Ron Galella facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Ron Galella
Galella in 2010
Born	Ronald Edward Galella (1931-01-10)January 10, 1931 New York City, U.S.
Died	April 30, 2022 (aged 91) Montville, New Jersey, U.S.
Nationality	American
Other names	Paparazzo Extraordinaire
Occupation	Celebrity photographer
Spouse(s)	Betty Lou Burke ​ ​ (m. 1979; d. 2017)​

Ronald Edward Galella (January 10, 1931 – April 30, 2022) was an American photographer, known as a pioneer paparazzo. Dubbed "Paparazzo Extraordinaire" by Newsweek and "the Godfather of the U.S. paparazzi culture" by Time magazine and Vanity Fair, he is regarded by Harper's Bazaar 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, Galella's work was praised and exhibited in art galleries worldwide and he was cited by Andy Warhol as his favorite photographer.

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. 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, and worked as a crochet 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 photographer from 1951 to 1955, including during the Korean War. He later attended the Art Center College of Design in Los Angeles, California, graduating with a degree in photojournalism in 1958. In his free time, Galella took pictures of the stars arriving at film premieres, selling them to magazines like National Enquirer and Photoplay. He soon became known for his photographic approach, portraying famous people out of the spotlight.

Career

Galella's photographs have been featured in hundreds of publications including Time, Harper's Bazaar, Vogue, Vanity Fair, People, Rolling Stone, The New Yorker, The New York Times, and Life. 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 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 Central Park, New York. The documentary premiered at the 2010 Sundance Film Festival, 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 BBC.

Personal life

Galella in 1988

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 for the premiere of Superman. 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.

Exhibits

Galella's photographs have been exhibited in galleries across North America and Europe:

See also

In Spanish: Ron Galella para niños