Alfred Statler

• Born 1916 · Died 1984

Alfred Statler was an American painter and magazine photographer active from the 1940s through the 1970s, known for his focus on social realism and the energy of urban life. He served in a photographic unit in Europe during World War II, where he refined his visual storytelling and technical skill. After returning to the United States, he studied at Cooper Union and married Elizabeth “Betty” Marie Eslinger, also a photographer. In 1952 the couple moved to Paris, where Statler studied painting under Fernand Léger, developing a somber, expressionist variation of the Ashcan School style. Back in New York City, Statler became known for his street photography, capturing the vitality and solitude of the city, particularly in nocturnal settings. His photograph Aloneness at a Parade was selected by Edward Steichen for the Museum of Modern Art’s landmark exhibition The Family of Man (1955), which toured globally and was seen by over nine million visitors.