Leigh Wiener
Encyclopedia
Leigh Auston Wiener was an award-winning American photographer and photojournalist. In a career that spanned five decades, he covered hundreds of people and events. His images captured the public and private moments of entertainers, musicians, artists, authors, poets, scientists, sports figures, politicians, industrialists, and heads of state, including every U.S. president from Harry Truman to Ronald Reagan
and illustrated every sector of industry including farming, steel mills, auto manufacturing, aerospace, medicine, research, early computing and semi-conductor manufacturing.
.
In 1946, he moved to Los Angeles. While attending UCLA, where he majored in Political Science, Wiener also worked as a news photographer for The Los Angeles Times. After college, he joined the Times as a staff photographer, but his years there were interrupted by military service in Europe as an Army photographer for Stars and Stripes
.
, while playing in a field with three other children, fell down an abandoned well, only fourteen inches wide, and became wedged ninety-seven feet below the ground.
Arriving on the scene, Wiener came upon hundreds of other newspeople, photographers, and television crews. Believing there was little else at the scene that could be photographed, Wiener left the field and walked to the Fiscus home. There in the rear yard, using his 4x5 Speed Graphic
, he photographed the child’s empty swing.
Returning to the scene, Wiener waited along with everyone else. Despite the efforts of the rescue teams to reach her, Kathy’s lifeless body was brought up two days later. Subsequently, Wiener’s powerful photograph of the child’s empty swing was used on the front page of over 150 newspapers nationwide.
, Fortune
, Time, The Saturday Evening Post, and Sports Illustrated
.
Wiener formed his own company in 1958. He became noted for his innovative combination of cameras and lenses; setups he designed himself to achieve the images he desired.
When photographing people, Wiener had the keen ability to capture the context of the moment while focusing squarely on the subject, inherently isolating the essential from the non-essential; the emotional state of the subject at the precise moment of the shutter-click expressed. This was the hallmark of his work.
On assignment for Life during the 1960 presidential primaries he would capture iconic images of John F. Kennedy and Lyndon Johnson. He extensively documented Kennedy's bid for the presidency when the senator retained him to record his campaign. Wiener traveled with Kennedy on the campaign trail through the Pacific Northwest.
He later expanded into the world of TV documentaries. The Eddy Award-winning “A Slice of Sunday” was his 1967 production on professional football shot with camera-optical systems of his own design. It would serve as the prototype for many of the sports programs on network television in the years to follow such as The NFL Today. In 1979, the Motion Picture Editors Guild
recognized it as one of the three most innovative documentaries in the prior 25 years of broadcasting.
In 1975, Wiener created and produced the Emmy award-winning NBC-TV series “Talk About Pictures.” He co-hosted the program with George Fenneman
. The series featured an eclectic cross-section of photographers and photo enthusiasts exploring photographs and photography. Guests included professionals such as Ansel Adams
, Alfred Eisenstaedt
, Edmund Teske
, and Mario Casilli
and buffs such as Edgar Bergen
, Betty White
, Richard Chamberlain
, David Cassidy
and Bob Crane
.
In considering the decisive moment, he said:
In 1987 he was selected by the Vatican to photograph Pope John Paul II
's visit to Los Angeles during his trip to the United States.
He produced nine books including "Here Comes Me", "Marilyn: A Hollywood Farewell; The Death and Funeral of Marilyn Monroe", "How Do You Photograph People?", and "Tijuana Sunday".
Wiener's work has been spotlighted in photographic art circles, viewed in solo and group exhibitions in museums and galleries across the U.S. Three of his photographs – of Sandy Koufax
, Willie Mays
and resident John F. Kennedy
— were acquired by the National Portrait Gallery in Washington
.
He taught classes in photography at UCLA, and held lectures and seminars in the U.S. and abroad.
, a skin disease. His doctors attributed the disease possibly to radiation exposure he received while photographing atomic isotopes and atomic bomb tests in the Nevada-Utah desert and in the Pacific after World War II for Life Magazine.
Ronald Reagan
Ronald Wilson Reagan was the 40th President of the United States , the 33rd Governor of California and, prior to that, a radio, film and television actor....
and illustrated every sector of industry including farming, steel mills, auto manufacturing, aerospace, medicine, research, early computing and semi-conductor manufacturing.
