Ron Galella

Ron Galella – He learnt photography in war

Ron Galella was born in New York on 10 January 1931. His parents were Italian immigrants; his father worked as a carpenter on pianos and coffins, while his mother contributed to the family's livelihood with handicrafts. After graduating from high school, he had the chance to study at the Pratt Institute in Brooklyn thanks to a two-year scholarship, but turned down the offer due to his weakness in mathematics. He learnt photography during the war: Ron Galella served in the Royal Air Force from 1951 to 1955 and began his career as a photographer there, including during the Korean War. After his discharge, he studied at the Art Centre College of Design in Los Angeles, graduating in 1958 with a degree in photojournalism. Whilst still a student, Galella attended film premieres and photographed the stars, selling the pictures to magazines such as Photoplay and the National Enquirer. In doing so, he developed a new style: he sought to get close to the stars away from the limelight.

Legal and physical disputes

Ron Galella never hid the fact that his photographic work was primarily about financial gain. He wanted to make money, a lot of money - and to do so he was prepared to cross borders and use questionable means. He bribed security guards, chauffeurs and hotel staff, gained access to restricted areas and ambushed the stars where they least expected him. He was particularly interested in Jackie Kennedy, whom he followed at every turn. He regarded her as a friend, but she saw him as a stalker, whom she sued. Galella ignored the court's distance rules four times, and as a result was almost sentenced to prison. In the end, he promised never to take another picture of Kennedy - and stuck to his word. Marlon Brando, whom Ron Galella tried to pressure into taking a picture without sunglasses, broke the photographer's jaw with a punch and knocked out five of his teeth. At a later meeting with the controversial Hollywood star, Galella wore a football helmet.

No escape and no evasion

Ron Galella also came into conflict with other celebrities: Elvis Presley's bodyguards slashed the tyres of his car, Richard Burton beat him up, restaurateur Elaine Kaufman threw a rubbish bin lid at him, and Elizabeth Taylor is said to have repeatedly expressed her intention to kill Ron Galella - which did not stop her, however, from using his photographs in her biography. Galella's pictures have also appeared in the most important American magazines, including Vogue, Harper's Bazaar, Rolling Stone, Vanity Fair and The New York Times. Galella rarely received unqualified praise; the film critic Roger Ebert confessed that he despised the artist but appreciated his art. The first paparazzo in the history of photography was revered by Andy Warhol, who described Ron Galella as his favourite photographer because he had the gift of being in the right place at the wrong time.

Edward Ronald ‘Ron’ Galella died in Montville, New Jersey, on 30 April 2022.