From London Moore had been represented in New York by the agent Bryon Dobell who established the Gamma Picture Agency. Edward Weston, Walker Evans and others had influenced his earlier photographs and now he aspired to learn more about America and its people.

While in London the Norwegian Airline Braathens SAFE  offered Moore a half price fare from Oslo to New York via Iceland in exchange for a few pictures. To cover the balancing 50 percent, Moore approached The Observer’s David Astor and suggested they cover 50 percent of his expenses if he photographed whatever they needed in New York and Washington. The deal was made.

He had a daunting list of picture needs from the paper: some twenty portraits of politicians, academics, sociologists, entrepreneurs, writers, military brass and the legendary CBS broadcaster Ed Murrow. The Observer also wanted him to cover the United Nations Organisation, including a portrait of the Secretary-General, Dag Hammarskjöld, as well as election campaigning in New York City.

The trip to America also gave Moore the opportunity to find his own pictures: the Lincoln Memorial, depressed Negro housing, Eisenhower’s birthday celebrations in Washington, baseball fans at a World Series match in Yankee Stadium and the street life of Times Square in New York.

Later in his life Moore visited the US some twenty times. In particular, he always held a deep affection for New York.

For enquiries about these photographs please email Lisa Moore, or Josef Lebovic (Josef Lebovic Gallery).