John Phillips (photographer)
Encyclopedia
John Phillips was a photographer for Life magazine from the 1930s
to the 1950s
who was known for his war
photograph
s.
French by birth, John Phillips was born in Algeria
, to a Welsh
emigre father and an American mother. He spent his early childhood in an Arab world, before his family moved to France
in 1925, first to Paris
and then to Nice
.
He was hired by Life in 1936 and his first assignment was to cover Edward VIII
's opening of Parliament, just as the story of Wallis Simpson and the king's abdication
was about to break. His pictures were included in the magazine's first issue (on November 23, 1936) and he went on to cover many events of the Second World War. Here, Phillips records his next 23 years as a correspondent, witnessing many of the 20th century's most dramatic events. Before World War II, he filmed the Wehrmacht marching into Austria, the Warsaw Ghetto, and turbulence in central Europe. He photographed Yugoslav guerrilla leader Draza Mihailovich in June, 1946 during his Communist show trial in Belgrade. From the Middle East, there are momentous photographs of King Farouk, King Ibn Saud, and the destruction of Jerusalem's Jewish Quarter. He shot the last images of Antoine de Saint Exupery in 1944. Saint Exupery, days before he disappeared, gave Phillips a manuscript, "Letter to an American http://www.sheilaomalley.com/archives/004422.html" which Phillips eventually donated to France.
Over almost three decades, his picture stories for the magazine helped to shape modern photojournalism. He resigned from Life's staff in the early 1950s and went on to work with Jacques Tati
, the French film-maker, on Mr. Hulot's Holiday and other films.
John Phillips has been described as the "grand-godfather of photo-journalism, a master of lenses and multiple languages; elegant, exuberant and chrome-steel effectual, who has recorded in his own peripatetic way some of the freshest footprints of history."
Settling in New York City, Phillips published several books of reportage, among them A Will To Survive (1976), about Israel, Yugoslav Story (1984), It Happened in Our Lifetime (1985), and in 1994, Poet and Pilot Antoine de Saint-Exupery. At his death, he had almost finished writing his autobiography.
He has been decorated in France with the titles of Chevalier and Officier de l'Ordre des Arts et des Lettres. His photographs have been shown in numerous exhibitions worldwide and published in many newspapers and magazines, including Fortune
, Time
, The Independent
, The Daily Telegraph
, Época
, Corriere della Sera
, and Paris Match
.
In 2010 the United States Postal Service issued a stamp commemorating WW II cartoonist Bill Mauldin. The stamp features a portrait of Mauldin taken in December 1943 by John Phillips. http://www.usps.com/communications/newsroom/2009/pr09_118.htm
1930s
File:1930s decade montage.png|From left, clockwise: Dorothea Lange's photo of the homeless Florence Thompson show the effects of the Great Depression; Due to the economic collapse, the farms become dry and the Dust Bowl spreads through America; The Battle of Wuhan during the Second Sino-Japanese...
to the 1950s
1950s
The 1950s or The Fifties was the decade that began on January 1, 1950 and ended on December 31, 1959. The decade was the sixth decade of the 20th century...
who was known for his war
War
War is a state of organized, armed, and often prolonged conflict carried on between states, nations, or other parties typified by extreme aggression, social disruption, and usually high mortality. War should be understood as an actual, intentional and widespread armed conflict between political...
photograph
Photograph
A photograph is an image created by light falling on a light-sensitive surface, usually photographic film or an electronic imager such as a CCD or a CMOS chip. Most photographs are created using a camera, which uses a lens to focus the scene's visible wavelengths of light into a reproduction of...
s.
French by birth, John Phillips was born in Algeria
Algeria
Algeria , officially the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria , also formally referred to as the Democratic and Popular Republic of Algeria, is a country in the Maghreb region of Northwest Africa with Algiers as its capital.In terms of land area, it is the largest country in Africa and the Arab...
, to a Welsh
Welsh people
The Welsh people are an ethnic group and nation associated with Wales and the Welsh language.John Davies argues that the origin of the "Welsh nation" can be traced to the late 4th and early 5th centuries, following the Roman departure from Britain, although Brythonic Celtic languages seem to have...
emigre father and an American mother. He spent his early childhood in an Arab world, before his family moved to France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
in 1925, first to Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
and then to Nice
Nice
Nice is the fifth most populous city in France, after Paris, Marseille, Lyon and Toulouse, with a population of 348,721 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Nice extends beyond the administrative city limits with a population of more than 955,000 on an area of...
.
