Famous American Photographers
93FINE ART PHOTOGRAPHY
I previously published two articles with galleries about the Art of Photography entitled Photographic Art and Art Photography. Many people expressed their joy at these articles, so I have decided to create one more, featuring a completely different set of Photographic Artists.
IRVING PENN
Irving Penn was born in 1917 in New Jersey.
His father was a watchmaker and his mother a nurse.
Penn died in 2009.
He was described as a courtly man with a gentle demeanor but an absolute perfectionist.
His work is exhibited in museums and galleries, and some of his photographs have sold for hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Irving Penn worked for decades at Vogue magazine, where he started in 1943.
He married his frequent model, Lisa Fonssagrives, in 1950.
They remained married until her death at age 80 in 1992.
She is the star in two of the photographs I will display on this page.
Irving Penn began developing and printing his own photographs in the 1960s, bringing back the time-consuming use of platinum, which had been common back around 1900, instead of the conventional silver.
Platinum increases the depth and luminosity of the photographs, and makes them permanent.
GARRY WINOGRAND
Garry Winogrand was born in New York City in 1928.
He died in 1984 of gall bladder cancer in Tijuana, Mexico.
Winogrand was a proponent and practitioner of Street Photography.
He is best known for creating a sizeable collection of photographs that form a record of America in the 1960s.
Garry Winogrand used a Leica camera with a wide angle lens.
He exhibited his Photographic Art at many major venues, and he won numerous awards for his work.
Garry Winogrand was chiefly concerned with social issues and the effect of the media on the attitudes of people.
He also taught photography at the Art Institute of Chicago, and the University of Texas.
WALKER EVANS
Walker Evans was born into a wealthy St. Louis family in 1903.
He revolutionized Documentary Photography, the purpose of which is to document what is important about a place, an event, or a set of people.
Walker Evans went to work for the government during the Great Depression, with the Farm Security Administration.
His primary assignment was to photograph the poverty-stricken rural south, to be used by the government to drum up public support for New Deal government programs.
Evans set a new standard for objectivity with his work, and he is known for the hard, sharp focus of his photographs.
There is a literary quality to his pictures. He most often used an 8X10 View Camera.
Walker Evans died in Connecticut in 1975.
MARGARET BOURKE-WHITE
Margaret Bourke-White was born in New York City in 1904.
She had launched a career as an architectural and industrial photographer, before being hired by Fortune magazine in 1929.
The following year she became the first westerner allowed to take photographs in the Soviet Union.
They approved of her because she was an Atheist and a Communist.
Margaret Bourke-White wrote a book praising the Soviet Union in 1931 entitled Eyes on Russia.
She would later publish two more books of propaganda with her husband Erskine Caldwell.
We will view three of the photographs she shot of victims of the Dust Bowl in the 1930s.
Margaret Bourke-White was a courageous woman.
She became the first female war correspondent and covered World War Two as well as the Korean War.
Bourke-White could no longer work as a photographer after 1952 because she had developed Parkinson's Disease.
She died in Connecticut in 1971.
She wrote that her favorite photograph of all those she had taken was shot while she was covering the Korean War.
She happened to be there when a Korean soldier, who had been declared Killed In Action two years earlier, surprised his mother by showing up at her home.
He had actually been held as a Prisoner Of War those two years.
I have that photograph for you below.
BRUCE DAVIDSON
Bruce Davidson was born in 1933 and grew up in Oak Park, Illinois, an old suburb of Chicago.
As a teenager he won a national competition for photography.
Bruce Davidson would go on to become a photographic artist whose work is exhibited around the world at prestigious places.
His photographs convey an extraordinary depth of feeling and poetic mood to the viewer.
Bruce Davidson has also produced two award winning short films.
He lives in New York City with his wife and two children.
PHILIPPE HALSMAN
Philippe Halsman was born in Latvia in 1906.
He moved to Paris in 1932 and there he became famous as Portrait Photographer.
Albert Einstein helped him escape from Nazi occupied France (both were Jews) in 1940.
Halsman then lived in New York City until he died in 1979.
He loved America.
Philippe Halsman was hired by Life magazine in 1942, and he worked for the big picture magazine until it stopped publication thirty years later.
Halsman became famous for his sparkling, stunning portraits of the famous.
He called his work Psychological Portraiture.
Philippe Halsman wanted to reveal the character of his sitters.
He was on a perpetual quest for hidden truth.
