Ronald Edward Galella (January 10, 1931 – April 30, 2022) was an American

photographer A photographer (the Greek φῶς (''phos''), meaning "light", and γραφή (''graphê''), meaning "drawing, writing", together meaning "drawing with light") is a person who uses a camera to make photographs. Duties and types of photograp ...

, known as a pioneer paparazzo. Dubbed "Paparazzo Extraordinaire" by ''

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'' and "the Godfather of the U.S. paparazzi culture" by ''

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'' magazine and '' Vanity Fair'', he is regarded by ''

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'' as "arguably the most controversial paparazzo of all time". He photographed many celebrities out of the public eye and gained notice for his feuds with some of them, including Jacqueline Onassis and Marlon Brando. Despite the numerous controversies and claims of

stalking Stalking is unwanted and/or repeated surveillance or contact by an individual or group toward another person. Stalking behaviors are interrelated to harassment and intimidation and may include following the victim in person or monitorin ...

, Galella's work was praised and exhibited in

art galleries An art gallery is a room or a building in which visual art is displayed. In Western cultures from the mid-15th century, a gallery was any long, narrow covered passage along a wall, first used in the sense of a place for art in the 1590s. The long ...

worldwide. During his career, Galella took more than three million photographs of public figures.

Early life

Galella was born in New York City on January 10, 1931, in a family of Italian heritage. His father, Vincenzo, was an immigrant from Muro Lucano, Basilicata, who manufactured pianos and coffins; his mother, Michelina (Marinaccio), was born in New Jersey to immigrants from Benevento,

Campania Campania is an administrative Regions of Italy, region of Italy located in Southern Italy; most of it is in the south-western portion of the Italian Peninsula (with the Tyrrhenian Sea to its west), but it also includes the small Phlegraean Islan ...

, and worked as a

crochet Crochet (; ) is a process of creating textiles by using a crochet hook to interlock loops of yarn, thread (yarn), thread, or strands of other materials. The name is derived from the French term ''crochet'', which means 'hook'. Hooks can be made ...

beader. After graduating high school, he won a two-year scholarship at the Pratt Institute in Brooklyn but turned it down due to his deficiencies in mathematics. Galella served as a

United States Air Force The United States Air Force (USAF) is the Air force, air service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is one of the six United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Tracing its ori ...

photographer from 1951 to 1955, including during the

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. He later attended the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, California, graduating with a degree in

photojournalism Photojournalism is journalism that uses images to tell a news story. It usually only refers to still images, but can also refer to video used in broadcast journalism. Photojournalism is distinguished from other close branches of photography (such ...

in 1958. In his free time, Galella took pictures of the stars arriving at film premieres, selling them to magazines like ''

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'' and '' Photoplay''. He soon became known for his photographic approach, portraying famous people out of the spotlight, usually in spontaneous expressions.

Career

Galella's photographs have been featured in hundreds of publications including ''

'', ''

'', '' Vogue'', '' Vanity Fair'', ''

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'', ''

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'', ''

The New Yorker ''The New Yorker'' is an American magazine featuring journalism, commentary, criticism, essays, fiction, satire, cartoons, and poetry. It was founded on February 21, 1925, by Harold Ross and his wife Jane Grant, a reporter for ''The New York T ...

'', ''

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'', and ''

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''. In his in-home darkroom, Galella made his own prints which have been exhibited at museums and galleries throughout the world, including the MoMA in New York City, San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, the

Tate Modern Tate Modern is an art gallery in London, housing the United Kingdom's national collection of international Modern art, modern and contemporary art (created from or after 1900). It forms part of the Tate group together with Tate Britain, Tate Live ...

in London, and the Helmut Newton Foundation Museum of Photography in Berlin. In 2009, his father's hometown of Muro Lucano made Galella an honorary citizen. He was the subject of a 2010 documentary film by Leon Gast entitled '' Smash His Camera''. The film's title is a quote from Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis directed to her security agent after Galella pursued her and her children through

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, New York. The documentary premiered at the 2010

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, winning the Grand Jury Award for Directing in the U.S. Documentary category. It also received positive reviews at the 54th BFI London Film Festival before it aired on the

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Controversies

Galella was known for his obsessive picture taking of Jacqueline Onassis and the subsequent legal battles associated with it. '' The New York Post'' called it "the most co-dependent celeb-pap razzorelationship ever". The 1972 free-speech trial ''Galella v. Onassis'' resulted in a restraining order to keep Galella 50 yards (later changed to 25 feet) away from Onassis. He was found guilty of breaking this order four times and faced seven years in jail and a $120,000 fine; later settling for a $10,000 fine and surrendering his rights to photograph Jackie and her children. On June 12, 1973, actor Marlon Brando punched Galella in the face outside a restaurant in Chinatown in New York City, breaking the photographer's jaw and knocking out five of his teeth on the left side of his mouth. Galella had been following Brando, who was accompanied by Dick Cavett, to the restaurant after a taping of '' The Dick Cavett Show'' earlier that day. Galella hired lawyers Stuart Schlesinger and Alfred Julien to sue Brando and ultimately settled for US$40,000. Schlesinger reported in the 2010 documentary '' Smash His Camera'' that Galella received two-thirds, but only cared about getting the message out, "I don't want anyone to think they can go around punching me if I am taking their picture. Get that story out, not the money." The next time Galella chased Brando, he wore a

