Alfred Wertheimer. Elvis and the Birth of Rock and Roll

“Elvis who?” was photographer Alfred Wertheimer’s response when, in early 1956, an RCA Victor publicist asked him to photograph an up-and-coming crooner from Memphis. 

Little did Wertheimer know that this would be the job of his life: just 21 years old, Elvis Presley was―as we now know―about to become a legend.

Trailing Presley like a shadow, Wertheimer took nearly 3,000 photographs of Presley that year, creating a penetrating portrait of a man poised on the brink of superstardom. Extraordinary in its intimacy and unparalleled in its scope, Wertheimer's Elvis project immortalized a young man in the very process of making history.

Elvis and the Birth of Rock and Roll collects Wertheimer’s most remarkable Elvis shots from that magical year, along with a selection of his historic 1958 pictures of the star being shipped off to an army base in Germany. Each chapter is illustrated with a poster by Hatch Show Print, one of the oldest letterpress print shops in America, which created many early Elvis posters in the 1950s.

Shipping + Returns: All orders are processed within 1 to 2 business days (excluding weekends and holidays). Returns are accepted within 14 days. Food, gift boxes, gift cards + jewelry are non-returnable items. Please read our shipping + returns policy for more information.

In-Store Pickup: Most items will be available within 24 hours. We'll send you an email once your items are ready for pick-up! 

Local Delivery: Please contact us for options for local delivery within Los Angeles, CA.