Elvis Presley reaching down to grasp the outstretched arms of his hometown Tupelo, Mississippi fans on an October afternoon in 1956;
Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr. and a pack of 9 other men gathered around a pool table in 1960 during the making of a film called "Ocean's 11”;
Sophia Loren, newly arrived to Hollywood, casting a downward side-glance at Jayne Mansfield's ample bosom during a 1957 party at Mike Romanoff's eponymous restaurant;
Farrah Fawcett, a fresh-faced young star, posing in a red bathing suit in front of an old Indian blanket;
you may not think mptv, but you’re seeing us. For over 25 years we’ve been helping visually tell stories with one of the world’s most exclusive collections of entertainment photography. Founded by photographer Sid Avery, whose talent was astutely described by Vanity Fair’s Michael Callahan in a 2014 piece:
"Sid shot almost every cinema giant of the mid-20th century and pulled off a feat surpassing even that: he captured them unguarded, stripping away the studio and P.R. artifice to find the people hiding underneath."
This same keen eye, lucky for posterity, also focused beyond the moment of the snapshot and saw the value in preserving and celebrating, not only his own photography, but that of his colleagues’ for future generations. It is with this vision that mptv was born. With a current roster of over 60 photographers, Sid’s son, Ron Avery, currently manages a bustling and continually expanding Archive with a lineup of talent that includes such photographers as Bob Willoughby, Mark Shaw, Bruce McBroom, Sanford Roth and Bobby Holland, to name a few.
Picture professionals everywhere – from photo editors to art buyers and every creative in between – flock to mptv, not only for our expertise, but also for our unsurpassed quality, unique content and attentive service.
You’ve seen our photos everywhere, now discover the source.