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helmet. Galella once lost a tooth when he was beaten by Richard Burton's security guards. He unsuccessfully sued the actor. Elizabeth Taylor, who tended to be tolerant towards photographers, was often heard to mutter, "I'm going to kill Ron Galella!", although the actress would later use his photographs in her biography. Galella's other targets included

Elvis Presley Elvis Aaron Presley (January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977) was an American singer and actor. Referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll", he is regarded as Cultural impact of Elvis Presley, one of the most significant cultural figures of the ...

, whose bodyguards slashed his tires, Brigitte Bardot, whose security staff hosed him down, the restaurateur Elaine Kaufman of Elaine's who once threw a trashcan lid at his head, and Sean Penn, who spat at him and reportedly punched him while being photographed with his then-wife

Madonna Madonna Louise Ciccone ( ; born August 16, 1958) is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, and actress. Referred to as the "Queen of Pop", she has been recognized for her continual reinvention and versatility in music production, ...

. In spite of these controversies, art galleries across the world have valued his work for its artistic and socio-historical value. He was praised by Andy Warhol, who said: "My idea of a good picture is one that's in focus and of a famous person doing something unfamous. It's being in the right place at the wrong time. That's why my favorite photographer is Ron Galella." Art writer Glenn O'Brien defined him as a "brilliant realist able to represent the world faithfully." One of Galella's pictures depicting Jacqueline Onassis, dubbed "Windblown Jackie," was included among "The Most Influential Images of All Time" by ''Time'' magazine in 2016.

Personal life

Galella married Betty Lou Burke in 1979. She worked as a photo editor for ''Today Is Sunday'', and was subsequently his business partner. They remained married until her death on January 9, 2017, at the age of 68. Speaking of his wife, Galella said, "When Betty first purchased my photos for publication and granted me assignment credentials over the phone, I fell in love with her warm soft, loving voice. I met her in person for the first time, two years later, on Dec. 10, 1978, at the

Kennedy Center The John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts, commonly known as the Kennedy Center, is the national cultural center of the United States, located on the eastern bank of the Potomac River in Washington, D.C. Opened on September 8, ...

for the premiere of ''

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''. With one look at that beautiful girl, I said, 'I'm gonna marry you.' And five months later, we were. Once married, we became a team." After retiring as a paparazzo, Galella was active as a photographer at prominent culture events. He resided in Montville, New Jersey, during his later years. Galella died on April 30, 2022, at his home in Montville, New Jersey. He was 91, and suffered from congestive heart failure prior to his death.

Publications

* ''Jacqueline''. 1974, Sheed and Ward. . * ''Offguard: A Paparazzi Look at the Beautiful People''. 1976, McGraw-Hill. . * ''The Photographs of Ron Galella: 1965–1989''. 2001, Greybull. . * ''Ron Galella Exclusive Diary''. 2004, Photology. . * ''Disco Years''. 2006, PowerHouse Books. . * ''Warhol by Galella: That's Great!''. 2008, Verlhac; Montacelli; Seeman Henschel. . * ''No Pictures''. 2008, PowerHouse. . * ''Viva l'Italia!''. 2009, Galella; Distributed by PowerHouse. . * ''Man in the Mirror: Michael Jackson''. 2009, PowerHouse. . * ''Boxing with the Stars''. 2011, Verlhac. . * ''Ron Galella: Paparazzo Extraordinaire'' with Mathias Prinz. 2012, Hatje Cantz. . * ''Jackie: My Obsession''. 2013, Galella. . * ''Pop, Rock & Dance''. 2013, Galella. . * ''The Stories Behind the Pictures''. 2014, Galella. . * ''Sex in Fashion''. 2015, Galella. . * ''Rock and Roll''. 2016, Galella. . * ''Donald Trump the Master Builder''. 2017, Galella. . * ''Shooting Stars''. January 2019, Galella. . * ''100 Iconic Photographs – A retrospective by Ron Galella''. November 2021, Galella. .

