Photographer Richard Avedon was born in New York. As a boy, he discovered photography as both an expressive tool and as a retreat from the tensions of life in his complex family. A reflective and driven man, he forged a career as one of the iconic photographers of the 20th century. His early interest ultimately led Avedon to formal instruction at The New School for Social Research in Manhattan under Alexey Brodovitch. He held senior positions and completed numerous assignments at many of the leading fashion and popular magazines of the era and built close relationships with individual designers and their enterprises. His social consciousness led him to produce a body of compelling photographs documenting the civil rights movement and the political turmoil surrounding it. Richard Avedon died at San Antonio, Texas.