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Margery Lewis

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Margery Lewis (Smith) was an American photographer active from the 1940s to the 1970s.

Biography

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Margery Lewis' long-term relationship with photojournalist W. Eugene Smith overshadows her own career as a photographer in her own right.[1] Their relationship began, and their son Kevin Eugene Smith was born (in 1954), while Smith was still married to his wife Carmen, with whom he had four children.

Lewis changed her name to Smith in the 1960s, but continued to use Lewis in picture credits.[2]

Professional photographer

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Lewis was a portraitist of celebrities, especially musicians, artists and writers, including Leopold Stokowski,[3] painter Paul Burlin and poet Carolyn Stoloff (both appearing in the March, 1963 issue of Horizon magazine), Elliott Carter,[4] Norman Granz,[5] and Aaron Copeland.

She continued to photograph into the 1970s.[6]

Recognition

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Lewis’ photographs were included in two exhibitions at the Museum of Modern Art both assembled by the Museum’s curator of photography Edward Steichen; Always the Young Strangers, February 26–April 1, 1953, and, from 1955, the world-touring The Family of Man,[7] seen by 9 million visitors, in which one of her 1954 photographs of couples at a high school dance, commissioned by Seventeen, was featured.

She produced images and articles for popular mid-century photography magazines.[8][9]

References

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  1. ^ Maddow, Ben; Smith, W. Eugene, 1918-1978; Alfred Stieglitz Center; Philadelphia Museum of Art (1985), Let truth be the prejudice : W. Eugene Smith, his life and photographs, Aperture : Viking Penguin [distributor], ISBN 978-0-89381-179-2{{citation}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  2. ^ Morris, John G. (John Godfrey) (1998), Get the picture : a personal history of photojournalism (1st ed.), Random House, pp. 183, 274, ISBN 978-0-679-45258-4
  3. ^ Lewis, Margery (photographer) ‘LIFE visits the Stokowski Family’ LIFE 7 Sep 1953, Vol. 35, No. 10. ISSN 0024-3019. pps. 122-124
  4. ^ Lewis, Margery (photographer), liner for stereo LP Elliott Carter / Harold Shapero – Sonata For Flute, Oboe, Cello & Harpsichord / String Quartet No. 1, Columbia Masterworks – MS 6176, 1960
  5. ^ Photograph on jacket of Clef Records MGC 677 Norman Granz Jam Session #7
  6. ^ Margery Lewis (photographer), cover photograph Friends Journal: Quaker Thought and Life Today July 1/15, 1971 Volume 17, Number 12
  7. ^ Steichen, Edward; Steichen, Edward, 1879-1973, (organizer.); Sandburg, Carl, 1878-1967, (writer of foreword.); Norman, Dorothy, 1905-1997, (writer of added text.); Lionni, Leo, 1910-1999, (book designer.); Mason, Jerry, (editor.); Stoller, Ezra, (photographer.); Museum of Modern Art (New York, N.Y.) (1955), The family of man : the photographic exhibition, Published for the Museum of Modern Art by Simon and Schuster in collaboration with the Maco Magazine Corporation {{citation}}: |author6= has generic name (help)CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  8. ^ Martin, Harold. ‘Time Exposure’ Popular Photography; New York August 1953 Vol. 77, Iss. 8: 94.
  9. ^ Lewis, Margery ‘Problem: Tranquility’ Popular Photography, Feb 1957, Vol. 40, No. 2. 46-49