Author Description

Ron Galella (born 1931) is widely regarded as the most famous and most controversial celebrity photographer in the world. He has been dubbed "Paparazzo Extraordinaire" by "Newsweek," and "the godfather of US paparazzi culture" by "Time" and "Vanity Fair." Galella has endured two highly publicized court battles with Jacqueline Kennedy-Onassis, a broken jaw at the hands of Marlon Brando and a serious beating by Richard Burton's bodyguards. This is the first volume to focus on the city with which his work is most identified--New York, in the 1970s and 80s. The book contains many unpublished images from Galella's archives of iconic celebrities of the day, such as Bianca Jagger, Madonna, Grace Jones, Halston and Al Pacino--out and about on the streets, at JFK airport or in hotel lobbies, enjoying the nightlife and theater culture of a grittier New York City. Journalist William Van Meter interviews Galella about specific images, providing captions that reveal previously untold anecdotes about Galella's most legendary photographs.