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ELVIS at 21New York to Memphis

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In 1956 Alfred Wertheimer gave us an inside glimpse at Elvis’s public and private life through these unique pho-tographs. The Smithsonain proudly displays this portrait gallery on the second floor of the museum as well as virtu-ally on their website. I hope you enjoy this booklet about the gallery and Elvis in 1956

ELVIS at 21New York to Memphis

Alfred Wertheimer first met Elvis at his stage show 1956 when he was asked to photograph him for RCA’S POP RECORD DIVISION. He found in that first day that Elvis preferred the company of his fans and didn’t mind the closeness of people he liked. Luckily Albert started off on the right foot.

StagE Show at StudIo 50

ELVIS at 21New York to Memphis

Elvis rehearsed for the stage show for around five hours, it was being broadcast live at eight pm and they could not prerecord because tape had

not yet been invented.

While waiting to perform Elvis opened fan mail reading every page (some letters being six to seven pages) and then he shred-ded the mail stating that he knew what the letter said and it

was no one else’s business.

StEVE aLLEN Show REhERSaL

Elvis sat in the corner playing gospel songs on the piano and avoiding conversation as he always did no matter the mu-sical instrument if there was one lying around Elvis was sure to pick it up and play. The Steve Allen Show marked Elvis’s first acting debut with

just a few “yup” “no” lines.

MoSquE thEatER RIchMoNd, VIRgINIa

After arriving in Richmond, Virginia Elvis met a waitress at the hotel luncheonette; Alfred didn’t remember her name so she is known as the woman from the luncheon-ette. Elvis and the woman spent the next two days to-gether and then he was off again. However just as ex-pected Elvis was charming and gentlemanly stealing yet

another woman’s heart.

“I’ll bet you can’t kiss me, Elvis”“I’ll bet you I can”

Between the first and sec-ond show at the Mosque Theater Elvis was inter-viewed about his recent fame and the accusations that he was a bad influence on children while he sat at a drum set. He answered the questions casually and acted like he didn’t have a care in world playing the drums and recuperat-ing between the crowds of

screaming fans.

hudSoN thEatERNEw YoRk cItY

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NEw YoRk to MEMphIS

Elvis sat on the train to Memphis with a little twen-ty dollar record player on his lap listening to his first three recordings “Hound Dog,” “Don’t Be Cruel,” and “Anyway You Want Me” for hours studying the way they would sound to his fans. He wanted to be sure they would hear want

he wanted them to hear.

No one is sure where the panda came from but El-vis kept it by his side the whole way home, walk-ing with it on his hip and

sleeping next to it.

MEMphIS

Back in his Family home Elvis took full advantage of riding his Harley, swimming in the families’ new pool, and showing his high school sweet heart Barbara Hearn his three new songs. They kissed and danced to his mu-sic before his concert that

night at Russwood Park.

coLophoNThe body text of this work is set in Cochin, a font created in designed by Georges Peignot in 1912.

The title type is set in Tra-jan, designed in 1989 for Adobe by Carol Twombly.

This book is for a Por-trait Exhibit at the Smithsonian as well as a Virtual Exhibit on the Smithsonian’s website.

Alfred Wertheimer took all photographs in 1956, giving a unique per-sonal glimpse at Elvis’s public and private life.

This work was written and designed by Kyrsten Boesch. Created in 2012