Stefan Lorant
Encyclopedia
Stefan Lorant (February 22, 1901 in Budapest, Hungary - November 14, 1997 in Rochester, Minnesota
) was a pioneering Hungarian-American filmmaker, photojournalist, and author.
and Berlin
, some of which he wrote, directed, and photographed. He claimed to have given Marlene Dietrich
her first film test, and though he rejected her for the part, they remained lifelong friends. Lorant's abilities in writing and still photography led to the editorship of the Münchner Illustrierte Presse, one of Germany's finest picture magazines.
Opposed to Adolf Hitler
, Lorant was imprisoned right after Hitler came to power. Released after six months, he made his way to England, where he wrote I Was Hitler's Prisoner, a memoir that sold out many printings. He edited the Weekly Illustrated, a popular British picture magazine, then founded Lilliput, made famous by his clever picture juxtapositions, as in Neville Chamberlain
versus the llama. On October 1, 1938, Lorant co-founded with publisher Sir Edward G. Hulton the first great British picture magazine, Picture Post
. During this time, Lorant published a Picture Post Special about the United States.
Failing to obtain British citizenship, Lorant moved to Lenox, Massachusetts
in July 1940, where he lived the remainder of his life. Tom Hopkinson succeeded Lorant as editor of Picture Post.
and other presidents; a history of the United States Presidents: The Glorious Burden; a history of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
(in many editions, which the notable Life
photographer W. Eugene Smith
contributed to); and a history of Germany from Otto Bismarck to Hitler called Sieg Heil!
Long a friend of the talented and powerful, Lorant championed Sir Winston Churchill
before and during World War II, and was a friend of the Kennedys and Marilyn Monroe
. He gave advice to Life founder Henry Luce
around the time of that magazine's startup in 1936, and he edited the works of many leading photographers while in Europe, including Felix Man, Kurt Hutton
, Alfred Eisenstaedt
, and Robert Capa
. Lorant also edited the works of a notable British photojournalist for Picture Post, Bert Hardy
, though Hardy's early work for that magazine was not attributed to him, even in the purchase, apparently because the agency he worked for did not allow freelancing.
Lorant married Laurie Jean Robertson in 1963; they divorced in 1978. They had two sons: Mark, who died at age 19 in an auto accident, and Christopher.
Rochester, Minnesota
Rochester is a city in the U.S. state of Minnesota and is the county seat of Olmsted County. Located on both banks of the Zumbro River, The city has a population of 106,769 according to the 2010 United States Census, making it Minnesota's third-largest city and the largest outside of the...
) was a pioneering Hungarian-American filmmaker, photojournalist, and author.
Early work
After completing high school in his native Hungary in 1919, Lorant moved to Germany, where he made his mark in films and photojournalism. His first film, The Life of Mozart, established him as a filmmaker, and he went on to make 14 films in ViennaVienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
and Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
, some of which he wrote, directed, and photographed. He claimed to have given Marlene Dietrich
Marlene Dietrich
Marlene Dietrich was a German-American actress and singer.Dietrich remained popular throughout her long career by continually re-inventing herself, professionally and characteristically. In the Berlin of the 1920s, she acted on the stage and in silent films...
her first film test, and though he rejected her for the part, they remained lifelong friends. Lorant's abilities in writing and still photography led to the editorship of the Münchner Illustrierte Presse, one of Germany's finest picture magazines.
Opposed to Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler was an Austrian-born German politician and the leader of the National Socialist German Workers Party , commonly referred to as the Nazi Party). He was Chancellor of Germany from 1933 to 1945, and head of state from 1934 to 1945...
, Lorant was imprisoned right after Hitler came to power. Released after six months, he made his way to England, where he wrote I Was Hitler's Prisoner, a memoir that sold out many printings. He edited the Weekly Illustrated, a popular British picture magazine, then founded Lilliput, made famous by his clever picture juxtapositions, as in Neville Chamberlain
Neville Chamberlain
Arthur Neville Chamberlain FRS was a British Conservative politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from May 1937 to May 1940. Chamberlain is best known for his appeasement foreign policy, and in particular for his signing of the Munich Agreement in 1938, conceding the...
versus the llama. On October 1, 1938, Lorant co-founded with publisher Sir Edward G. Hulton the first great British picture magazine, Picture Post
Picture Post
Picture Post was a prominent photojournalistic magazine published in the United Kingdom from 1938 to 1957. It is considered a pioneering example of photojournalism and was an immediate success, selling 1,700,000 copies a week after only two months...
. During this time, Lorant published a Picture Post Special about the United States.
Failing to obtain British citizenship, Lorant moved to Lenox, Massachusetts
Lenox, Massachusetts
Lenox is a town in Berkshire County, Massachusetts, United States. Set in Western Massachusetts, it is part of the Pittsfield, Massachusetts Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 5,077 at the 2000 census. Where the town has a border with Stockbridge is the site of Tanglewood, summer...
in July 1940, where he lived the remainder of his life. Tom Hopkinson succeeded Lorant as editor of Picture Post.
