John Swope (photographer)
Encyclopedia
John Swope was a photographer for Life Magazine, and a pilot.
He was born in New Brunswick
, New Jersey
in 1908.
He attended Harvard University in 1930. There, he joined the theatrical group University Players where Henry Fonda
, Jimmy Stewart, and Jimmy Logan
are also members.
His interest in photography began when he brought a camera to a yacht race from Los Angeles
to Hawaii
in 1936.
Together with Leland Hayward
and John H. Connelly, he co-founded Southwest Airways (no connection to the present day Southwest Airlines
), a company that developed the Thunderbird Fields, which trained thousands of military pilots during the Second World War.
He was married to actress Dorothy McGuire
in 1943 until his death in 11 May 1979.
's New Deal Program.
1936 - He worked as an assistant to Leland Heyward.
1938 - He was commissioned to photograph the work of nurses in Harlem
and the Lower East Side
by Henry Street Settlement House.
1939 - He was assigned by Harper's Bazaar
in South America
with Josh Logan
.
1941 - He began training Aviation cadets in Thunderbird Airfield right after he joined the Army.
1942 - He collaborated with John Steinbeck
on an illustrated book, Bombs Away: The Story of a Bomber Team, which documented the training of army cadets.
1945 - He joined the Naval Reserve as a photographer. His first assignment, in June 1945, was to photograph an overseas military flight from Maryland to Paris.
1946 - Began his freelancing career again after his discharge from the Navy. He produced a theatrical play at the La Jolla Playhouse
.
1975 - Photographed palaces of the maharajahs in India for the James Ivory
book, Autobiography of a Princess
's use of linear space.
He was born in New Brunswick
New Brunswick
New Brunswick is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the only province in the federation that is constitutionally bilingual . The provincial capital is Fredericton and Saint John is the most populous city. Greater Moncton is the largest Census Metropolitan Area...
, New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
in 1908.
He attended Harvard University in 1930. There, he joined the theatrical group University Players where Henry Fonda
Henry Fonda
Henry Jaynes Fonda was an American film and stage actor.Fonda made his mark early as a Broadway actor. He also appeared in 1938 in plays performed in White Plains, New York, with Joan Tompkins...
, Jimmy Stewart, and Jimmy Logan
Jimmy Logan
Jimmy Logan OBE, FRSAMD , born as James Allan Short, Dennistoun, Glasgow, was a Scottish performer, producer, impresario and director.-Family:...
are also members.
His interest in photography began when he brought a camera to a yacht race from Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
to Hawaii
Hawaii
Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...
in 1936.
Together with Leland Hayward
Leland Hayward
Leland Hayward was a Hollywood and Broadway agent and theatrical producer. He produced the original Broadway stage productions of Rodgers and Hammerstein's South Pacific and The Sound of Music.-Early years:...
and John H. Connelly, he co-founded Southwest Airways (no connection to the present day Southwest Airlines
Southwest Airlines
Southwest Airlines Co. is an American low-cost airline based in Dallas, Texas. Southwest is the largest airline in the United States, based upon domestic passengers carried,...
), a company that developed the Thunderbird Fields, which trained thousands of military pilots during the Second World War.
He was married to actress Dorothy McGuire
Dorothy McGuire
Dorothy Hackett McGuire was an American actress.-Career:Born in Omaha, Nebraska, she began her acting career on the stage at the Omaha Community Playhouse...
in 1943 until his death in 11 May 1979.
Career
He started his career by documenting federal housing projects, a part of Franklin D. RooseveltFranklin D. Roosevelt
Franklin Delano Roosevelt , also known by his initials, FDR, was the 32nd President of the United States and a central figure in world events during the mid-20th century, leading the United States during a time of worldwide economic crisis and world war...
's New Deal Program.
1936 - He worked as an assistant to Leland Heyward.
1938 - He was commissioned to photograph the work of nurses in Harlem
Harlem
Harlem is a neighborhood in the New York City borough of Manhattan, which since the 1920s has been a major African-American residential, cultural and business center. Originally a Dutch village, formally organized in 1658, it is named after the city of Haarlem in the Netherlands...
and the Lower East Side
Lower East Side
The Lower East Side, LES, is a neighborhood in the southeastern part of the New York City borough of Manhattan. It is roughly bounded by Allen Street, East Houston Street, Essex Street, Canal Street, Eldridge Street, East Broadway, and Grand Street....
by Henry Street Settlement House.
1939 - He was assigned by Harper's Bazaar
Harper's Bazaar
Harper’s Bazaar is an American fashion magazine, first published in 1867. Harper’s Bazaar is published by Hearst and, as a magazine, considers itself to be the style resource for “women who are the first to buy the best, from casual to couture.”...
in South America
South America
South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...
with Josh Logan
Josh Logan
Josh Logan of Manchester, New Hampshire, is the front man and vocalist for his three-person band whose self-titled first album is "Josh Logan and Nobody's Business." In 2006, he was a contestant on the CBS program Rock Star: Supernova.-Biography:Inspired by Stevie Wonder and Pearl Jam, Logan began...
.
1941 - He began training Aviation cadets in Thunderbird Airfield right after he joined the Army.
1942 - He collaborated with John Steinbeck
John Steinbeck
John Ernst Steinbeck, Jr. was an American writer. He is widely known for the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel The Grapes of Wrath and East of Eden and the novella Of Mice and Men...
on an illustrated book, Bombs Away: The Story of a Bomber Team, which documented the training of army cadets.
1945 - He joined the Naval Reserve as a photographer. His first assignment, in June 1945, was to photograph an overseas military flight from Maryland to Paris.
1946 - Began his freelancing career again after his discharge from the Navy. He produced a theatrical play at the La Jolla Playhouse
La Jolla Playhouse
La Jolla Playhouse is a not-for-profit, professional theatre-in-residence on the campus of the University of California, San Diego. -Background:...
.
1975 - Photographed palaces of the maharajahs in India for the James Ivory
James Ivory
James Ivory may refer to:*James Ivory *James Ivory...
book, Autobiography of a Princess
Autobiography of a Princess
Autobiography of a Princess is a film by Merchant Ivory Productions , starring James Mason and Madhur Jaffrey.-Plot:...
Influences
John Swope broke the mold of Hollywood's glamour shots when he burst in the scene in 1936. What makes his work unique is how he used available light, shot from unusual angles, and informal portraits. This might come from his influence of MondrianMondrian
Mondrian may refer to:* Piet Mondrian , artist* The Mondrian, a tower in the Cityplace neighborhood of Oak Lawn, Dallas, Texas, named for the artist* Mondrian Hotel, a 1959 hotel in Los Angeles...
's use of linear space.
Exhibitions
- A Letter from Japan: The Photographs of John Swope - taken in August 1945 documents the devastation caused by World War II. This photographic essay was complemented by a 144-page letter to his wife Dorothy McGuireDorothy McGuireDorothy Hackett McGuire was an American actress.-Career:Born in Omaha, Nebraska, she began her acting career on the stage at the Omaha Community Playhouse...
describing in detail his emotional experience when shooting these images.
- Swope's photography has been the subject of five solo exhibitions at Craig Krull Gallery in Santa Monica, California; "Trees" in 2006, "New York" in 2005, "Photographs" in 2003, "Camera over Hollywood" in 2001, and "A View from Above" in 1996.