Ayn Rand (1905–1982)
An ardent defender of laissez-faire capitalism, novelist and social theorist Ayn Rand preached a doctrine of “objectivism,” premised on a conviction that selfishness was a virtue and that individuals should be left to pursue their interests unhampered by any constraints. The general public came to know Rand’s views mostly through her novels, The Fountainhead and Atlas Shrugged, both of which attracted a broad readership despite poor reviews. But she also published many treatises and lectured widely. By the time of her death, her ideas had attracted a substantial following, and she had become a kind of cult figure. In a 1991 poll asking readers what books had most affected their lives, Atlas Shrugged came in second behind the Bible.
In this photograph, Rand wears a pin made in the shape of a dollar sign. Some might have found the notion of sporting such an item crass, but for this celebrant of private initiative and free enterprise, it was an eminently worthy emblem.
Arnold Newman (born 1918)
Gelatin silver print, 1964
National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution
© Arnold Newman
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