With his Speed Graphic camera and his unconventional knack for communicating through news pictures, Nat Fein captured the soul of New York City during an era that helped define the 20th century. A compilation of short stories, historical accounts and 118 photos with descriptions will offer insight into the remarkable and compelling images of Nat Fein, who won a Pulitzer Prize for his legendary 1948 photo, "The Babe Bows Out."
Nat Fein was an inventive press photographer at the New York Herald Tribune from 1933 to 1966. Albert Einstein, Ty Cobb, Queen Elizabeth and Harry S. Truman were among the many icons photographed by the insightful eye of Nat Fein. He won more press photo awards than any of his contemporaries.
Although considered to be one of the greatest human interest photographers in journalism, he carried the distinction of having taken "the most celebrated photograph in sports history." (The New York Times, 1992). Fein's dramatic Babe Ruth image was the first sports picture to win a Pulitzer Prize. The New York Times now owns the rights to the legendary photo, as well as 350 other Nat Fein photos created for The Herald Tribune.
Short stories reveal Fein's ingenuity as he created witty and humorous eye-catching news pictures. Fein had a unique perspective that would set him far apart from other photojournalists by using props, animals and his disarming personality.
Biographical elements help illustrate the extraordinary life of the photographer. From Fein's brush with death as a boy when gangster Legs Diamond attempted to murder him, to that fateful day at Yankee Stadium when he photographed the dying Babe Ruth, "The Fein Story Behind the Pictures" offers an entertaining look at this master of the lens.
About the Author: David Nieves is a native New Yorker and former New York City Police Detective. He made his transition from sleuth to writer when publishing his first magazine article, "The Ghost of Babe Ruth." He curates and manages Nat Fein's photography.
Nieves's love of photography stems from a long and endearing relationship with Nat Fein, who had become a second father to him. After listening to countless narrations of Nat Fein's newspaper exploits and researching thousands of images, Nieves decided to share these remarkable stories. Paperback: 144 pages