Biography
Leigh A. Wiener was born in New York City to Grace and Willard Wiener. Wiener’s lifelong love of cameras and photography began at an early age. Willard Wiener was a newspaper man who frequently brought family friend and colleague Arthur Fellig—the news photographer better known as Weegee—to the house for Sunday dinner. Felig always had a packet of his latest pictures with him which he would lay out, asking a young Leigh for his opinion. By the age of 14, Wiener sold his first commercial photograph to Collier’s WeeklyCollier's Weekly
Collier's Weekly was an American magazine founded by Peter Fenelon Collier and published from 1888 to 1957. With the passage of decades, the title was shortened to Collier's....
.
In 1946, he moved to Los Angeles. While attending UCLA, where he majored in Political Science, Wiener also worked as a news photographer for The Los Angeles Times. After college, he joined the Times as a staff photographer, but his years there were interrupted by military service in Europe as an Army photographer for Stars and Stripes
Stars and Stripes (newspaper)
Stars and Stripes is a news source that operates from inside the United States Department of Defense but is editorially separate from it. The First Amendment protection which Stars and Stripes enjoys is safeguarded by Congress to whom an independent ombudsman, who serves the readers' interests,...
.
Career turning point
On April 8, 1949 in San Marino, California, three-year-old Kathy FiscusKathy Fiscus
Kathryn Anne Fiscus was a three-year-old girl who died after falling into a well in San Marino, California. The attempted rescue, broadcast live on KTLA, was a landmark event in American television history.-Biography:...
, while playing in a field with three other children, fell down an abandoned well, only fourteen inches wide, and became wedged ninety-seven feet below the ground.
Arriving on the scene, Wiener came upon hundreds of other newspeople, photographers, and television crews. Believing there was little else at the scene that could be photographed, Wiener left the field and walked to the Fiscus home. There in the rear yard, using his 4x5 Speed Graphic
Speed Graphic
Produced by Graflex in Rochester, New York, the Speed Graphic is commonly called the most famous press camera. Although the first Speed Graphic cameras were produced in 1912, production of later versions continued until 1973; with the most significant improvements occurring in 1947 with the...
, he photographed the child’s empty swing.
Returning to the scene, Wiener waited along with everyone else. Despite the efforts of the rescue teams to reach her, Kathy’s lifeless body was brought up two days later. Subsequently, Wiener’s powerful photograph of the child’s empty swing was used on the front page of over 150 newspapers nationwide.
Work
During his decades-long career as a photographer and photojournalist, Wiener consistently produced front page pictures and photo essays for the world's most prestigious newspapers and news magazines such as Life, Paris-MatchParis Match
Paris Match is a French weekly magazine. It covers major national and international news along with celebrity lifestyle features. It was founded in 1949 by the industrialist Jean Prouvost....
, Fortune
Fortune (magazine)
Fortune is a global business magazine published by Time Inc. Founded by Henry Luce in 1930, the publishing business, consisting of Time, Life, Fortune, and Sports Illustrated, grew to become Time Warner. In turn, AOL grew as it acquired Time Warner in 2000 when Time Warner was the world's largest...
, Time, The Saturday Evening Post, and Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated is an American sports media company owned by media conglomerate Time Warner. Its self titled magazine has over 3.5 million subscribers and is read by 23 million adults each week, including over 18 million men. It was the first magazine with circulation over one million to win the...
.
Wiener formed his own company in 1958. He became noted for his innovative combination of cameras and lenses; setups he designed himself to achieve the images he desired.
When photographing people, Wiener had the keen ability to capture the context of the moment while focusing squarely on the subject, inherently isolating the essential from the non-essential; the emotional state of the subject at the precise moment of the shutter-click expressed. This was the hallmark of his work.
On assignment for Life during the 1960 presidential primaries he would capture iconic images of John F. Kennedy and Lyndon Johnson. He extensively documented Kennedy's bid for the presidency when the senator retained him to record his campaign. Wiener traveled with Kennedy on the campaign trail through the Pacific Northwest.
He later expanded into the world of TV documentaries. The Eddy Award-winning “A Slice of Sunday” was his 1967 production on professional football shot with camera-optical systems of his own design. It would serve as the prototype for many of the sports programs on network television in the years to follow such as The NFL Today. In 1979, the Motion Picture Editors Guild
Motion Picture Editors Guild
The Motion Picture Editors Guild is the guild that represents freelance and staff motion picture film and television editors and other post-production professionals and story analysts throughout the United States...
recognized it as one of the three most innovative documentaries in the prior 25 years of broadcasting.
In 1975, Wiener created and produced the Emmy award-winning NBC-TV series “Talk About Pictures.” He co-hosted the program with George Fenneman
George Fenneman
George Watt Fenneman was an American radio and television announcer.Fenneman was born in Beijing, China, the only child of American parents in the import-export business. He was nine months old when his parents moved to San Francisco, California, United States, where he grew up...
