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mlle floretta of grigolatis famous aerial ballet 1910 (by Captain Geoffrey Spaulding)
© Gordon Parks, 1952, Alexander Calder’s hand
© Gjon Mili, 1940, Josef Hofmann’s Hands in Action
This is such an incredible photoset showing Polish-American virtuoso pianist, composer, music teacher, and inventor Josef Hofmann (originally: Józef Kazimierz Hofmann) photographed by Gjon Mili. Thanks to Tamara and Alec.
The pictures were published in LIFE magazine on January 6, 1941.
Find an online version of the magazine here. Here’s a short excerpt of the original LIFE story:
”(…) When LIFE asked Dr. Hofmann if he would let Gjon Mili photograph his hands with the high-speed camera, Dr. Hofmann was willing and interested. In fact, he was fascinated. For hours on two seperate occasions, he patiently sat at his piano running through scales and trills while Mili took his pictures.
One of the few Mili subjects who ever had any real idea of how the complicated high-speed mechanism works, Dr. Hofmann was tolerant when things went a bit wrong and even made sensible suggestions on improving the setup.
(…) Behind the keys along the length of the backboard, Mili placed a long thin mirror in which Hofmann’s hands were sharply reflected. Each picture, therefore, shows the backs of Hofmann’s fingers and, at the same time, the front of the fingers as reflected in the mirror. This double explanation of Hofmann’s technique should be of considerable help to piano students while practicing. (…)” (read the whole story here)
(thanks to / via: arpeggia & likeafieldmouse)
(via burnedshoes)
Francis Wolff, Feb. 1, 1956, Jimmy Smith & Thornel Schwartz at Small’s Paradise, Harlem
Jimmy Smith, who defined jazz organ, was born on Dec. 8, in either 1925 or 1928 (sources vary). (+) Happy Birthday!
Unknown photographer, undated, “Gordon Parks wore khakis”, GAP ad
“Originally part of an assignment to design pocket flashers for men’s khakis, senior designer Lisa Prisco presented me with a small mock-up simply stating, “James Dean wore khakis”. Our boss Maggie Gross, gave us the go ahead to turn the idea into a full-fledge campaign, with ads in national magazines, outdoor media and of course, on pocket flashers.” (Laurie Kanes, former Director of Creative Services / The Gap)
More GAP khaki ads (source): Andy Warhol, Miles Davis, Pablo Picasso:
You still want more? Find ads with pictures of Muhammad Ali, Chet Baker, Salvador Dalí, Sammy Davis Jr., James Dean, Jack Kerouac, Carole Lombard, Zsa Zsa Gabor, and many others here.
I guess the Adolf Hitler “ad” was not part of the GAP campagne.
“What a hideous colour khaki is.” (Aldous Huxley, Brave New World)
© William Claxton, ca. 1960s, The Ramsey Lewis Trio at Chicago’s Loop
Eldee Young (bass), Ramsey Lewis (piano) and Isaac “Redd” Holt (drums).
From the book “Jazz Life” by William Claxton.“Early in October of 1959 I received a telephone call from Germany. The person introduced himself as Joachim-Ernst Berendt, a musicologist living in Baden-Baden. In very good English, he explained that he was coming to America to do a study of “America’s great art - jazz.”
He went on say that he needed a photographer to work with him - a photographer who liked and understood jazz. He had seen a great deal of my work published in European magazines and on record covers and thought that I would be the perfect choice to work with him - “because your pictures have soul.”
He went on to explain that the book would be mainly a collection of my images to augment his writings about jazz. There would be interviews with musicians, descriptions of the various places where one hears jazz, and a look at the origins of jazz as well as the art itself.
He made it all sound a bit erudite, but it seemed like a very important project, and I was thrilled by his offer. The chance to photograph many of my jazz heroes in addition to the many unknown and yet-to-be-discovered jazz musicians all around America, was too tempting to resist.” (William Claxton; read more)
Unknown photographer, undated, Portrait of Robert Moog
Today would have been Robert “Bob” Moog’s 78th birthday. The synthesizers he created influenced electronic music tremendously in the past decades. May his SAWl rest in peace.
Google released a Moog doodle on their homepage. For one day only you’ll find an interactive, playable synthesizer-based logo inspired by the instruments with which Moog brought musical performance into the electronic age. You can use your mouse or keyboard on the Moog doodle’s keys and dials to make nearly limitless sounds. Keeping with the theme of 1960s music technology, there is also a 4-track tape recorder so you can record & play back the sounds you create.
The Bob Moog Foundation’s resident synth expert, Marc Doty, has created a “how-to” video to help get full use of the “Goog” and get started making your own composition.
If you’re already synth savvy and ready to start recording your electronic masterpieces be sure to post the link to them in the “comments” section of the BMF-Blog. They are giving away one Dr. Bob’s Collector Pack (valued at $300) to the best composition posted there. Enjoy!
© Art Kane, 1967, Aretha Franklin, “Halos”, Esquire Magazine
Wanting to highlight her strong Gospel roots, Art Kane tried waving the camera in a circular motion to try to make halo shapes from the light in Aretha’s eyes. This photo is also a rare, Art Kane crop, as virtually all his images are composed in full frame.
“Trying to grow up is hurting, you know. You make mistakes. You try to learn from them, and when you don’t, it hurts even more.” (Aretha Franklin)
Happy Birthday Ms. Aretha Louise Franklin!
© Grey Villet, April 1954, Grey Villet’s feet dangling over Fifth Avenue
(read more)
Unknown photographer, May 23, 1934, Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow posing with an early 1930s automobile
“This here’s Miss Bonnie Parker. I’m Clyde Barrow. We rob banks.”
(from the movie Bonnie and Clyde, 1967)(thanks to / via: legrandcirque)
(via burnedshoes)