He said: "It can't be done by pushing the person into position or arranging his head at a certain angle. It must be accomplished by provoking the victim, amusing him with jokes, lulling him with silence, or asking impertinent questions which his best friend would be afraid to voice." "This fascination with the human face has never left me. Every face I see seems to hide and sometimes, fleetingly, to reveal the mystery of another human being. Capturing this revelation became the goal and passion of my life."
WEEGEE
Arthur Fellig was a crime scene photographer who seemed to have a sixth sense about crime.
He would often beat the cops to the scene of a murder, fire, or car accident.
For this reason, they started calling him Ouija, which Arthur liked and began spelling Weegee.
Actually, he secretly had a police scanner.
Weegee was born in Austria in 1899 and moved to New York City when he was ten years old.
He passed away in 1968.
He is credited with creating Tabloid Journalism.
He was tireless and invasive, preferring to traipse around the city during the night.
Weegee was also an author and filmmaker.
In 1992 a film was made based on him called The Public Eye starring Joe Pesci.
SALLY MANN
Sally Mann was born in 1951 in Lexington, Virginia.
She lives there on a farm with her attorney husband.
Her father was a doctor, and her mother ran a college bookstore.
Sally earned a Master's of Fine Arts Degree in Writing.
Sally Mann is best known for photographs of her three children.
She later moved on to Landscape Photography.
Sally Mann was named America's best Photographer in 2001 by Time magazine.
She has won numerous awards and her work is in the permanent collections of several major museums.
Two documentary films have been made about her.
HERB RITTS
Herb Ritts was born in Los Angeles in 1952.
His father owned a furniture store and his mother was an interior designer.
Ritts was a personal friend of actor Richard Gere before he was famous.
Herb Ritts would go on to fame as a Fashion Photographer.
He also created superb black and white Glamour Photographs.
Ritts photographed dozens of the top celebrities while working for numerous major magazines.
He also directed many famous music videos.
Herb Ritts died in 2002 of Pneumonia.
WILLIAM MEYERS
William Myers was born in 1938 in New York.
For most of his life photography was his passion but not his profession.
He became a naval intelligence officer, and then worked as a government researcher.
He publicly doubted the efficacy of the War on Poverty.
After that he became a businessman and investor in biotech companies.
New York is the most photographed city on the planet.
William Myers noticed that the vast majority of the images are of Manhattan.
He decided to become a full time Photographer and his first big project was called The Outer Boroughs: New York beyond Manhattan.
William Myers photographs are imbued with a gritty, unglamorous beauty.
He also works as a Photography Critic for several major magazines.
WALLACE KIRKLAND
Wallace Kirkland was born in 1890 on a coconut plantation in Jamaica.
In 1905, a hurricane destroyed the family farm and home, resulting in a move to New York.
Wallace Kirkland moved to Chicago in 1921, so that he and his wife could become social workers with Jane Addams at Hull House, where they lived for 14 years.
Kirkland started to teach photography to troubled boys there and got quite good at it.
So good that Life magazine hired him in 1935, and he spent 21 years as a staff Photographer for them.
While he became a foremost Nature Photographer, he is well known as Photographic Reporter, covering the poor as well as the famous.
Wallace Kirkland died in 1983, leaving behind three children and his wife of 61 years.
OTHER ART HUBS
OTHER ART HUBS
I have now published 3 Hubs on the Art of Photography. There are links to the other two near the top of this page. I have also published 13 Hubs with gorgeous galleries about the Art of Painting. I will provide links to five of them here:
vote upvote downshareprintflag
- Useful (10)
- Funny (2)
- Awesome (18)
- Beautiful (15)
- Interesting (2)
CommentsLoading...
nice caught, girl in phone booth he he
whichwitchwriter— You are welcome. Thank you for reading my article. I love the work of Irving Penn, too, as perhaps you can tell from the number of his works I included in this gallery.
Welcome to the HubPages Community!
Irving Penn is my all time favorite portrait photographer. He has a way about his work that capture the essence of a time and the people so simply. Thank you for sharing the lovely photographs.
sgbrown— You are quite welcome, my dear. I appreciate the visit, and especially the "voted up and awesome!" Thank you for your gracious compliments. Welcome to the HubPages Community!
Hello James A Watkins! Great hub with amazing pictures! Voted up and awesome! Thank you for your follow as well!
Robin Anderson— You are very welcome! Thank you so much for letting me know that you love this Hub. I sincerely appreciate the visit and naturally, you may come as often as you like! :D
I love this hub, I will come back to enjoy it over and over again. Thank you for putting this all together in one hub.
SanneL— I just love your Profile Page. It is fascinating to read and my, what a beautiful life you and your husband have there in Greece. Organic gardening and all. Fresh food, pistachios. Awesome. Welcome to the HubPages Community!
