celebratingour 2 0 thyear - The Parklander Magazine

after the RCA jobwas completed.Wertheimer stayedwith Elvis fourmonths. The photojournalistbecame anunobtrusive “fly onthe wall” as hecaptured the singer’sALFRED WERTHEIMER (American, 1929-),private, unguarded Kneeling at the Mosque, 1956. Copyright Alfredmoments in suchWertheimer. All rights reserved.mundane situationsas washing his hands and reading a newspaper.Wertheimer’s photographs are especially significant because theydocument a time when Elvis Presley could move unnoticed in a crowd, andsit alone at a drugstore lunch counter. Neither Presley nor Wertheimercould imagine that, in just a few months, Elvis’ anonymity would bereplaced by a need for police escorts to help him through mobs of fans.The photographs are remarkable because they reveal a very personal,private aspect of a pop legend. They show spontaneous, unrehearsed,candid images of an exciting young man who was right on the verge ofachieving stardom and emerging as an international icon.During the four-month period that he accompanied Elvis Presley,Wertheimer had unrestricted access to the rising star. This is somethingthat would not happen again in Presley’s career. Shortly after thesephotographs were made, Elvis’ manager, “Colonel” Tom Parker,restricted contact, and took total control.These insightful photographs capture the very essence of the 21-yearoldsinger at the crucial moments just before, and during a time whenElvis achieved stardom.This stunning exhibition resulted from collaboration between theSmithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service, the Smithsonian’sNational Portrait Gallery, and the Govinda Gallery, and is sponsorednationally by the History channel. After the exhibition at the BocaRaton Museum of Art closes, the show will travel around the UnitedStates through 2013.The exhibition is accompanied by a richly illustratedcatalog, Elvis 1956.“Elvis at 21” presents classic images of an enduring legend before hebecame famous. Included are enigmatic, unguarded views of Elvis backstage,in concert, in the recording studio, at his home in Memphis, andtraveling on the road.These images are sure to fascinate everyone who isinterested in Elvis Presley, and in pop culture and rock ‘n’ roll music.The show will also delight those who follow “straight” photography.That is, photographs made in natural light, without artifice or rehearsal.Alfred Wertheimer’s images delve deeply into the character and thenatural actions of a historic personality as he moved toward internationalcelebrity and became the unparalleled “King of Rock and Roll.”the PARKLANDER59