Ed Clark (photographer)
Encyclopedia
Ed Clark was a photographer who worked primarily for Life
magazine. His best remembered work captured a weeping Graham W. Jackson, Sr.
playing his accordion
as the body of the recently deceased President Franklin D. Roosevelt
was being transported to Washington, DC.
and nearly blew myself off the roof". However, he learned quickly and was promoted to staff photographer, a position he held for 13 years.
in 1936. A 1942 photograph of World War I hero Alvin York
registering for the "old man's draft" brought a job offer, but he turned it down; "I was raising two young boys, and New York didn't seem like the place to raise them," he later explained. However, he changed his mind, becoming a staff photographer in 1944, after Life allowed him to remain in Tennessee for a few years.
had died, he drove all night from his home in Nashville to Warm Springs, Georgia
. As the President's body was being taken to the train station, Clark, alone among the swarm of photographers present, noticed United States Navy
bandsman Graham W. Jackson, Sr.
playing "Goin' Home", one of Roosevelt's favorite tunes, on his accordion as tears ran down his face. The iconic photograph was published full page in the April 17, 1945, issue of Life, capturing the nation's grief.
, Clark photographed Hermann Göring
.
In 1948, a series of photographs documented the gross inequality in educational resources allocated to white versus black children in the West Memphis School District
of Arkansas
; a single teacher had 100 black students, crammed into a single classroom. The Life story led to the construction of a new building for them.
That same year, Clark was assigned to the Los Angeles
bureau, where he became acquainted with Hollywood stars. He was the only photographer invited to the wedding reception of Humphrey Bogart
and Lauren Bacall
. Around 1950, a friend told him of a "hot tomato" who had just signed with Twentieth Century-Fox. He took a series of pictures of a then unknown Marilyn Monroe
which were not published at the time; much later, they came to light during a search of Lifes archives.
He was also in the good graces of presidents. He took a portrait of Dwight D. Eisenhower
using a Mathew Brady
camera. On Eisenhower's last day as President, Clark was the only photographer permitted in the Oval Office
. Another memorable photo showed then Senator John F. Kennedy
spending time with his baby daughter Caroline
. The Kennedys were so pleased with the result that it hung in the Oval Office after he was elected, and Jackie Kennedy asked for 75 copies.
In 1955, Clark received an unexpected invitation from the Soviet Union
. He became the first Western photographer allowed behind the Iron Curtain
in 30 years.
Due to budgetary cutbacks, Life let go a third of its photographic staff in 1963, Ed Clark among them. By then, his vision had become impaired due to a cataract
.
or Washington. In 1982, a doctor removed his cataract and implanted a new lens, restoring his vision.
In 1990, he was awarded the Photographic Society of America
's Understanding Through Photography Award.
He took some courses on modern methods of black-and-white and color printing at Nashville State Tech
. He later donated his collection to that institution.
Ed Clark and his wife Joyce moved to Sarasota, Florida. He died there on January 22, 2000, at the age of 88. His first wife, Garnet, predeceased him. He was survived by Joyce, his son Tom (from his first marriage), two grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.
Life (magazine)
Life generally refers to three American magazines:*A humor and general interest magazine published from 1883 to 1936. Time founder Henry Luce bought the magazine in 1936 solely so that he could acquire the rights to its name....
magazine. His best remembered work captured a weeping Graham W. Jackson, Sr.
Graham W. Jackson, Sr.
Graham Washington Jackson, Sr. was a celebrated African-American theatre organist, pianist, and choral conductor.-Early life and education:...
playing his accordion
Accordion
The accordion is a box-shaped musical instrument of the bellows-driven free-reed aerophone family, sometimes referred to as a squeezebox. A person who plays the accordion is called an accordionist....
as the body of the recently deceased President Franklin D. Roosevelt
Franklin D. Roosevelt
Franklin Delano Roosevelt , also known by his initials, FDR, was the 32nd President of the United States and a central figure in world events during the mid-20th century, leading the United States during a time of worldwide economic crisis and world war...
was being transported to Washington, DC.
