A genius of realism and imagination, fashion photographer Richard Avedon (1923–2004) was born on this day in New York, the son of Russian-Jewish immigrants. He discovered his passion for photography at age 12, taking pictures in Central Park with his Kodak camera.

“We all perform,” he said.

A staff photographer at Harper's Bazaar (1946–1965) and Vogue (1966–1970), Avedon had his own studio by age 23. His portraits of the world’s most iconic personalities—shot against his signature white background—were stark, striking, and unforgettable.

“My photographs don't go below the surface,” he once said. “They don't go below anything. They're readings of what's on the surface. I have great faith in surfaces. A good one is full of clues.”

He was the inspiration for Fred Astaire's character, Dick Avery, in the film Funny Face (1957). “I had to teach Fred Astaire to be me,” he recalled. “After wanting to be him all my life.”

Avedon’s portraits could be controversial. Not always flattering, but always vibrant, brutally honest. He captured history and helped define its players: Charlie Chaplin, Brigitte Bardot, Georgia O'Keeffe, Jacques Cousteau, Andy Warhol, Marilyn Monroe. “Faces,” he said, “are the ledgers of our experience.”

“I've photographed just about everyone in the world,” Avedon reflected. “But what I hope to do is photograph people of accomplishment, not celebrity, and help define the difference once again.”

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