Lida Moser was an American photographer and author known for her pioneering of photojournalism. Referred to as the “Grandmother of American photojournalism,” Moser indiscriminately captured candid moments of New York City, from subjects like street urchins to celebrities, and street scenes all over the city. Her work is characterized by a looseness and grit that encapsulates the spirit of the city. She was a member of the Photo League, a New York based activist and photography cooperative with members such as Richard Avedon, Robert Frank, and Ansel Adams.

Born on August 17, 1920 in New York City, Moser began assisting at the legendary Berenice Abbott studio in 1947. Before working professionally in photography, she served in the Army Signal Corps in WWII and was a receptionist at the film center at the Museum of Modern Art. Her first foray into personal work was an assignment by Vogue in 1949 to document Scottish artists and writers including James Birdie, WIlliam Brosbie, Anne Redpath, and Douglas Young, among many others. The success of the Scotland assignment led to another Vogue commission in Canada in 1950 – a visual essay on Quebec. She began being regularly featured in other popular magazines such as Esquire, Harper’s Bazaar. Moser chronicled the everyday scenes of New York in still-lives, portraits, and more sweeping views of the city.