Rockin Robin

Alfred Wertheimer was a twenty-six-year-old freelance photographer when he was asked to take pictures of a relatively unknown singer from Memphis. RCA Victor had recently taken this young talent on from Sun Records, and needed publicity shots while he was in New York for television appearances. Anne Fulchino, a press agent, introduced them; when she asked the singer, a twenty-year-old kid with his feet up on the table, if he’d mind being photographed, he looked at the ring on his finger and mumbled, “O.K., sure.” It was March 17, 1956. By the end of the year Elvis Presley would have more than a dozen gold records.

Later that summer, Alfred accompanied Elvis to Memphis, shooting his legendary performance at Russwood Park. After this concert, anonymity was over. The last time Alfred saw Elvis was a year later, just before his well-publicized departure with the Army to Germany.

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