Literature

"Suddenly I saw a lovely young society girl sitting next to an empty box. From that box I took another picture, with the girl in the foreground. For years and years this has been one of my prized photographs. Without the girl I would not have had a memorable picture”

~Alfred Eisenstaedt

One of Eisenstaedt's classic images. Patrons relax in their opulent box seat during intermission at the La Scala Opera House, one of the most beautiful opera houses in the world. I was so excited to visit there the first time I went to Milan many years ago as a student sitting high up in the “Gods”. The building and ambience was just so special. This image was taken during the gala premiere of Rimsky-Korsakov’s “The Legend of the Invisible City of Kitezh”. Although this photograph was taken before the first issue of Life magazine in 1936, this image was first published in the magazine, September 4th, 1944 on page 12 to celebrate Eisenstaedt’s 15 years working as one of the founding Life photojournalists.