Born: Feb. 28, 1917
Died: Apr. 23, 2006
Although he hasn't photographed jazz people in more than 50 years, Bill Gottlieb, in a 1990 Issue of Modern Photography, was called “The Great Jazz Photographer."
The New York Times credits Bill with “the flair of a high artist." The New Yorker said, “Gottlieb stopped photographing jazz musicians in 1948. No one has surpassed him yet."
Bill first used a camera in 1939 to illustrate his pioneering weekly jazz column, “Swing Sessions", in the Washington Post. He was paid for the writing, not the photography, and since the film, flash bulbs, and cameras (Speed Graphics and Rolleis) were bulky and expensive, he typically made only three or four exposures a session (all taken “on location"). So he learned to shoot very carefully.
The photography paid off, it enhanced his column, later helped him become an Air Force photo officer in WWII, then clinched an editor's job on Down Beat Magazine (though he was still not paid for his photos). Bill left the jazz scene in 1948 to produce educational filmstrips, eventually as president of University Films/McGraw-Hill. He also wrote and illustrated 16 books, mostly for children. One of his GOLDEN BOOKS, “Laddie the Superdog" sold more than one million copies.
Upon retiring from McGraw-Hill in 1979, Bill published his old jazz photos as The Golden Age of Jazz. The New York Times predicted that Bill also “seems to be entering the golden age of William P. Gottlieb." How prescient! His jazz images have since appeared on more than 350 record album and CD covers, on two dozen posters, and a like number of postcards and T-shirts. They have been in hundreds of books, magazines, calendars, TV documentaries, and even in major motion pictures as background atmosphere or used to recreate a historic site.
Meanwhile, exhibitions of the prints have appeared in more than 160 venues, from the Museum of Modern Art in Stockholm, Sweden, to the Navio Museum in Osaka, Japan. The Golden Age of Jazz is now in it's 13th printing. Some of Bill's photos,starting with Duke Ellington, were acquired by the National Portrait Gallery: and his images are the basis of four US Postage Stamps. In 1997, the New Jersey Jazz Society honored him as the non-musician who did the most for jazz that year. In 1998, Down Beat presented Bill with their annual Lifetime achievement award. In a recent 12 month period, 21 different books were published that included some of Gottlieb's photos.
The Library of Congress, using funds from the Ira & Leonore S. Gershwin Fund, purchased all 1700 of Gottlieb's jazz images “for posterity". Bill retains the copyright and commercial rights for many years to come.
Bill was also a competitive tennis player. With son, Steven, he was frequently the Number One ranked father-son team in the Eastern United States, as well as being twice in the top eight teams in the United States.
Died: Apr. 23, 2006
Married Delia Potofsky in 1939
Beloved by: wife Delia; children Barbara, Steven, Richard, Edward & spouses Teri & Jacki; sister-in-law Jacqueline; grandchildren Leah, Sara, Brian, Jason,Celia,& Noah; and great grandchildren Evan, Lily, & Enzo.
Memorial Service will be held on Friday, April 28th at 11:00 at Riverside-Nassau North Chapels, 55 North Station Plaza, Great Neck, NY. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to:
Jazz Musician Emergency Fund
c/o Jazz Foundation of America
3rd Floor
322 West 48th Street
New York, NY 10036
Email: [email protected]
Although he hasn't photographed jazz people in more than 50 years, Bill Gottlieb, in a 1990 Issue of Modern Photography, was called “The Great Jazz Photographer."
The New York Times credits Bill with “the flair of a high artist." The New Yorker said, “Gottlieb stopped photographing jazz musicians in 1948. No one has surpassed him yet."
Bill first used a camera in 1939 to illustrate his pioneering weekly jazz column, “Swing Sessions", in the Washington Post. He was paid for the writing, not the photography, and since the film, flash bulbs, and cameras (Speed Graphics and Rolleis) were bulky and expensive, he typically made only three or four exposures a session (all taken “on location"). So he learned to shoot very carefully.
The photography paid off, it enhanced his column, later helped him become an Air Force photo officer in WWII, then clinched an editor's job on Down Beat Magazine (though he was still not paid for his photos). Bill left the jazz scene in 1948 to produce educational filmstrips, eventually as president of University Films/McGraw-Hill. He also wrote and illustrated 16 books, mostly for children. One of his GOLDEN BOOKS, “Laddie the Superdog" sold more than one million copies.
Upon retiring from McGraw-Hill in 1979, Bill published his old jazz photos as The Golden Age of Jazz. The New York Times predicted that Bill also “seems to be entering the golden age of William P. Gottlieb." How prescient! His jazz images have since appeared on more than 350 record album and CD covers, on two dozen posters, and a like number of postcards and T-shirts. They have been in hundreds of books, magazines, calendars, TV documentaries, and even in major motion pictures as background atmosphere or used to recreate a historic site.
Meanwhile, exhibitions of the prints have appeared in more than 160 venues, from the Museum of Modern Art in Stockholm, Sweden, to the Navio Museum in Osaka, Japan. The Golden Age of Jazz is now in it's 13th printing. Some of Bill's photos,starting with Duke Ellington, were acquired by the National Portrait Gallery: and his images are the basis of four US Postage Stamps. In 1997, the New Jersey Jazz Society honored him as the non-musician who did the most for jazz that year. In 1998, Down Beat presented Bill with their annual Lifetime achievement award. In a recent 12 month period, 21 different books were published that included some of Gottlieb's photos.
The Library of Congress, using funds from the Ira & Leonore S. Gershwin Fund, purchased all 1700 of Gottlieb's jazz images “for posterity". Bill retains the copyright and commercial rights for many years to come.
Bill was also a competitive tennis player. With son, Steven, he was frequently the Number One ranked father-son team in the Eastern United States, as well as being twice in the top eight teams in the United States.
For more information contact All About Jazz.
