Edward Steichen and His Wartime Engagements

Lecture series by Paul Lesch organized in collaboration with the CNA on the occasion of the 70th anniversary of The Family of Man

Edward Steichen and His Wartime Engagements

During both World Wars of the 20th century, Edward Steichen served in the U.S. Army, playing a key role in military photography. During World War II, he oversaw combat photography in the Pacific and organized exhibitions on the war. He also supervised the documentary The Fighting Lady, which won an Oscar in 1946. These war experiences deeply influenced his life and work. Through photographs and film excerpts, we will delve into these pivotal periods of his life.

Paul Lesch, PhD, served as Director of the National Audiovisual Center from 2016 to 2023. Since September 2023, he has been the "Commissioner of the Edward Steichen Collections" at the Ministry of Culture. He is the author of several books, including Heim ins Ufa-Reich? NS-Filmpolitik und die Rezeption deutscher Filme in Luxemburg 1933-1944 (WVT, Trier, 2002), Au nom de l’ordre public & des bonnes mœurs. Contrôle des cinémas et censure de films au Luxembourg 1895-2005 (CNA, Luxembourg, 2005), Albert Simon, caricaturiste de l’Escher Tageblatt (Ed. du Phare), D’Stater Kinoen (Binsfeld, 2013), and Alfred Hitchcock, The Brand (Cinémathèque de la Ville de Luxembourg, 2022). He is also the director of a documentary film about Perle Mesta, titled Call Her Madam (Samsa, 1997), and curator or co-curator of exhibitions on Hugo Gernsback, Thierry van Werveke, film sets, and Alfred Hitchcock. He is a member of the Governance Council of the University of Luxembourg, a full member of the Grand Ducal Institute, Arts and Letters section, and a corresponding member of the historical section of the same Institute. He is also President of the Board of the Fondation Indépendance.