Background
William Klein was born on April 19, 1928 in New York, New York, United States.
filmmaker painter Photographer
William Klein was born on April 19, 1928 in New York, New York, United States.
Klein received a Bachelor of Social Science degree from the City College of New York and a License in Literature from the Sorbonne in Paris.
Self-employed, he was under contract to Vogue magazine from 1955 to 1965. In 1965 he gave up professional still photography to make movies, but returned to still photography in 1978-79. His book New York won the Prix Nadar in France in 1957.
As a painter, Klein worked with Fernand Léger upon arriving in Paris, exhibited throughout Europe, and executed numerous abstract murals for French and Italian architects. As a film maker, Klein created the following: The Little Richard Story (1979), Music City (1978), Maydays, (1978), Hollywood, California (1977), The Model Couple (1975-76), Muhammad All The Greatest (1974), Le Grand Café (1972), Eldridge Cleaver Black Panther (1970), Panafrican Cultural Festival (1969), Mr. Freedom (1967-68), Qui Etes-Vous Polly Maggooi (1966, which won the Prix Jean Vigo), Cassius the Great (1964-65, won the Grand Prix at the International Festival, Tours) and Broadway By Light, 1959.
Quotes from others about the person
The New York Times' Katherine Knorr writes that, along with Robert Frank, Klein is considered "among the fathers of street photography, one of those mixed compliments that classifies a man who is hard to classify.