New York City native Charles E. Rotkin was a photojournalist who worked for Life, Fortune and Sports Illustrated. He was especially noted for his documentary photographs of American life and social conditions.

In the1930s, Rotkin was part of the Farm Security Administration’s information division, working with Ben Shahn, among others, documenting conditions during the Great Depression. He was called upon to do similar work in Puerto Rico after serving in World War II.

He was a pioneer in aerial photography, starting in the late 1940s. He saw such bird's-eye views both as art and as documentation.

His major exhibitions were Color Photography in 1950 and The Family of Man in 1955, both at the Museum of Modern Art in New York City. He published three books: Europe: an aerial close-up in 1962; The U.S.A.: an aerial close-up in 1968; and the Professional Photographer's Survival Guide in 1983.

Rotkin is accurately described as a “bold spirited photo journalist” on his tombstone.