Harold was born in Brooklyn to Ludwig Wenstrom and Ida Petersen. His parents were Swedish immigrants. He began working as a cameraman for Sidney Drew at Metro in New York City around 1914.[2][3][4]
During World War I, after first serving as a seaman, he was moved to the navy's photographic division and assigned to accompany President Woodrow Wilson's first trip to Europe.
After the war, he arrived in Hollywood to work for Maxwell Karger.[5] 1919 saw Wenstrom gaining a reputation for his collaborations with actress Alla Nazimova and his ability to get difficult shots: On one occasion, he got footage while strapped to a plane's fuselage.[2][6]
During World War II, he joined the Navy (after serving for many years in the reserves), earning the rank of lieutenant commander. He died in his room at the Ambassador Hotel in Washington, D.C., in 1944; the cause of death was noted as a heart attack suffered after a bout of pneumonia.[7][4]
He was married to Ella "Bill" Williams, a studio manager at Cosmopolitan Pictures and former secretary of actress Marion Davies, for many years.[8]
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