It happened in the Chattanooga Train Station Cafeteria. At a stop to change trains, during the trip from New York to Memphis. July 4, 1956.
“Once, at the Chattanooga train station in Tennessee, we were waiting to change trains.
Elvis walked over to a magazine rack and picked up a movie magazine. He found a picture of himself inside the magazine and said to me, ”Al, do you have a pen?”
I gave him one and he wrote his name inside the magazine. Then he went over to the girl working there at the counter . Elvis had the magazine open to the page where his picture was, and he showed it to the girl.
I was looking at him through my lens to capture the moment, and he looked back at me with a huge Cheshire cat grin.
The girl said, “That’ll be 35 cents, sir.
Elvis laughed and said, “No, this is for you. I’m Elvis Presley.
Finally the girl agreed and gladly accepted the magazine.
Meanwhile, I was capturing images of all this, which is really what Elvis wanted. Elvis knew that one day he would be very famous.”
Alfred Wertheimer.
This photo captures the moment.