Elvis at 21: Photographs by Alfred Wertheimer

Taken during the year Elvis Presley turned 21, Alfred Wertheimer’s photographs are a remarkable visual record of rock ‘n’ roll’s most enduring figure. When Elvis walked on stage in 1956, time stopped—and then exploded. The earth shook on its axis and the beat of everyday life was jolted. In an instant, mainstream America’s veneer of cultural complacency evaporated. The year 1956 was the year Elvis released his first record, made his first television appearance, and started his movie career. It was the year he became a star.