Kneeland (Ruzzie) Green (American 1892–1956)

b. 1892 — d. 1956

Born in Jersey City, New Jersey, Kneeland L'Amoureux Green adopted the nickname “Ruzzie” while attending the Art Students League in New York. After graduating in 1917, he worked as a freelance illustrator and layout specialist for commercial clients until he was employed as chief illustrator—and later art director—for the Stehli Silks Corporation, a leading textile design firm of the 1920s. After his time at Stehli Silks, Green was hired as art director for Harper’s Bazaar, where he remained until he turned to commercial photography in 1932. From the 1930s through the 1950s, Green's commercial work appeared in Harper’s Bazaar, Ladies’ Home Journal, and McCall’s. Despite his relative obscurity today, Green was one of the best-known and most accomplished commercial photographers of his generation; his photographs blurred the boundary between fashion photography and commercial illustration.