. The series featured an eclectic cross-section of photographers and photo enthusiasts exploring photographs and photography. Guests included professionals such as Ansel Adams
Ansel Adams
Ansel Easton Adams was an American photographer and environmentalist, best known for his black-and-white photographs of the American West, especially in Yosemite National Park....
, Alfred Eisenstaedt
Alfred Eisenstaedt
Alfred Eisenstaedt was a German-American photographer and photojournalist. He is renowned for his candid photographs, frequently made using various models of a 35mm Leica rangefinder camera...
, Edmund Teske
Edmund Teske
Edmund Teske was an American photographer noted for his experimental techniques and work with the architect Frank Lloyd Wright....
, and Mario Casilli
Mario Casilli
Mario A. Casilli was a photographer for Playboy magazine.From 1962 until 1981 he photographed 57 Playmate pictorials, including Playmates of the Year Linda Gamble, Christa Speck, Jo Collins, Connie Kreski, Claudia Jennings and Dorothy Stratten...
and buffs such as Edgar Bergen
Edgar Bergen
Edgar John Bergen was an American actor and radio performer, best known as a ventriloquist.-Early life:...
, Betty White
Betty White
Betty White Ludden , better known as Betty White, is an American actress, comedienne, singer, author, and former game show personality. With a career spanning seven decades since 1939, she is best known to modern audiences for her television roles as Sue Ann Nivens on The Mary Tyler Moore Show and...
, Richard Chamberlain
Richard Chamberlain
George Richard Chamberlain is an American actor of stage and screen who became a teen idol in the title role of the television show Dr. Kildare .-Early life:...
, David Cassidy
David Cassidy
David Bruce Cassidy is an American actor, singer, songwriter and guitarist. He is best known for his role as the character of Keith Partridge in the 1970s musical/sitcom The Partridge Family. He was one of pop culture's most celebrated teen idols, enjoying a successful pop career in the 1970s, and...
and Bob Crane
Bob Crane
Robert Edward "Bob" Crane was an American actor and disc jockey, best known for his performance as Colonel Robert E...
.
In considering the decisive moment, he said:
In 1987 he was selected by the Vatican to photograph Pope John Paul II
Pope John Paul II
Blessed Pope John Paul II , born Karol Józef Wojtyła , reigned as Pope of the Catholic Church and Sovereign of Vatican City from 16 October 1978 until his death on 2 April 2005, at of age. His was the second-longest documented pontificate, which lasted ; only Pope Pius IX ...
's visit to Los Angeles during his trip to the United States.
He produced nine books including "Here Comes Me", "Marilyn: A Hollywood Farewell; The Death and Funeral of Marilyn Monroe", "How Do You Photograph People?", and "Tijuana Sunday".
Wiener's work has been spotlighted in photographic art circles, viewed in solo and group exhibitions in museums and galleries across the U.S. Three of his photographs – of Sandy Koufax
Sandy Koufax
Sanford "Sandy" Koufax is a former left-handed baseball pitcher who played his entire 12-year Major League Baseball career for the Brooklyn/Los Angeles Dodgers...
, Willie Mays
Willie Mays
Willie Howard Mays, Jr. is a retired American professional baseball player who played the majority of his major league career with the New York and San Francisco Giants before finishing with the New York Mets. Nicknamed The Say Hey Kid, Mays was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1979, his...
and resident 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....
— were acquired by the National Portrait Gallery in Washington
National Portrait Gallery (United States)
The National Portrait Gallery is an art gallery in Washington, D.C., administered by the Smithsonian Institution. Its collections focus on images of famous individual Americans.-Building:...
.
He taught classes in photography at UCLA, and held lectures and seminars in the U.S. and abroad.
Death
Leigh Wiener passed away on May 11, 1993 in Los Angeles after a long illness. His obituary published in The New York Times following his death, described him as photographer of the famous and historic. He died from complications of Sweet's SyndromeSweet syndrome
Sweet's syndrome , or acute febrile neutrophilic dermatosis is a skin disease characterized by the sudden onset of fever, leukocytosis, and tender, erythematous, well-demarcated papules and plaques which show dense infiltrates by neutrophil granulocytes on histologic examination.The syndrome was...
, a skin disease. His doctors attributed the disease possibly to radiation exposure he received while photographing atomic isotopes and atomic bomb tests in the Nevada-Utah desert and in the Pacific after World War II for Life Magazine.
