1896 born in Munich

from 1916 contacts with the independent social democrats in Kurt Eisner's circle

1922 takes over his father's wine wholesale business

1932 bankruptcy, then he opens a photo studio; works as a theatre photographer at the Munich Kammerspielen

1933 Emigration because of his political past and his Jewish origins

1934 Opens a photo studio in Paris, portraits of B. Brecht, M. Ernst, J. Joyce etc.

1939–1941 Interned in various French camps

1941 Travels to New York via Trinidad, opens a photo studio, works as a photo-journalist from 1944 various exhibitions

1947 travels to Rocky Mountains to take photos ( Colorado)

1949 teaching post at the New School of Social Research

1950 travels to Canada to take photos

1952/53 head of photographic department of United Nations Korean Relief (UNKRA)

1956–1967 numerous photographic trips commissioned by the UN, UNICEF and international companies

1968 book "Women of Asia" published