Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: Gordon Parks: Gone at 93

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Posted by Gerard S. Cohen (Member # 994) on 03-08-2006, 10:33 AM:

Gordon Parks, photo-journalist with Life Magazine for more than two decades, author of many books (autobiographies, novels and photobooks), scriptwriter, music composer and director of films such as A Choice of Weapons, The Learning Tree, and Shaft, died yesterday.

His obituary in the March 8th New York Times gives moving testimony to his rise from poverty, racial discrimination and lack of education to become "the Jackie Robinson of photojournalism." With but a grade-school education, he won international honors and some ninety honorary doctorates.
Parks photographed both high fashion and extreme poverty worldwide, and was active in humanitarian projects personally.

I used his first autobiographical film, A Choice of Weapons (1966) with great success during my teaching years, and followed Parks' career from the 1940's. (He bought his first camera in a pawn shop in 1938.)

Gordon Parks is gone, but his influence on photographers, journalists and his viewers and readers lives on.

Gerard
Full NYTIMES obit: Gordon Parks,Photojournalist Who Showed Dignity Amid Oppression, Dies
(There's a slide show you might still catch on http://www.msnbc.com)

[ 03-08-2006, 12:51 PM: Message edited by: Gerard S. Cohen ]

Posted by Dick Vaughan (Member # 540) on 03-09-2006, 02:48 AM:

Gordon visited the Museum here in Bradford back in 1989 as part of a conference to celebrate the 150th anniversary of photography along with a whole raft of other notables including Arnold Newman and Horst P Horst.

As well as being an incredible photographer,composer,writer and film maker he was one of the friendliest, charming people it has been my privilege to meet.