Biography provided by Focal press
 
Known as a modernist photographer and filmmaker, Steiner was a founding member of the New York Film and Photo League. His sharp focus, carefully composed photographs portray quotidian America, their exquisite detail and textures presented with a modernist's eye for meaning in form. A successful career in magazine and advertising photography supported his passion for art photography and avant-garde film. In 1929 he produced his first film, H2O. Steiner's artistry in documentary filmmaking led to his collaboration with photographer Paul Strand as cameraman on Pare Lorentz' documentary film, The Plow that Broke the Plains, and in 1938 with Willard Van Dyke, on The City, a critically acclaimed film about New York.
 
(Author: GW)
 
Michael Peres (Editor-in-Chief), 2007, Focal Encyclopedia of Photography, 4th edition, (Focal Press) [ISBN-10: 0240807405, ISBN-13: 978-0240807409] (Used with permission)
 
Wikipedia
 
Ralph Steiner (February 8, 1899 - July 13, 1986) was an American photographer, pioneer documentarian and a key figure among avant-garde filmmakers in the 1930s.