Otto bettmann biography

Photo collection owned by Getty Images

The Bettmann Archive is a collection of over 18 million photographs and images,^[1] some going back to the United States Civil War and including some of the best known U.S. historic images. The Archive also includes many images from Europe and elsewhere.

It was founded in 1936 by Otto Bettmann (1903–1998),^[2] a Germancurator who immigrated to the United States in 1935.^[1] He actively expanded his collection by advertising in magazines,^[1] e.g. in the Winter 1959 issue of Film Quarterly "Wanting to buy: Old movie stills - ca. 1915 to 1935; early comedies -- well-known stars and productions."^[3]

In 1960, Bettmann moved it from his apartment at 215 East 57th Street, in New York City to the Tishman Building. In 1981, Bettmann sold the archive to the Kraus Thomson Organization.^[2]

In 1995, the archive was sold to Corbis, a digital stock photography compan Otto Bettmann; Founded Largest Photo Archive - Los Angeles Times.