tion in America in the gallery ofPMmagazine, a
trade publication geared toward the advertising in-
dustry. Nine months previously he was included in a
major exhibition at the Museum of Modern Art,
New York, entitledPhotography 1839– 1937 ,andin
1941 the Museum acquired his photograph of a
schoolhouse in Armonk, New York, when it was in-
cluded in their exhibitionImage of Freedom.
Perhaps the greatest blow of Kerte ́sz’s career
occurred in 1939, when wartime circumstances re-
sulted in him and Elizabeth being declared enemy
aliens by the U.S. government. Residents holding
‘‘enemy’’ passports were discouraged from photo-
graphing outdoors out of fear that photography
might be used to undermine national security.
Since Kerte ́sz was essentially forbidden from street
photography, which had always been his primary
means of expression, he withdrew from publishing
work altogether.
This reclusion lasted until 1944, when Andre ́and
Elizabeth became naturalized American citizens.
Photographic assignments began to pick up, and
Kerte ́sz soon began doing projects for Fortune,
including a series of photographs of factory workers
in various industrial cities. Also in 1944, he respect-
fully declined an offer from Moholy-Nagy to teach
photography at the New Bauhaus (Institute of
Design) in Chicago, ever preferring the role of the
amateur to that of the intellectual. Five years later
he secured an exclusive contract withHouse and
Garden, which supplied him with a stable income
and opportunities for travel in America and Europe.
After 13 years with Conde ́ Nast, he broke his
contract with the company and retired from ma-
gazine photography. He would continue to take
pictures throughout his later years, frequently dedi-
cating his images to the memory of Elizabeth, who
died of cancer in 1977. As he aged, his camera re-
treated from the street and retired indoors to his
apartment, but often with a gaze toward the outside
world. Many of his last photographs were taken
through the window of his apartment overlooking
Washington Square, and he did a great number of
still life compositions by setting up little household
objects and sentimental souvenirs on windowsills.
ShannonWearingSeealso:Abbott, Berenice; Brassaı ̈; Cartier-Bres-
son, Henri; Conde ́Nast; Documentary Photography;
History of Photography: Interwar Years; Life
Magazine; Man Ray; Manipulation; Museum of
Modern Art; Photography in France; Surrealism;
‘‘The Decisive Moment’’
Biography
Born in Budapest, Hungary, 2 July 1894. Received bacca-
laureate from the Academy of Commerce, Budapest in
1912, but self-educated in photography. Worked at
Budapest Stock Exchange 1912–1914 and 1918–1925;
Served in Austro-Hungarian Army, 1914–1918; Pub-
lished in various Budapest magazines as a freelance
photographer, beginning 1917; Freelance photographic
reportage for multiple European magazines following
move to Paris, 1925; Studio work for Keystone Studios,
1936; Freelance photographic work for American maga-
zines published by Conde ́Nast, Hearst, and Luce, 1937–
1949; Exclusive contract with Conde ́ Nast, 1949–1962.
Received silver medal at Exposition Coloniale in Paris,
1930; Gold medal at IV Mostra Biennale Internazionale
della Fotografia, Venice, 1963; made honorary member
of American Society of Magazine Photographers, 1965;
guest of honor at the Miami Conference on Communi-
cation Arts, University of Miami, Coral Gables, Florida,
1965; John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Fellowship,
1974; guest of honor at VI Rencontres Internationales
de la Photographie, Arles, 1975; appointed Commander
of the Order of Arts and Letters by the French govern-
ment, 1976; recipient of Mayor’s Award of Honor for
Arts and Culture, New York, 1977 and 1981; Medal of
the City of Paris, 1980; First Annual Award of the
Association of International Photography Art Dealers,
1980; Honorary Doctorate of Fine Arts from Bard Col-
lege, Annandale-on-Hudson, New York, 1981. Died in
New York, New York, 28 September 1985.Individual Exhibitions
1927 Galerie Au Sacre du Printemps; Paris, France
1937 Andre ́Kerte ́sz, an Exhibition of 60 Photographs;PM
Gallery; New York, New York
1946 Art Institute of Chicago; Chicago, Illinois
1962 Long Island University; New York, New York
1963 Andre ́Kerte ́sz, Photographies; Bibliothe`que nationale
de France; Paris
IV Mostra Biennale Internazionale della Fotografia;
Venice
1964 Andre ́Kerte ́sz, Photographer; Museum of Modern Art;
New York, NewYork
1971 Moderna Museet; Stockholm, Sweden
1972 The Photographers’ Gallery; London, England
1975 VI Rencontres Internationales de la Photographie;
Arles, France
1978 Muse ́e National d’Art Moderne; Centre Georges Pom-
pidou; Paris, France
1980 University of Salford; Salford, England
Photographs of a Lifetime; Israel Museum; Jerusalem,
Israel
l1981 Cornell Fine Arts Center, Rollins College; Winter Park,
Florida
1982 Andre ́Kerte ́sz: Master of Photography; The Chrysler
Museum; Norfolk, Virginia
1985 Andre ́Kerte ́sz of Paris and New York; Art Institute of
Chicago, Chicago, Illinois and traveling
Andre ́Kerte ́sz: A Portrait at Ninety; International Cen-
ter of Photography; New York, New York and traveling
1987 Andre ́Kerte ́sz: Diary of Light 1912–1985; Interna-
tional Center of Photography; New York, New YorkKERTE ́SZ, ANDRE ́