I see that you are a photographer as well. Wonderful! I dabble a bit.
Thank you for letting me know that you enjoyed this Hub. I look forward to reading some of your writings very soon. :D
You're welcome!
James
I'm so glad I finally got to know you James A Watkins!
I enjoyed this hub immensely since I have a special love with B&W photography.
This hub gave me the satisfaction to be able to get to know the history of some of the greatest photographers of all time and the collection of the old black and white photos was a treat for my blue eyes!
I definitely will be back to read more.
Thanks!
Sannel
Jennuhlee— You are most welcome. Thank you for the gracious compliments. I am glad you enjoyed this Hub. Welcome to the Hub Pages Community! :D
How very interesting and enjoyable. Great Topic, Great hub thank you so much for sharing:]
Ralph Deeds— You are quite welcome! Thank you for complimenting my selections. You are quite an accomplished photographer yourself as I recall. I'll come by soon to see what you've been writing.
Wow! Great selections. Thanks, James.
PierAllegro— Thank you! Welcome to the Hub Pages Community! I featured Eugene Smith and several other great photographers in a previous HUB:
Awesome! My only comment. But ... Eugene Smith?
Lynn S. Murphy-- I am well pleased to receive your lovely comments. This Hub is one that was an absolute pleasure to put together. I am glad you liked it. Thanks for the voted up and welcome to the Hub Pages Community.
agenzia di moda-- You are quite welcome. Thank you for the nice compliment. I am glad you visited my Hub.
absolutely awesome. i love photography and this was just wonderful to read and see. voted up.
Nice blog, thanks for sharing the biography of photographers
Rastamermaid— You are most welcome. Thank you very much for the compliment and the voted up! :-)
Very informative hub!
Voted up!
Thanks for sharing!
kmcmichael— Thank you!!! Thank you very much!! :D
Wonderful photos and interesting hub!
PCN— You are quite welcome. Thank you for your kind compliments. It was fun to do for me.
Great hub and excellent photos, thanks for putting this together
edelhaus— Thank you! Thank you very much. :D
what a great hub!!
Aristadoe— I surely agree with you. Welcome to the Hub pages Community!
otabworlink380— Thank you! Thank you very much. :)
Bathroom Vanity Sets— Thank you! Thank you very much. :D
TaraMoyer— You are quite welcome! I am well pleased that you appreciate my gallery. Thank you for visiting my Hub and for leaving your comments. Welcome to the Hub Pages Community!
There is nothing like black & white pictures.
I agree about the contrast and depth
Carry on the good work fellas!
Errol Kane— Welcome to the Hub Pages Community! I see from your profile page that you are a talented, interesting, well traveled man. I appreciate you for visiting my Hub, and for your excellent comments.
I am well pleased that you "followed me." I have also followed you. I'll be coming around to read some of your work soon.
I agree about the contrast and depth. I enjoyed reading your gracious remarks. Thank you for them.
Love some of the paintings that you have on this hub. Also, looks like you put a lot of time into it. Great info....Thanks!
Mr. Watkins, good job, good reading and a nice journey down memory lane. I enjoyed the Bio's as well as the pictures since I love classic movies and most classic anything. It was just my speed and right up my ally.
Black and White photo's inspires, so much contrast and depth.
I hope you come up with more Turner Classic Photo's or should that be Watkins Classic Photo's. Until the next sir. Hope you don't mind me following you.
2useday— I am pleased you found it, too. Penn's work is fabulous, especially of Lisa.
Thank you for your gracious, thoughtful remarks. I am grateful that you stopped by and left this kind note. And you are welcome.
so pleased to have found this - by chance as I was writing a hub it was at the side of it. I followed the image of 'Lisa' here because I had seen the photo earlier this week, I did not know the photographer's name. I love the photos taken by Irving Penn - enough to scan down the long list of comments to leave a comment of my own and a thank you for sharing this wonderful page.
pink flavour— Thank you! I love black and white photography very much. Welcome to the Hub Pages Community! I am glad you came.
great post i love black and white photography i believe it has a vintage taste even if it's contemporary .
seanorjohn— Thank you ever much for the compliments and the "voted up!" I know this Hub is long. I didn't intend it to be but once I got going I kept finding just one more artist or photograph I was compelled to include.
Wow. Voted this up and awesome. You have enough material here for 3 hubs.
SELL MY ART— Thank you for your sweet accolades. I'll be coming over to see your Hubs soon. Welcome to the Hub Pages Community!
Wonderful hub , a treat for my eyes and also good to know about each photographer.
