In 1956, a twenty-one-year-old Elvis Presley was at the beginning of his remarkable and unparalleled career. Photojournalist Alfred Wertheimer was asked by Presley's new label, RCA Victor, to photograph the rising star for a one-day assignment that quickly developed into an odyssey. Wertheimer followed Elvis in the hours before, during and after his performance, building up a collection of around 400 photographs in this short period of time. The photographer found himself stunned by the musician’s ease at being photographed, allowing him to document Elvis in the most private of moments. As a result he felt compelled to continue photographing the musician, stretching far beyond the requirements of his assignment.

With unimpeded access to the young performer, Wertheimer was able to capture the unguarded and everyday moments in Elvis' life during March and July of that year, the pivotal year that made Elvis' career—taking him from virtual obscurity to the verge of international stardom and his crowning as "The King of Rock 'n' Roll."

Wertheimer continued to accompany Elvis to Richmond, Virginia, which he regarded as an opportunity to observe Elvis down south, closer to his home environment. He proceeded to capture the most intimate of moments during the hours preceding the singer’s performance. His photographs range from Elvis’ flirtations with ‘the girl of the day’, spontaneous backstage performances, and, most of all, Wertheimer captured his mesmerising stage presence which contrasted so dramatically to his often motionless contemporaries. Following this, Wertheimer seized the opportunity to document a defining moment of musical history, the recording of ‘Hound Dog’ and ‘Don’t Be Cruel’, another glimpse into the evolution of Elvis’ career.

Wertheimer's unobtrusive photographs of Elvis in performance, with his fans, in the recording studio, and at home with his family present a unique look at one of the world's most famous cultural figures. These images represent the first and the last unguarded look at Elvis, and are an extraordinary portrait of a charismatic young man who would go on to become a legend.