Walter George Chandoha was born in Bayonne, New Jersey on November 30, 1920. He learned the fundamentals of darkroom work at the Lens Club in Bayonne and as a photographer's assistant in Manhattan. After being drafted into the Army, he became a press photographer for the weekly newspaper at Fort Dix and then served as a combat photographer in the South Pacific. After his discharge, he graduated from New York University School of Commerce, Accounts and Finance in 1949.
He became a freelance photographer. Even though he photographed dogs, horses, and other animals, he was known for his cat pictures, which appeared in magazines including Life and National Geographic, on the cans of cat food, and in calendars. His photographs also appeared in books including Walter Chandoha's Book of Kittens and Cats; How to Photograph Cats, Dogs and Other Animals; and Walter Chandoha: The Cat Photographer. He died on January 11, 2019 at the age of 98.
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