Ruth Orkin American photographer and director Date of Birth: 03.09.1921 Country: USA

Biography of Ruth Orkin

Ruth Orkin, an American photographer and filmmaker, was widely recognized as one of the most remarkable photographers of the 20th century. She is best known for capturing the iconic photograph of a laughing Albert Einstein, which has become a classic, and for her legendary photo titled "American Girl in Italy." Orkin was born in 1921 in Boston, Massachusetts, and spent her childhood in Hollywood, as her mother was a minor actress in the film industry. Despite her proximity to the heart of Hollywood, Orkin was drawn to photography from a young age, and she took her first pictures at the age of 12. She pursued her education in photography at Los Angeles City College, where she specialized in the field. When World War II broke out, Orkin served in the Women's Auxiliary Army Corps, and after the war, she began working as a photographer in the nightclubs of New York City, where she had relocated. Her photographs quickly gained attention from prominent publications such as Life, Look, and Ladies' Home Journal, leading Orkin to travel extensively and capture images in different parts of the world. She photographed numerous celebrity portraits, including Woody Allen, Leonard Bernstein, Alfred Hitchcock, and Albert Einstein, with her 1953 portrait of Einstein becoming a classic. Her most famous photograph, "American Girl in Italy," was taken in 1951 while she was in Italy. The subject of the photo was actress Ninalee Craig, and Orkin noticed how men were looking at her as she walked down the street, capturing a truly remarkable shot. This photograph brought Orkin worldwide fame, and she was later named one of the "10 Best Women Photographers in the United States." In the 1970s, Orkin taught at the School of Visual Arts and the International Center of Photography. Ruth Orkin passed away on January 16, 1985. She was married to Morris Engel, also a photographer and a member of the Photo League, as well as a filmmaker. Together with her husband, Orkin collaborated on various film projects, including "The Little Fugitive" and "Lovers and Lollipops" in the 1950s. However, her most significant achievement remains her photograph "American Girl in Italy," which has become a classic in the field of photography, forever immortalizing its creator.