Kenneth Alexander was born in London in 1887. In 1914, he moved to Honolulu, Hawaii, where he established a freelance studio and became renowned for celebrity portraiture. He worked for United Artists, 20th Century Studios, Samuel Goldwyn Productions and many others.
During World War I, Alexander served in the United States Navy’s aero-photo service, taking close-ups and panoramas from warships. In New York, he established himself as a photographer with the slogan, “Photographer of Women Exclusively”, a gender reversal of Pirie MacDonald’s. He gained particular acclaim with United Artists during his time in New York, assisting them and other film companies with offices in the city.
Alexander moved to Los Angeles after New York at the request of Lillian Gish, who wanted him to photograph her film La Bohème. After leaving his native town, he found work at Sam Goldwyn Productions in Hollywood during the 1930s. Alexander died in 1975 at the age of 87.
