While most dream of joining the circus, Loomis Dean (American, September 19, 1917–December 7, 2005) actually did. It was while he was junior press agent for the Ringling Brothers that he launched his photography career. He would shoot the circus performers during the day and develop his film in that evening’s hotel, where he would rinse his images in the bathtub. His career with the circus ended abruptly when World War II broke out, and Dean joined the Army as an Air Force Photographer, where he covered the war in the pacific from the air and on the ground. In 1947, he became a member of the staff of Life magazine, and after the war was over, he became an official photographer for the magazine, a dream position for him at the time. Dean was first assigned to work in their Los Angeles office, and for 10 years he photographed film stars and other notable personalities like Liberace, Elvis Presley, and J. Paul Getty. He later transferred to Life’s Paris office, where he worked for another 25 years. In 1965, he received the Papal Prize in recognition of his photographic work. In total, he shot 52 covers for Life and was one of the magazine’s most prolific photographers. After working with Life magazine’s European office in Paris, Dean settled in California, where he had a very active freelance photography career.