The Nashville Tennessean
Clark dropped out of Hume-Fogg High School after he told the editor of the Nashville Tennessean newspaper he was a photographer and got a job as an assistant. "I lied," he later admitted. He recalled that "Covering a parade once, I used too much flash powderFlash powder
Flash powder is a pyrotechnic composition, a mixture of oxidizer and metallic fuel, which burns quickly and if confined produces a loud report. It is widely used in theatrical pyrotechnics and fireworks and was once used for flashes in photography.Different varieties of flash powder are made from...
and nearly blew myself off the roof". However, he learned quickly and was promoted to staff photographer, a position he held for 13 years.
Life magazine
His work came to the notice of Life, which made him a stringerStringer (journalism)
In journalism, a stringer is a type of freelance journalist or photographer who contributes reports or photos to a news organization on an ongoing basis but is paid individually for each piece of published or broadcast work....
in 1936. A 1942 photograph of World War I hero Alvin York
Alvin York
Alvin Cullum York was one of the most decorated American soldiers in World War I. He received the Medal of Honor for leading an attack on a German machine gun nest, taking 32 machine guns, killing 28 German soldiers and capturing 132 others...
registering for the "old man's draft" brought a job offer, but he turned it down; "I was raising two young boys, and New York didn't seem like the place to raise them," he later explained. However, he changed his mind, becoming a staff photographer in 1944, after Life allowed him to remain in Tennessee for a few years.
Graham Jackson photograph
When he received a telephone call informing him that President Franklin D. RooseveltFranklin D. Roosevelt
Franklin Delano Roosevelt , also known by his initials, FDR, was the 32nd President of the United States and a central figure in world events during the mid-20th century, leading the United States during a time of worldwide economic crisis and world war...
had died, he drove all night from his home in Nashville to Warm Springs, Georgia
Warm Springs, Georgia
Warm Springs is a city in Meriwether County, Georgia, United States. The population was 478 at the 2010 census.-History:Warm Springs first came to prominence in the 19th century as a spa town, due to its mineral springs which flow constantly at nearly 32 °C...
. As the President's body was being taken to the train station, Clark, alone among the swarm of photographers present, noticed United States Navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
bandsman Graham W. Jackson, Sr.
Graham W. Jackson, Sr.
Graham Washington Jackson, Sr. was a celebrated African-American theatre organist, pianist, and choral conductor.-Early life and education:...
playing "Goin' Home", one of Roosevelt's favorite tunes, on his accordion as tears ran down his face. The iconic photograph was published full page in the April 17, 1945, issue of Life, capturing the nation's grief.
Post-war
In 1945, he was temporarily assigned to the Paris offices. At the Nuremberg TrialsNuremberg Trials
The Nuremberg Trials were a series of military tribunals, held by the victorious Allied forces of World War II, most notable for the prosecution of prominent members of the political, military, and economic leadership of the defeated Nazi Germany....
, Clark photographed Hermann Göring
Hermann Göring
Hermann Wilhelm Göring, was a German politician, military leader, and a leading member of the Nazi Party. He was a veteran of World War I as an ace fighter pilot, and a recipient of the coveted Pour le Mérite, also known as "The Blue Max"...
.
In 1948, a series of photographs documented the gross inequality in educational resources allocated to white versus black children in the West Memphis School District
West Memphis School District
CollegeMid-South Community CollegeHigh SchoolWest Memphis High School, 10-12Junior High SchoolWest Junior High School, 7-9East Junior High School, 7-9East Junior High School, 7-9Bragg Elementary School, K-6Richland Elementary School, K-6...
of Arkansas
Arkansas
Arkansas is a state located in the southern region of the United States. Its name is an Algonquian name of the Quapaw Indians. Arkansas shares borders with six states , and its eastern border is largely defined by the Mississippi River...
; a single teacher had 100 black students, crammed into a single classroom. The Life story led to the construction of a new building for them.
