Nyora kupfuurira kweiyi ndima - Peter Selz akaberekerwa muMunich nevabereki vechiJudha. Muna 1936, aine makore 17, akatiza muNazi Germany nokuti vabereki vake vaida kumutumira kunodzidza kuUnited States. Mhuri yake yakakwanisa kutiza Germany nguva pfupi Usiku hweGirazi Rakaputsika husati hwaitika
, achibatsirwa nemamwe masisita, ayo baba vake vaiva chiremba wemaziso vakanga varapa pachena. Akapedza gore rimwe paColumbia University ndokuwana kuti akanga ari hama iri kure naAlfred Stieglitz, uyo akava mudzidzisi wake. Pashure pokushumira muHondo Yenyika II akagamuchira A.M. kubva kuYunivhesiti yeChicago paGI Bill muna 1949. Akagamuchira zvikoro zveFulbright zvakati wandei mumakore anotevera kuti adzidze paYunivhesiti yeParis uye École du Louvre pamwe neMusées Royaux d'Art et d'Histoire; panguva imwecheteyo, Selz aidzidzisa paYunivhesiti yeChicago uye akatungamirawo dhipatimendi redzidzo paInstitute of Design paIllinois Institute of Technology muChicago. Muna 1955 akatamira kuPomona College kuti atungamirire dhipatimendi rezvemifananidzo uye kushanda semutungamiriri wechikoro chemufananidzo.