Alfredo Valente

Alfredo Valente's signature use of artistic camera angles and dramatic lighting appears in his photograph of the Mercury Theatre's inaugural production, Caesar. Alfredo G. Valente (March 17, 1899 – June 27, 1973) was an Italian-born American photographer known for his prolific career chronicling Broadway theatre. He is also credited as a singer, painter, art collector, dealer and cultural administrator.

In 1931, he became the photographer for the newly formed Group Theatre, an experimental theatre company based in New York City. By the mid-1930s, Valente was regularly published by magazines and newspapers, most notably Stage, a magazine dedicated to Broadway theatre. Valente was lauded as one of the leading theatre photographers of the day and his use of artistic camera angles and dramatic lighting became his signature. He also became known for portraying actors and dancers in costume, but not while performing. In addition to Broadway, Valente photographed American Ballet Theatre (then known as Ballet Theatre) during the company's formative years during the 1940s. He photographed some of Ballet Theatre's most prominent dancers, such as Harold Lang, John Kriza, Alicia Alonso, Nora Kaye, Vera Zorina, Igor Yousketvitch, Alicia Markova, Maria Tallchief, André Eglevsky, and Hugh Laing. Valente also extensively photographed the Ballet Russe de Monte-Carlo when choreographer Léonide Massine created his most famous works.

From 1935 to 1937 Valente worked under contract for Columbia Pictures, shooting publicity images. According to his obituary, he coined the term "American Masters".

Legacy

Valente's archival papers and photographs are held in several repositories in the United States including the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts, the Archives of American Art and The Museum of Modern Art.