He was hired by Life in 1936 and his first assignment was to cover Edward VIII
Edward VIII of the United Kingdom
Edward VIII was King of the United Kingdom and the Dominions of the British Commonwealth, and Emperor of India, from 20 January to 11 December 1936.Before his accession to the throne, Edward was Prince of Wales and Duke of Cornwall and Rothesay...
's opening of Parliament, just as the story of Wallis Simpson and the king's abdication
Edward VIII abdication crisis
In 1936, a constitutional crisis in the British Empire was caused by King-Emperor Edward VIII's proposal to marry Wallis Simpson, a twice-divorced American socialite....
was about to break. His pictures were included in the magazine's first issue (on November 23, 1936) and he went on to cover many events of the Second World War. Here, Phillips records his next 23 years as a correspondent, witnessing many of the 20th century's most dramatic events. Before World War II, he filmed the Wehrmacht marching into Austria, the Warsaw Ghetto, and turbulence in central Europe. He photographed Yugoslav guerrilla leader Draza Mihailovich in June, 1946 during his Communist show trial in Belgrade. From the Middle East, there are momentous photographs of King Farouk, King Ibn Saud, and the destruction of Jerusalem's Jewish Quarter. He shot the last images of Antoine de Saint Exupery in 1944. Saint Exupery, days before he disappeared, gave Phillips a manuscript, "Letter to an American http://www.sheilaomalley.com/archives/004422.html" which Phillips eventually donated to France.
Over almost three decades, his picture stories for the magazine helped to shape modern photojournalism. He resigned from Life's staff in the early 1950s and went on to work with Jacques Tati
Jacques Tati
Jacques Tati was a French filmmaker, working as a comedic actor, writer and director. In a poll conducted by Entertainment Weekly of the Greatest Movie Directors Tati was voted the 46th greatest of all time...
, the French film-maker, on Mr. Hulot's Holiday and other films.
John Phillips has been described as the "grand-godfather of photo-journalism, a master of lenses and multiple languages; elegant, exuberant and chrome-steel effectual, who has recorded in his own peripatetic way some of the freshest footprints of history."
Settling in New York City, Phillips published several books of reportage, among them A Will To Survive (1976), about Israel, Yugoslav Story (1984), It Happened in Our Lifetime (1985), and in 1994, Poet and Pilot Antoine de Saint-Exupery. At his death, he had almost finished writing his autobiography.
He has been decorated in France with the titles of Chevalier and Officier de l'Ordre des Arts et des Lettres. His photographs have been shown in numerous exhibitions worldwide and published in many newspapers and magazines, including 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
Time (magazine)
Time is an American news magazine. A European edition is published from London. Time Europe covers the Middle East, Africa and, since 2003, Latin America. An Asian edition is based in Hong Kong...
, The Independent
The Independent
The Independent is a British national morning newspaper published in London by Independent Print Limited, owned by Alexander Lebedev since 2010. It is nicknamed the Indy, while the Sunday edition, The Independent on Sunday, is the Sindy. Launched in 1986, it is one of the youngest UK national daily...
, The Daily Telegraph
The Daily Telegraph
The Daily Telegraph is a daily morning broadsheet newspaper distributed throughout the United Kingdom and internationally. The newspaper was founded by Arthur B...
, Época
Época
Época is a Brazilian weekly news and analysis magazine. Since its inception in 1998, it has become one of the country's most widely read magazines...
, Corriere della Sera
Corriere della Sera
The Corriere della Sera is an Italian daily newspaper, published in Milan.It is among the oldest and most reputable Italian newspapers. Its main rivals are Rome's La Repubblica and Turin's La Stampa.- History :...
, and Paris Match
Paris 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....
.
In 2010 the United States Postal Service issued a stamp commemorating WW II cartoonist Bill Mauldin. The stamp features a portrait of Mauldin taken in December 1943 by John Phillips. http://www.usps.com/communications/newsroom/2009/pr09_118.htm
Books
- "Odd World: a photo-reporter's story" (1959) Simon & Schuster, NY
- "Bled to the Gutter: a photo-reporter's story" (1960) Weidenfeld and Nicolson, London.
- "The Italians: face of a nation" (1965) Mcgraw-Hill, NY.
- Jerusalem: A Will To Survive (1976) Dial Press
- Yugoslav Story (1984)
- It Happened in Our Lifetime (1985) Little, Brown
- Poet and Pilot Antoine de Saint-Exupery (1994) Scalo
- Free Spirit in a Troubled World (1996) Scalo