Homing Ship

3 February 1944

Becomes a US citizen

Elizabeth becomes a US citizen on 20 January and Kertész is naturalized on 3 February 1944; despite competition from photographers such as Irving Penn he regains commissioned work: he is omitted from the list of 63 photographers Vogue identifies as significant in its “photographic genealogical tree”, but House and Garden commissions him to photograph a Christmas issue.

June 1944

Declines to teach at the New Bauhaus

László Moholy-Nagy, director of the New Bauhaus – American School of Design, offers him a position teaching photography; despite the honour, Kertész turns it down.

1945

“Day of Paris” is published

He releases a new book, Day of Paris, made up of photographs taken just before his emigration from France; it gains critical success.

1946

A solo exhibition at the Art Institute of Chicago

A solo exhibition at the Art Institute of Chicago features photographs from his Day of Paris series; Kertész later calls it one of his greatest times in the United States and says it was the first time he felt he received positive reviews.

1946

A long-term contract with House & Garden

With his wife’s cosmetic business booming, Kertész agrees to a long-term exclusive contract with House and Garden; it restricts his editorial freedom and requires many hours in the studio, but the pay of at least US$10,000 a year is satisfactory and his negatives are returned within six months. During 1945–62 the magazine publishes more than 3,000 of his photographs, but with little time for personal work he feels starved of artistic creativity.