. Wertheimer's work on Elvis stands out for its incredible closeness and breadth, forever preserving the image of a young man revolutionizing the musical landscape.The collection titled "Elvis and the Birth of Rock and Roll" features Wertheimer's most striking photographs from that transformative year, along with select images from 1958 showing Elvis as he was dispatched to a military base in Germany. Each section of the collection is enhanced with a poster from Hatch Show Print, one of America's oldest letterpress shops, known for producing numerous early Elvis posters.