Exhibitions

* Soho Gallery, 1972, New York City * G. Ray Hawkins Gallery, 1976, New York City * Rizzoli Gallery, 1976, New York City * Union Carbide, 1977, New York City * William Lyons Gallery, 1980 Coconut Grove, Florida * Octagon Club, 1987, New York City * Nikon Gallery, 1993, New York City * Serge Sorokko Gallery, 1997, New York City * Andy Warhol Museum, ''Ron Galella Retrospective'', June 2002 – September 2002 Pittsburgh, PA * Paul Kasmin Gallery, ''The Photographs of Ron Galella'', 2002, New York City * Holt-Renfrew, ''Flick'', 2003 Toronto, Canada * Photology, ''Ron Galella Exclusive Diary'', 2004 Milan, Italy * Galerie Wouter van Leeuwen, ''The Photographs of Ron Galella'', 2004/5, Amsterdamn, Netherlands * Artelibro Festival of Art and Books, ''Ron Galella Exclusive Diary: Caught Off-Guard'', 2005, Bologna, Italy * Ferragamo Gallery, ''Ron Galella Exclusive Diary: Caught Off-Guard'', 2005, New York City * Kunstforum, ''Superstars: From Warhol to Madonna'', 2005/6 * PowerHouse Arena, ''Ron Galella: The Kennedy'', New York City * Paul Kasmin Gallery, ''Disco Years'', 2005/6, New York City * Buro Beelende Kunst Vlissinger ''Ron Galella: The One and Only Paparazzo'', Brooklyn, New York * Galerie Wouter van Leeuwen, ''Disco Years'', 2006/7, Amsterdamn, Netherlands * PowerHouse Arena, ''Warhol is Dead!'', 2007 * The Gershwin Hotel – 2007, New York City * PowerHouse Arena, ''That 70's Show'', 2007 Brooklyn, New York * The Museum of Modern Art, ''Iconic Photos of Ron Galella acquired into collection'', 2007, New York City * The Museum of Modern Art, ''Iconic Photos of Ron Galella acquired into collection'', 2008, New York City * The Tate Modern Museum, ''Street + Studio: An Urban History of Photography'', 2008 London, England * The Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel ''Warhol by Galella: That's Great!'', 2008–Present Hollywood, CA * Galerie Wouter van Leeuwen, ''Warhol by Galella: That's Great!'', 2008–Present Amsterdam, Netherlands * Staly-Wise Gallery, ''Warhol by Galella: That's Great!'', 2008–Present, New York City * GMW Law Offices, ''Offguard: Ron Galella Photography'', 2008–Present Den Haag, Netherlands * Helmut Newton Foundation Museum of Photography, ''Pigozzi and the Paparazzi'', 2008 Berlin, Germany * Hamburger Bahnfof Museum Fur Gegenwart, ''Celebrities: Andy Warhol and the Stars'' 2008/9 * Palazzo Lanfranchi, Carlo Levi Hall, ''Ron Galella: Italian Icons'', 2009, Matera, Italy * Archeology Museum of Muro Lucano, ''Viva l'Italia'', 2009–Present * La Casa Encendida, 2009, Madrid, Spain * MART Museo di arte moderna e contemporanea di Trento e Rovereto, ''Picturing New York: Photographs from the Museum of Modern Art'', 2009, Rovereto, Italy * Centaur Theatre Company, ''Viva l'Italia'', 2009, Montreal, Canada * Irish Museum of Modern Art, ''Picturing New York: Photographs from the Museum of Modern Art'', 2009/10, Dublin * Lena Di Gangi Gallery, ''The Photographs of Ron Galella'', 2009/10, Totawa, NJ * PowerHouse Arena, ''Man in the Mirror: Michael Jackson by Ron Galella'', 2009, Brooklyn, NY * Foam Fotografiemuseum Amsterdam, Netherlands- ''Ron Galella: Paparazzo Extraordinaire!'', 2012 * Galerie La Flo, St. Tropex France, ''Boxing with the Stars'', 2012 * Fundación Novacaixagalicia, ''Ron Galella: Paparazzo Extraordinaire!'', La Coruña, Spain, 2013/14, Pontevedra, Spain, 2014 *

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Paparazzi!, Metz, France, ''Photographers, Stars, and Artists'', 2014 * Staley-Wise Gallery, ''Pop, Rock & Dance'', 2013/14, New York City * Fotomuseum Winterthur, Switzerland, 2014 * Albertina, ''Blow-Up'' -Vienna, Austria, 2014 * Schirn Kunsthalle, Frankfurt, Germany, ''Paparazzi! Photographers, Stars, and Artists'', 2014 * Musée de l'Elysée, Lausanne, Switzerland, ''Paparazzi! Photographers, Stars, and Artists'', 2014/15 * C/O Berlin, Berlin, Germany, ''Blow-Up'', 2015 * Photology Noto, Noto, Sicily, ''Vintage Galella'', 2015 * Photology Garzón, Garzón, Uruguay, ''Vintage Galella'', 2016 * Staley Wise Gallery, New York City, ''55 Years a Paparazzi'', 2015 * Int'l Center for Photography, New York City, ''Public, Private Secret'', 2017
Photology Online Gallery
''Exclusive Diary'', 2021 * Palazzo Sarcinelli, Conegliano, Italy, ''Ron Galella, Paparazzo Superstar'', 2022

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Galella, Ron 1931 births 2022 deaths United States Air Force personnel of the Korean War People from Montville, New Jersey United States Air Force airmen Military personnel from New York City American people of Italian descent Photographers from the Bronx ArtCenter College of Design alumni Deaths from congestive heart failure in the United States