Later work
During his 40-plus years in America, Lorant edited and authored many illustrated books - including The New World, the first pictures of America; picture biographies of President Abraham LincolnAbraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln was the 16th President of the United States, serving from March 1861 until his assassination in April 1865. He successfully led his country through a great constitutional, military and moral crisis – the American Civil War – preserving the Union, while ending slavery, and...
and other presidents; a history of the United States Presidents: The Glorious Burden; a history of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Pittsburgh is the second-largest city in the US Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Allegheny County. Regionally, it anchors the largest urban area of Appalachia and the Ohio River Valley, and nationally, it is the 22nd-largest urban area in the United States...
(in many editions, which the notable Life
Life (magazine)
Life generally refers to three American magazines:*A humor and general interest magazine published from 1883 to 1936. Time founder Henry Luce bought the magazine in 1936 solely so that he could acquire the rights to its name....
photographer W. Eugene Smith
W. Eugene Smith
William Eugene Smith was an American photojournalist known for his refusal to compromise professional standards and his brutally vivid World War II photographs.- Life and work :...
contributed to); and a history of Germany from Otto Bismarck to Hitler called Sieg Heil!
Long a friend of the talented and powerful, Lorant championed Sir Winston Churchill
Winston Churchill
Sir Winston Leonard Spencer-Churchill, was a predominantly Conservative British politician and statesman known for his leadership of the United Kingdom during the Second World War. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest wartime leaders of the century and served as Prime Minister twice...
before and during World War II, and was a friend of the Kennedys and Marilyn Monroe
Marilyn Monroe
Marilyn Monroe was an American actress, singer, model and showgirl who became a major sex symbol, starring in a number of commercially successful motion pictures during the 1950s....
. He gave advice to Life founder Henry Luce
Henry Luce
Henry Robinson Luce was an influential American publisher. He launched and closely supervised a stable of magazines that transformed journalism and the reading habits of upscale Americans...
around the time of that magazine's startup in 1936, and he edited the works of many leading photographers while in Europe, including Felix Man, Kurt Hutton
Kurt Hutton
Kurt Hutton, born Kurt Hübschmann , was a German-born photographer who pioneered photojournalism in England.-Life:Beginning his career with the Dephot agency in Germany, he migrated to England in 1934 and worked for Weekly Illustrated....
, Alfred Eisenstaedt
Alfred Eisenstaedt
Alfred Eisenstaedt was a German-American photographer and photojournalist. He is renowned for his candid photographs, frequently made using various models of a 35mm Leica rangefinder camera...
, and Robert Capa
Robert Capa
Robert Capa was a Hungarian combat photographer and photojournalist who covered five different wars: the Spanish Civil War, the Second Sino-Japanese War, World War II across Europe, the 1948 Arab-Israeli War, and the First Indochina War...
. Lorant also edited the works of a notable British photojournalist for Picture Post, Bert Hardy
Bert Hardy
Bert Hardy was a documentary and press photographer known for his work published in the Picture Post magazine between 1941 and1957....
, though Hardy's early work for that magazine was not attributed to him, even in the purchase, apparently because the agency he worked for did not allow freelancing.
Marriage and family
"I was Hitler's Prisoner" describes how Lorant met and married Niura Norskaja, daughter of a once-wealthy Kiev factory owner. Their son, Andi, was three when Lorant was released.Lorant married Laurie Jean Robertson in 1963; they divorced in 1978. They had two sons: Mark, who died at age 19 in an auto accident, and Christopher.
Sources
- Thomas Willimowski, Stefan Lorant - Eine Karriere im Exil (Berlin: wvb, 2005) ISBN 978-3865731395
- Michael Hallett, Stefan Lorant - Godfather of Photojournalism (Lanham, Md.: Scarecrow Press, 2006) ISBN 978-0810856820
- The International Center of Photography Encyclopedia of Photography (New York City: A Pound Press Book, Crown Publishers, Inc., 1984). "Lorant, Stefan," Pages 310-311.
External links
- Stefan Lorant collection, ca. 1869-1993 (bulk 1920-1992). Research Library at the Getty Research Institute. Los Angeles, California. The Lorant collection represents significant aspects of Lorant’s careers as filmmaker and pictorial history book author; his better known expertise as a picture magazine editor is less thoroughly documented. The core of the collection comprises photographs he collected of German history from the Bismarck era to the Nuremberg Trials (ca. 1871-1946). A smaller portion of the photo holdings consists of stills from Lorant’s silent films and personal photos of himself, friends, and family. An extensive correspondence from his American years is primarily concerned with book projects.