Bernie Boston
Encyclopedia
Bernie Boston was an American
photographer most noted for his iconic Pulitzer Prize-nominated photograph, Flower Power
.
, Boston graduated from the Rochester Institute of Technology
and served in the Army before starting his news photography career in Dayton, Ohio
. He moved back to Washington to work at the Star and was director of photography when the newspaper folded in 1981. He then was hired by The Los Angeles Times
to establish a photo operation in the nation's capital. During his career he covered every president from Harry S. Truman
to Bill Clinton
.
On October 22, 1967 he photographed his most famous picture, "Flower Power", which featured a Vietnam War
protest
er inserting flowers into National Guardsmen's rifle barrels. He was a runner-up for the Pulitzer Prize
with this photo. He was also a Pulitzer Prize finalist for a 1987 photograph of Coretta Scott King
unveiling a bust of her late husband, the Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr.
, in the U.S. Capitol.
An archive of many of Boston's negatives as well as some prints and contact sheets is held at the Rochester Institute of Technology today. Established as a tribute to his memory and a lasting inspiration for young photographers, it includes most of his work including the original negative for "Flower Power".
awarded Boston the Joseph A. Sprague Memorial Award, their highest honor. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame of Sigma Delta Chi, the Society of Professional Journalists.
In 2006, a collection of Boston's photos were published in the book Bernie Boston: American Photojournalist by Therese Mulligan.
on January 22, 2008 of amyloidosis
, a blood disorder.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
photographer most noted for his iconic Pulitzer Prize-nominated photograph, Flower Power
Flower power
Flower power is a slogan used by the American counterculture movement during the late 1960s and early 1970s as a symbol of passive resistance and non-violence ideology. It is rooted in the opposition movement to the Vietnam War. The expression was coined by the American Beat poet Allen Ginsberg in...
.
Life and career
Born in Washington, D.C.Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
, Boston graduated from the Rochester Institute of Technology
Rochester Institute of Technology
The Rochester Institute of Technology is a private university, located within the town of Henrietta in metropolitan Rochester, New York, United States...
and served in the Army before starting his news photography career in Dayton, Ohio
Dayton, Ohio
Dayton is the 6th largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Montgomery County, the fifth most populous county in the state. The population was 141,527 at the 2010 census. The Dayton Metropolitan Statistical Area had a population of 841,502 in the 2010 census...
. He moved back to Washington to work at the Star and was director of photography when the newspaper folded in 1981. He then was hired by The Los Angeles Times
Los Angeles Times
The Los Angeles Times is a daily newspaper published in Los Angeles, California, since 1881. It was the second-largest metropolitan newspaper in circulation in the United States in 2008 and the fourth most widely distributed newspaper in the country....
to establish a photo operation in the nation's capital. During his career he covered every president from Harry S. Truman
Harry S. Truman
Harry S. Truman was the 33rd President of the United States . As President Franklin D. Roosevelt's third vice president and the 34th Vice President of the United States , he succeeded to the presidency on April 12, 1945, when President Roosevelt died less than three months after beginning his...
to Bill Clinton
Bill Clinton
William Jefferson "Bill" Clinton is an American politician who served as the 42nd President of the United States from 1993 to 2001. Inaugurated at age 46, he was the third-youngest president. He took office at the end of the Cold War, and was the first president of the baby boomer generation...
.
On October 22, 1967 he photographed his most famous picture, "Flower Power", which featured a Vietnam War
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
protest
Protest
A protest is an expression of objection, by words or by actions, to particular events, policies or situations. Protests can take many different forms, from individual statements to mass demonstrations...
er inserting flowers into National Guardsmen's rifle barrels. He was a runner-up for the Pulitzer Prize
Pulitzer Prize
The Pulitzer Prize is a U.S. award for achievements in newspaper and online journalism, literature and musical composition. It was established by American publisher Joseph Pulitzer and is administered by Columbia University in New York City...
with this photo. He was also a Pulitzer Prize finalist for a 1987 photograph of Coretta Scott King
Coretta Scott King
Coretta Scott King was an American author, activist, and civil rights leader. The widow of Martin Luther King, Jr., Coretta Scott King helped lead the African-American Civil Rights Movement in the 1960s.Mrs...
unveiling a bust of her late husband, the Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Martin Luther King, Jr.
Martin Luther King, Jr. was an American clergyman, activist, and prominent leader in the African-American Civil Rights Movement. He is best known for being an iconic figure in the advancement of civil rights in the United States and around the world, using nonviolent methods following the...
, in the U.S. Capitol.
An archive of many of Boston's negatives as well as some prints and contact sheets is held at the Rochester Institute of Technology today. Established as a tribute to his memory and a lasting inspiration for young photographers, it includes most of his work including the original negative for "Flower Power".
Honors
In 1993, National Press Photographers AssociationNational Press Photographers Association
NPPA is the acronym for the National Press Photographers Association, founded in 1947. The organization is based in Durham, North Carolina and its mostly made up of still photographers, television videographers, editors, and students in the journalism field...
awarded Boston the Joseph A. Sprague Memorial Award, their highest honor. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame of Sigma Delta Chi, the Society of Professional Journalists.
In 2006, a collection of Boston's photos were published in the book Bernie Boston: American Photojournalist by Therese Mulligan.
Death
Bernie Boston died at his home in Basye, VirginiaVirginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
on January 22, 2008 of amyloidosis
Amyloidosis
In medicine, amyloidosis refers to a variety of conditions whereby the body produces "bad proteins", denoted as amyloid proteins, which are abnormally deposited in organs and/or tissues and cause harm. A protein is described as being amyloid if, due to an alteration in its secondary structure, it...
, a blood disorder.