The photographer Stanley Rosenfeld
His career started very early. At the age of 13, he was already assisting his father, Morris Rosenfeld, in the family's New York studio in Manhattan. His two brothers David and William also worked there, but only Stanley had an impressive career as a photographer.
Yacht photography was more than a passion for both Morris and Stanley. That's why they moved to City Island on Long Island Sound in 1927, what was then the American sailing mecca. Working with his father had the character of a friendly competitive situation, about which Stanley once said: "Working together always meant the excitement of a competition. He has never forgotten that he used to be a newspaper man and he enjoyed beating us." Especially the recordings from the America's Cup made the Rosenfelds famous in the sailing scene. They documented the competitions for almost 70 years. In 1992 Stanley, then 80 years old, was still watching the regattas every day. One of the special features of the Rosenfeld photos is the sensitive handling of light and shadow in combination with the sails as a graphic element. You also always had a happy hand in dealing with the people on board. This is how they get rare and impressive snapshots of crews and wealthy owners over and over again.
The J-Class yacht "Rainbow" 1934
In 1984 Stanley Rosenfeld sold the family's archive of nearly one million images to the Mystic Seaport Museum. There it is open to the public as national heritage. He alone has worked on more than 20 books, hundreds of newspaper articles, and numerous cover photographs have been taken by him.
On February 17, 2003, Stanley Rosenfeld was inducted into the America's Cup Hall of Fame as the 51st member. One of the biggest awards for sailors in the USA, which his father also received in 1995.
Literature: "Segel im Wind", Edition Maritim, ISBN: 3-89225-398-6 (If you still want to buy this book, you should hurry, however, as only the remaining copies are available.)
