About This Image

This quirky portrait of Muray in front of his camera was made by the well-known illustrator Ralph Barton. Muray photographed the Barton portrait, hand-colored the print and used it as a Christmas card in 1928. This particular card was sent to Alfred Cheney Johnston, and came from the Cheney estate.

Muray was born in Hungary and studied at the Graphic Arts School in Budapest before coming to the US. He became known for his celebrity portraits and was a successful fashion and advertising photographer.