James J. Kriegsmann

James J. Kriegsmann (1 January 1909 – 29 April 1994) was a celebrity and theatrical photographer who worked from 1929 to the early 1960s.

Kriegsmann was born on 1 January 1909 in Vienna. His father was a shoemaker named Louis “Louie” Kriegsmann. His mother died when he was 20 years old. He studied classical violin and mandolin as an adolescent. At age 20, he left Vienna for New York with no ability to speak English.

Kriegsmann's first celebrity photographs were taken when the Flying Wallendas visited the studio where he was employed, and he was the only employee able to speak with them in their own language. Karl Wallenda and Kriegsmann would become lifelong friends.

Kreigsmann photographed such Motown notables as Bill “Mr. Bojangles” Robinson, Florence Ballard, Cab Calloway, Frank Sinatra (also with daughter Nancy on his knee), Ray Conniff, Bill Haley, Sid Caesar, Benny Goodman, Ray Charles, Martha Raye, Doris Day, Milton Berle, Duke Ellington, Smokey Robinson, “Little” Stevie Wonder, Tom & Jerry (later Simon and Garfunkel), and hundreds more.

In addition to his work as a photographer to the stars, Kriegsmann wrote hundreds of songs for top recording artists of the day, including the hit “The Happy Organ” for Dave “Baby” Cortez, which was the first instrumental song to reach number one on the Top 100 Billboard charts, in 1959, and has been featured in many films.

His studio occupied a former Hungarian restaurant in the first floor of the Actors’ Equity Building at 165 West 46th Street, New York City, and operated for over 60 years in partnership with his two sons, noted photographers James J. Kriegsmann, Jr. and Thomas O. Kriegsmann. In its time the studio was the largest headshot photography studio in the world.

...
Wikipedia