Her first major exhibition took place in 1943 at the Museum of Modern Art (New York). Several more shows followed over the next 60 years.
She bought a used Leica camera in 1936, and started taking pictures of life on city streets, especially children. New York's Lower East Side and East Harlem were favorite settings.
She wanted to be an artist, but had no talent for drawing. She left high school just shy of graduation, and got a job in a photography studio.