Dolores Monet— I love them too!
"Seems to Claim the humanity of the people portrayed."
I'm not sure why that is true but I believe it.
Thank you for coming by to visit. And you are welcome. :)
Writemeasmile— I am well pleased to meet a kindred spirit. I noticed you only participate in the Hub Pages Community sporadically. There is something I liked about your prolfile page. Maybe it was the "s" on intelligences. :-)
Thank you for popping in to introduce yourself. I appreciate your warm words.
James, I love the old black and white photography, something about it seems to claim the humanity of the people portrayed. Thanks for sharing these great photographers, some of them I've never heard of.
Huge Huge Fan of Art, all kinds. Glad to see you are following my hubs, as well. I am a published novelist and worked on a couple more fiction light-hearted family loving romances. Therefore, I have not made time to write more articles. I like to write articles whenever I feel the spirit. Love your hubs. Excellent writing.
Amber Allen— Hi! Thank you for your kind regards Amber. I absolutely love black and white photography—and you have helped me understand why: depth of detail.
I agree with you that photography is an excellent form of social commentary. I appreciate your acute insights.
James :-)
tonymac04— You are welcome, my friend. I am glad you enjoyed it. Thank you for visiting one of my favorite Hubs. Love and Peace I wish for you Tony.
James
Hi James
A truly impressive hub! The amount of research you put into your hubs is an inspiration to us all.
Black and white photography has a depth of detail which just isn't present in a color photograph. I love the ability of photographs to provide a social commentary without the need for words.
Amber:)
I love photography as an art form and these are some great photographers here. Thanks for putting this great collection together.
Love and peace
Tony
Laura in Denver— You're welcome. Thank you for coming by!
Very nice collection and well presented. Thx!
couponalbum— Thank you very much. I apreciate your approval. :)
Nice hub again. Thumbs up!
Portamenteff— Thank you! I appreciate your warm words.
Nice collection of photos. very captivating.
deepanjana— Thank you! Thank you very much. :D
epigramman— I searched for Doug Dunnigan among Hubbers and came up empty.
Awesome Hub!!! I have learnt a lot
epigramman— Thank you for coming back, kid sir! Yes, I will go and read Doug Dunnigan. Thanks for that tip. I'll be coming over to read more of your hubs as well. Those glasses are Fendi. I do love 'em! :D
jojobasun— Thank you! Thank you very much.
I am back because good things are worth coming back to especially a classic hub like this one - and one favor please I have a buddy Doug Dunnigan who is new here at hubpages - could you possibly go and check him out - he is a world class photographer and artist and you will be impressed ... thanks also for dropping by and reading the epigramman - and gee I wish I looked as cool as you in those sunglasses ..
GmaGoldie— Thank you! 6 stars!! I'll take them. You are welcome and I sincerely appreciate the applause. I'm feeling pretty good right about now. Thanks to you. :-)
interesting article!
James,
Another brilliant article. Exceptionally well researched and idyllic photos showcasing these marvelous artist. You outdid yourself even your high standards this time! Is there a 6 stars? Wow! Absolutely delightful! Thank you!
skye— Thank you! Thank you very much. I appreciate this visitation and the Thumbs Up. I apologize for making this too distracting. :D
Thanks for the compliments, love, the hugs, and the sharing. You're the best!
Hello James. Wowzer This is an incredable hub. The photos are awesome and very beautiful. I love your writing about the artists. Nice!!! Voted thumbs up awesome.
I have been here for an hour. You have to stop making such fantastic hubs. I spent to much time here. tee he. Like I am all important. (-; Kidding. I enjoyed each minute. Free entertainment. Thank You James I am sending a big hug your way. The Father Blessed you with a wonderful gift for all to enjoy and be enlightened. I love ya bro. Your sis in Christ.
I have linked this out, 'share in the love' hub.
Dim Flaxenwick— What a nice thing to say! :D
Thank you for your kind, warm words. It's great to hear from you today. You've buoyed my spirits with your comments.
Your high standard never drops. I can't imagine what wealth of information you may have for us next. Love your work. Take care.x
Allan McGregor— Ha! That is an odd title but it is the title chosen by the photographer himself. I found it interesting for many reasons. One, it is a bit titillating in a real world 1970s sort of way, before porno blasted that sort of thing into smithereens. Also I love the 1970s clothes of the passersby. But chiefly, it is the phone booth itself I liked. The younger generation may not even know what that is, as it has disappeared from the landscape. Thanks for visiting, my friend.
tom hellert— And a belated Happy Father's Day to you! Thank you for visiting and commenting.
