Herbert Gehr

Herbert Gehr (later Edmund Bert Gerard) (1910–1983) was a Jewish German-American photographer and television director who was associated with Life magazine.

Career In the Spanish Civil War Gehr worked as a stills photographer before travelling to Egypt at the wars commencement where he shot newsreels for Wide World photos. With the advent of Nazism in his native Germany, Gehr moved to the United States in March 1937. Upon arrival in the United States, Gehr found representation with the Black Star photo agency, and began working for Life magazine in 1938, photographing a large variety of subjects and stories for them over the next few years. By 1940 Gehr had been described as having shot such diverse subjects as "sphinxes, hair ribbons, wars and movie stars" for the magazine.

Gehr left Life in 1950 and became a television director for ABC. Mistaking the visitors for prowlers, his shooting also injured two of the four detectives present. His mistress leapt out of a window. Gehr was arrested and stood trial for second degree murder, and was acquitted. At the conclusion of the case the jurors blamed Gehr's case on the divorce laws of New York state, as his wife had been seeking evidence for his adultery, which was required by law. Gehr resumed his work as a television director after his trial.

Recognition In 1955 Museum of Modern Art curator of photography Edward Steichen included one of Gehr's LIFE photographs in the world-touring The Family of Man exhibition, seen by 9 million visitors, and also in its widely distributed catalogue, which is still in print.

Gehr won three Emmy Awards before his 1983 death.