Irving Berlin

Born Israel Beilen in a small Jewish enclave in present-day Tolochin, Belarus, composer-lyricist Irving Berlin wrote more than three thousand songs. Among his many classics are “God Bless America” and “White Christmas.”
Arriving in New York City with his family as a child, Berlin worked to survive after his father died, selling newspapers, waiting tables, and plugging songs. His first hit song, “Alexander’s Ragtime Band,” became the rage in 1911; three years later, his first musical, Watch Your Step, cemented his reputation. He wrote seventeen Broadway scores, including Annie Get Your Gun (1946), which featured Ethel Merman singing “There’s No Business Like Show Business.” Berlin also wrote popular film scores, including Top Hat (1935), Holiday Inn (1942), and Easter Parade (1948). New York City-based Pach Brothers Studio, located on Broadway, made this promotional portrait when the young composer’s career was just getting started.