Books containing his works
- 1964: Industrial Design: Volume 5, by Henry Dreyfuss
- 1965: The Drug Takers, Time-Life Books
- 1968: The Selected Letters of Robinson Jeffers, by Ann Ridgeway and Leigh Wiener, The Johns Hopkins Press
- 1969: UCLA on The Move, by Andrew Hamilton and John B. Jackson, The Ward Ritchie Press
- 1973: The Best of LIFE, Time Inc.
- 1975: LIFE Goes To The Movies, Time Inc.
- 1975: Rainbow, by Christopher Finch, Grossett and Dunlap
- 1976: Violence and Aggression, by Ronald H. Bailey, Time-Life Books
- 1977: The Double Ax, by Robinson Jeffers, Liveright
- 1977: Dear Judas and Other Poems by Robinson Jeffers, by Robinson Jeffers, Liveright
- 1977: The Women at Point Sur and Other Poems, by Robinson Jeffers, Liveright
- 1982: Judy and Liza, by James Spada, Doubleday and Co., Inc.
- 1983: The Cliffs of Solitude, by Robert Zaller, Cambridge University Press
- 1985: Jubal Sackett, by Louis L'Amour, Bantam Books
- 1987: Robinson Jeffers, by Unterjochte Erde, R. Piper Gmb.H & Co.
- 1987: Robinson Jeffers, Poet, by Robert J. Brophy
- 1987: Fine Printing: The Los Angeles Tradition, by Ward Ritchie
- 1987: Masters of Starlight: Photographers in Hollywood, by David Fahey and Linda Rich
- 1988: Photography For The Art Market, by Kathryn Marx, Amphoto
- 1988: William Everson: The Life of Brother Antoninus by Lee Bartlett, A New Directions Book
- 2000: One Man's Eye: Photographs from the Alan Siegel Collection, Word Wise Press
- 2002: A Life in the Golden Age of Jazz: A Biography of Buddy DeFranco, by Fabrice Zammarchi and Sylvie Mas, Parkside Publications, Inc.
- 2007: Frank Sinatra: My Way Of Life, Sinatra Society of Japan, Dank
- 2008: This Side of Paradise, Jennifer A. Watts and Claudia Bohn-Spector, Merrell
- 2009: Los Angeles: Portrait of a City, by David L. Ulin and Kevin Starr, TASCHEN
- 2009 Against The Eternal Yesterday: Essays Commemorating The Legacy Of Lion Feuchtwanger, Figueroa Press
Exhibitions
- 1975: Ray Cummings Gallery
- 1975: Gallery On The Plaza, The New England Institute of Art, Brookline, MA, USA
- 1977: Moody Gallery, Houston, TX, USA
- 1978: Living Room Gallery
- 1981: Realities Gallery, Melbourne, Australia
- 1983: Carol Schlosberg Gallery, Montserrat College of Art, Beverley, MA, USA
- 1985: Zeitlin & Ver Brugge Gallery, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- 1986: Irvine Fine Arts Center, Irvine, CA, USA
- 1987: Downey Museum of Art, Downey, CA, USA
- 1987: Witkin Gallery, New York, NY, USA
- 1987: Valerie Miller Gallery
- 1987: California State University at Long Beach Gallery, Long Beach, CA, USA
- 1987: Santa Barbara Museum of Art, Santa Barbara, CA, USA
- 1987: Arpel Gallery, Santa Barbara, CA, USA
- 1987: Zeitlin & Ver Brugge Gallery, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- 1987: Bowers Museum, Santa Ana, CA, USA
- 1988: California State University at Long Beach Gallery, Long Beach, CA, USA
- 1998: The Craig Krull Gallery, Santa Monica, CA, USA
- 2001: Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, Beverly Hills, CA, USA
- 2006: The Craig Krull Gallery, Santa Monica, CA, USA
- 2009: The Ordover Gallery at the San Diego Museum of Natural History, San Diego, CA, USA
- 2010: Monroe Gallery, Santa Fe, NM, USA
Group exhibitions - partial listing
- 1987: Museum of The Borough of Brooklyn, Brooklyn College, Brooklyn, NY, USA
- 1988: Los Angeles County Art Museum, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- 1988: University of Judaism, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- 1988: Art Institute of Boston, Boston, MA, USA
- 1997: The Witkin Gallery, New York City, NY USA
- 2008: The Huntington, San Marino, CA, USA
- 2009: Musée de l'Elysée, Lausanne, Switzerland
- 2009: Cité de la Musique, Paris, France
- 2010: Musée Nicéphore Niépce, Chalon-sur-Saône, France
- 2010: Montreal Museum Of Fine Arts, Montreal, Canada
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