Pach Brothers Studio, active 1867 - 1993 Search this
Sitter:
Irving Berlin, 11 May 1888 - 22 Sep 1989 Search this
Medium:
Gelatin silver print
Dimensions:
Image: 24.7cm x 20cm (9 3/4" x 7 7/8")
Sheet: 25.3cm x 20.1cm (9 15/16" x 7 15/16")
Type:
Photograph
Date:
c. 1907
Exhibition Label:
Born Russia
Born Israel Beilen in a small Jewish enclave in present-day Tolochin, Belarus, composer-lyricist Irving Berlin wrote more than three thousand songs. Among his many classics are “God Bless America” and “White Christmas.”
Arriving in New York City with his family as a child, Berlin worked to survive after his father died, selling newspapers, waiting tables, and plugging songs. His first hit song, “Alexander’s Ragtime Band,” became the rage in 1911; three years later, his first musical, Watch Your Step, cemented his reputation. He wrote seventeen Broadway scores, including Annie Get Your Gun (1946), which featured Ethel Merman singing “There’s No Business Like Show Business.” Berlin also wrote popular film scores, including Top Hat (1935), Holiday Inn (1942), and Easter Parade (1948). New York City-based Pach Brothers Studio, located on Broadway, made this promotional portrait when the young composer’s career was just getting started.
Nacido en Rusia
Nacido con el nombre de Israel Beilen en un pequeño enclave judío de la actual Tolochin, Bielorrusia, el compositor y letrista Irving Berlin escribió más de tres mil canciones. Entre sus muchos clásicos se destacan “Dios bendiga a América” y “Blanca Navidad”.
Berlin llegó de niño con su familia a Nueva York, y a la muerte de su padre sobrevivió vendiendo periódicos, trabajando de mesero y promoviendo sus canciones. Su primer éxito, “Alexander’s Ragtime Band”, hizo sensación en 1911; tres años más tarde, su primer musical, Watch Your Step, afianzó su reputación. Compuso 17 obras en Broadway, entre ellas Annie Get Your Gun (1946), donde Ethel Merman cantaba “There’s No Business Like Show Business”. También compuso para películas como Top Hat (1935), Holiday Inn (1942) y Easter Parade (1948). El Estudio Pach Brothers de Nueva York, ubicado en Broadway, hizo este retrato publicitario cuando apenas empezaba la carrera del joven compositor.
