Born in Munich, Erich Hartmann fled Nazi Germany with his family to Albany, New York, in 1938. After serving in the US Army during WWII, he moved to New York City, working as a photography assistant before freelancing. Gaining recognition through Fortune in the 1950s, he created poetic photo essays on science and industry, including Shapes of Sound and The Building of Saint Lawrence Seaway. Hartmann joined Magnum in 1952, serving on its board and becoming president in 1985.