Born in Budapest, he moved to Paris in 1936 and began working as a photographic printer for his brother Robert. He emigrated to New York in 1937 and became an Amercian citizen in 1943. He served in the Photo Intelligence unit of the U.S.A.F. from 1941 to 1945 and was staff photographer of Life magazine from 1955-57. He became a full member of Magnum in 1954 and its president from 1956-59. He has been vice-president of the American Society of Magazine Photographers (1953-55). He ceased his activities as a photographer in 1974 to found and direct the International Center of Photography (ICP) in New York.