Harold Feinstein (Born 1931) was born in Coney Island. He died on June 20, 2015in his home in Merrimac, MA. Feinstein began his career in photography at the age of 15 in 1946 and within 4 years, an early supporter called Steichen Edward had purchased his work for the permanent collection of the Museum of Modern Art. In 1948, he joined the Photo League and became a well-known figure in the front line of the photography scene of the early New York City street. Feinstein used to exhibit at Limelight Gallery and also designed for historic Blue Note Records. He is one of the very few photographers known to have been influenced by the ability to reveal the familiar to his viewers in an honest, in a strong and beautifully new way.
He held his first exhibition in 1954 at the Whitney Museum of American Art and in 1957 had his first exhibition at the Museum of Modern Art. In that year, his work was declared by New York Times photo writer, Deschin Jacob, as “the new pictorialism.” At the age of 26, Feinstein has reached the point in his career at which the word ‘master’ could be applied to his prints by some ordinarily cautious critics. Apart from photography, he was also renowned as a teacher. In the early 1950’s he began teaching in New York City. And he was described as one of the master teachers whose celebrated clandestine workshops proved helpful in shaping the vision of many aspiring photographers.