That same year, Clark was assigned to the Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
bureau, where he became acquainted with Hollywood stars. He was the only photographer invited to the wedding reception of Humphrey Bogart
Humphrey Bogart
Humphrey DeForest Bogart was an American actor. He is widely regarded as a cultural icon.The American Film Institute ranked Bogart as the greatest male star in the history of American cinema....
and Lauren Bacall
Lauren Bacall
Lauren Bacall is an American film and stage actress and model, known for her distinctive husky voice and sultry looks.She first emerged as leading lady in the Humphrey Bogart film To Have And Have Not and continued on in the film noir genre, with appearances in The Big Sleep and Dark Passage ,...
. Around 1950, a friend told him of a "hot tomato" who had just signed with Twentieth Century-Fox. He took a series of pictures of a then unknown Marilyn Monroe
Marilyn Monroe
Marilyn Monroe was an American actress, singer, model and showgirl who became a major sex symbol, starring in a number of commercially successful motion pictures during the 1950s....
which were not published at the time; much later, they came to light during a search of Lifes archives.
He was also in the good graces of presidents. He took a portrait of Dwight D. Eisenhower
Dwight D. Eisenhower
Dwight David "Ike" Eisenhower was the 34th President of the United States, from 1953 until 1961. He was a five-star general in the United States Army...
using a Mathew Brady
Mathew Brady
Mathew B. Brady was one of the most celebrated 19th century American photographers, best known for his portraits of celebrities and his documentation of the American Civil War...
camera. On Eisenhower's last day as President, Clark was the only photographer permitted in the Oval Office
Oval Office
The Oval Office, located in the West Wing of the White House, is the official office of the President of the United States.The room features three large south-facing windows behind the president's desk, and a fireplace at the north end...
. Another memorable photo showed then Senator John F. Kennedy
John F. Kennedy
John Fitzgerald "Jack" Kennedy , often referred to by his initials JFK, was the 35th President of the United States, serving from 1961 until his assassination in 1963....
spending time with his baby daughter Caroline
Caroline Kennedy
Caroline Bouvier Kennedy is an American author and attorney. She is a member of the influential Kennedy family and the only surviving child of U.S. President John F...
. The Kennedys were so pleased with the result that it hung in the Oval Office after he was elected, and Jackie Kennedy asked for 75 copies.
In 1955, Clark received an unexpected invitation from the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
. He became the first Western photographer allowed behind the Iron Curtain
Iron Curtain
The concept of the Iron Curtain symbolized the ideological fighting and physical boundary dividing Europe into two separate areas from the end of World War II in 1945 until the end of the Cold War in 1989...
in 30 years.
Due to budgetary cutbacks, Life let go a third of its photographic staff in 1963, Ed Clark among them. By then, his vision had become impaired due to a cataract
Cataract
A cataract is a clouding that develops in the crystalline lens of the eye or in its envelope, varying in degree from slight to complete opacity and obstructing the passage of light...
.
Later life
He became a building contractor in Bethesda, MarylandBethesda, Maryland
Bethesda is a census designated place in southern Montgomery County, Maryland, United States, just northwest of Washington, D.C. It takes its name from a local church, the Bethesda Meeting House , which in turn took its name from Jerusalem's Pool of Bethesda...
or Washington. In 1982, a doctor removed his cataract and implanted a new lens, restoring his vision.
In 1990, he was awarded the Photographic Society of America
Photographic Society of America
The Photographic Society of America is one of the largest, non-profit organization of its kind. Despite its name it is an International organisation open to anyone with an interest in photography. Established in 1934, it has expanded to include members of over 70 countries. The Society includes...
's Understanding Through Photography Award.
He took some courses on modern methods of black-and-white and color printing at Nashville State Tech
Nashville State Community College
Nashville State Community College is a comprehensive, regionally accredited, two year community college in Nashville, Tennessee operated by the Tennessee Board of Regents. Nashville State shares a campus with the Tennessee Technology Center at Nashville. The Nashville State facilities include of...
. He later donated his collection to that institution.
Ed Clark and his wife Joyce moved to Sarasota, Florida. He died there on January 22, 2000, at the age of 88. His first wife, Garnet, predeceased him. He was survived by Joyce, his son Tom (from his first marriage), two grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.