Working in New York as a graphic designer following his service in WWII, Leon Levinstein became involved with the Photo League—a group of socially conscious photographers—eventually shifting his career to center on photography. Levinstein’s signature approach to street photography emphasized close-up depictions of the strangers and scenes he encountered. More than simply reproducing likeness, Levinstein’s photographs emphasize the movement, gesture, and rhythm that define the life and character of the city. Levinstein brought this same approach to the subjects—animal as well as human—he photographed while traveling in India in the 1970s.