282: Allan Tannenbaum

The Third Story with Leo Sidran

Allan Tannenbaum's career reads like a tapestry woven with history, art, and an extraordinary eye for the moment. From his serendipitous epiphany outside a post office in 1964 to becoming one of the most iconic photographers of his time.

Starting with a handful of frames of Jimi Hendrix in the late 60s, Allan went on to chronicle the cultural pulse of 1970s New York as chief photographer for the SoHo Weekly News. He captured unforgettable images—Sid Vicious in handcuffs, Andy Warhol at Studio 54, Patti Smith, the Rolling Stones, John and Yoko, and many more.

In the 80s and 90s, he expanded his lens to the world stage, documenting moments of historical significance: the fall of the Berlin Wall, Operation Desert Storm, the Rwandan refugee crisis, and eventually the devastation of 9/11 just blocks from his Tribeca home.

Here he talks about his life behind the lens, the philosophy that guided him, and what it means to let "the work show you the way."

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