Edward Steichen (March_27, 1879-March_25, 1973) was an American photographer, painter, and art gallery and museum curator, born in Luxembourg. His family moved to the United States in 1881 and he became a naturalized citizen in 1900.
In the beginning of the 20th century, Steichen assumed the pictorialist approach and proved himself a master in it. After World War 1, during which he commanded the photographic division of the Expeditionary Forces , he reverted to straight photography, gradually moving into fashion photography .
In World War II he served as Director of the Naval Photographic Institute . After the war, Steichen served until 1962 as the Director of Photography at New York's Museum of Modern Art.
Among other, Steichen is appreciated for creating The Family of Man in 1955, a vast exhibition consisting of over 500 photos that depicted life, love and death in 68 countries. (Catalog ISBN 0810961695). As had been Steichen's wish, the exhibition was donated to the Grand-Duchy of Luxembourg. It is now permanently housed in the Luxembourg village Clervaux [1].