James
suny51— You are most welcome. Thank you for coming to visit.
Fantastic hub. Wonderful pictures. Outstanding documentary art.
Mind you, I nearly fell out my chair whem I saw "GIRL IN PHONE BOOTH WITH LEG UP 1970". She could put her leg up my 1970 any day. /:))
james,
neat stuff oh and HAPPY FATHERS DAY TO YOU AND YOURS.
TH
Nothing like that James,I never felt that way,it were the articles which are a little bit too literary for me,otherwise I had been in more than 20 countries and never felt that way,Thank you once again.
suny51— I consider all my visitors equally valuable, regardless of whence they come, my friend. You are an especially cool guy and I enjoyed hearing from you. Yes, I know what you mean. Thank you for the compliment and you are welcome. :)
Hello James-This is the article that I can write some thing in this box and won't look all that foreigner, else I am only a simple visitor around your other articles,you know what I mean.This is a grand collection of grand photographs.Thank you.
anjalichugh— Thank you! You are welcome. I sincerely appreciate you reading my work and letting me know that you do. "Lady Cry" is my favorite on this page.
Great work James! I'd just heard about 2 photographers in the list given above. Thanks for a wonderful read and for enriching my knowledge in this field. :) Again, I'm the last one to comment but usually am the first one to read your hubs irrespective of whether or not I leave comments. Take care.
RunAbstract— Thank you. I featured Ansel Adams in a previous Hub about the Art of Photography.
http://hubpages.com/hub/Photographic-Art
He deserves a Hub of his own though because he is the best. Thank you for expressing your appreciation of this fine art. I am glad you liked the opener and the closer. There is something about that Hitchcock photo I cannot quite put my finger on. He has the unmistakable look on his face of one who is acutely aware of his mortality. Or maybe it is just his big butt. :D
Good article. I enjoy black and white photos. I can't help but wonder... Where's Ansel Adams? I only ask because he is my idol as far as American photo artists go. But I suppose the concept for this article was photos of people, so it's a good article. And some of the pics you picked for it are very stricking.
I can't help but wonder why Irving Penn wanted to show Alfred Hitchcock's butt to such an advantage. LOL!
Your lead photo of "Lisa" was a great choice. Finishing with Ghandi was good too.
I'll be back to read more.
MzGe3— Thank you! I am glad you found it interesting. Good luck in your artistic career! You are welcome to use any of these photos. Welcome to the Hub Pages Community!
epigramman— Why, thank you, kind sir! I'm not anywhere near in the class of these people but that is nice of you to say. What a life that would be—surrounded by fine art and good living. You are welcome anytime at no charge. You know what? You are right. I have had a good life.
Joshua Kell— Thank you! Thank you very much for the accolades! And you are most welcome.
drpastorcarlotta— Thank you, dear! You always brighten up my day with your enthusiastic encouragement. You are the best, doctor pastor.
This is a great hub... I am an artist and in school for Design. I am working on my photography skills so that I can DO IT ALL when designing web pages for clients. This was very interesting... btw I stole the picture of the 1989 top models. lol
tracykarl99— Yes, that Churchill is remarkable. And the Hitchcock is compelling. I am with you about Irving Penn: he has mountains of beautiful work. A coffee table book is in order. Thank you for your compliment. I appreciate the visitation.
MMMoney— Thank you very much and you are most welcome.
of which you are one!!!!
Hello Mr. Shepherd (Sam) aka Mr. Watkins - how much are charging for rent space? I could live at one of your hubs - they're so good - and what a life that would be - surrounded by fine art and good living!!!
Peggy W— You are most welcome, my dear. Thank you for coming by to visit. I appreciate your laudations. :)
Awesome hub James! Beautiful pics, and a fine taste in art. Thank you.
Once again a wonderful, well written Hub! Nice photo too!!! Blessings!!!
I really enjoyed reading and viewing this ~ a wonderful hub. It makes me want to go out and buy a coffee table book of Irving Penn photographs. I am partial to the photo of Hitchcock, of course. And I'm sure, given the chance, Penn could have captured Churchill sans the painful grimace!
excellent hub thanks
What a terrific collection of old black and white photos...each telling their own story. Thanks for all the time and effort you put into this great hub.
DenverPhotography— You are welcome. Thank you for coming to see and for your nice compliments. Welcome to the Hub Pages Community!
James A Watkins Hub Author 5 weeks ago
Emma Jones— Thank you!! I appreciate the visit and your comments. I am glad you enjoyed that particular photograph. Welcome to the Hub Pages Community!