Tony Vaccaro's First European Retrospective Opens in Caen

At the age of 93, Tony Vaccaro, who was born in 1922 in Greensburg, Pennsylvania to Italian immigrants, is finally honored with his first European retrospective. The exhibition, named 'Shots of Life,' takes place at the Mémorial de Caen in France and showcases 90 photographs selected from his extensive archive of 8,000 images, although half of these have been lost. Vaccaro's life included significant time spent in Italy, from ages 3 to 14 when his family escaped the mafia, and later after World War II while working for the military magazine Stars and Stripes. He resided in Rome during 1954-1956 and again from 1964-1969, contributing to American publications like Flair, Look, Venture, and Life. His notable subjects include John F. Kennedy, Enzo Ferrari, and Pablo Picasso, among others, and he developed friendships with figures like Alberto Burri and Sophia Loren. The exhibition features a diverse array of portraits and wartime imagery, encapsulating his artistic journey.