Jacobus Willem Rentmeester (born 28 February 1936), nicknamed "Co" or "Ko", is a Dutch
rower
Rowing, sometimes called crew in the United States, is the sport of racing boats using oars. It differs from paddling sports in that rowing oars are attached to the boat using oarlocks, while paddles are not connected to the boat. Rowing is ...
. He later became a
photojournalist
Photojournalism is journalism that uses images to tell a news story. It usually only refers to still images, but can also refer to video used in broadcast journalism. Photojournalism is distinguished from other close branches of photography (such ...
and covered the
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War (also known by #Names, other names) was a conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. It was the second of the Indochina Wars and was officially fought between North Vie ...
among other newsworthy events.
Life and career
Rentmeester was born in 1936 in
Amsterdam
Amsterdam ( , , , lit. ''The Dam on the River Amstel'') is the Capital of the Netherlands, capital and Municipalities of the Netherlands, most populous city of the Netherlands, with The Hague being the seat of government. It has a population ...
.
He competed with
Peter Bakker
Peter Bakker (born 1 August 1961) is a Dutch businessman who currently serves as president of the World Business Council for Sustainable Development.
Education
Bakker has a master's degree in Economics from Erasmus University Rotterdam and a ...
in
double scull
A double scull is a rowing boat used in the sport of competitive rowing. It is designed for two persons who propel the boat by sculling with two oars each, one in each hand.
Racing boats (often called "shells") are long, narrow, and broadly s ...
and won bronze at the
1959 European Rowing Championships in
Mâcon
Mâcon (), historically anglicised as Mascon, is a city in east-central France. It is the prefecture of the department of Saône-et-Loire in Bourgogne-Franche-Comté. Mâcon is home to near 34,000 residents, who are referred to in French as M ...
, France. Bakker and Rentmeester reached the finals in
double scull
A double scull is a rowing boat used in the sport of competitive rowing. It is designed for two persons who propel the boat by sculling with two oars each, one in each hand.
Racing boats (often called "shells") are long, narrow, and broadly s ...
for
the Netherlands
)
, anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau")
, image_map =
, map_caption =
, subdivision_type = Sovereign state
, subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands
, established_title = Before independence
, established_date = Spanish Netherl ...
at the
1960 Summer Olympics
The 1960 Summer Olympics ( it, Giochi Olimpici estivi del 1960), officially known as the Games of the XVII Olympiad ( it, Giochi della XVII Olimpiade) and commonly known as Rome 1960 ( it, Roma 1960), were an international multi-sport event held ...
in
Rome
, established_title = Founded
, established_date = 753 BC
, founder = King Romulus (legendary)
, image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg
, map_caption ...
where they came fifth.
In early 1961, Rentmeester moved to the
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
and studied
photography
Photography is the art, application, and practice of creating durable images by recording light, either electronically by means of an image sensor, or chemically by means of a light-sensitive material such as photographic film. It is employed ...
at the Art Center College in
Los Angeles
Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...
.
After receiving his
Bachelor of Arts
Bachelor of arts (BA or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts degree course is generally completed in three or four years ...
, Rentmeester initially started his career as a freelance photographer in 1965 for Life Magazine. A short time later, he joined the LIFE Staff from April 1966 thru 1972 when LIFE Magazine folded. He first covered the
Watts Riots in Los Angeles, documenting many of the dramatic events, which earned him his first accolades as a photographer.
Between late 1965 and 1969 Rentmeester was in
Asia
Asia (, ) is one of the world's most notable geographical regions, which is either considered a continent in its own right or a subcontinent of Eurasia, which shares the continental landmass of Afro-Eurasia with Africa. Asia covers an area ...
, where he particularly covered the Vietnam war. One of his pictures showed an M48 tank gunner looking through a gunsight. It was selected as
World Press Photo of the Year
The World Press Photo of the Year award is part of the World Press Photo Awards, organized by the Netherlands, Dutch foundation World Press Photo.
Considered one of the most prestigious and coveted awards in photojournalism, The World Press Pho ...
and notably it was the first color photograph to win the award. He was also in Hong Kong during the extensive civil disturbances in 1967.
After Rentmeester was wounded by a
Vietcong
,
, war = the Vietnam War
, image = FNL Flag.svg
, caption = The flag of the Viet Cong, adopted in 1960, is a variation on the flag of North Vietnam. Sometimes the lower stripe was green.
, active ...
sniper near Saigon, he returned to the U.S. in 1972, his pictures from a travel through
Indonesia
Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania between the Indian and Pacific oceans. It consists of over 17,000 islands, including Sumatra, Java, Sulawesi, and parts of Borneo and New Guine ...
were shown in the
Van Gogh Museum
The Van Gogh Museum () is a Dutch art museum dedicated to the works of Vincent van Gogh and his contemporaries in the Museum Square in Amsterdam South, close to the Stedelijk Museum, the Rijksmuseum, and the Concertgebouw. The museum opened on ...
in
Amsterdam
Amsterdam ( , , , lit. ''The Dam on the River Amstel'') is the Capital of the Netherlands, capital and Municipalities of the Netherlands, most populous city of the Netherlands, with The Hague being the seat of government. It has a population ...
, Smithsonian Institution in Washington DC and Asia House, New York.
In the following years, Rentmeester worked for numerous major publications as a photojournalist and as an advertising photographer
Awards
* 1967:
World Press Photo of the Year
The World Press Photo of the Year award is part of the World Press Photo Awards, organized by the Netherlands, Dutch foundation World Press Photo.
Considered one of the most prestigious and coveted awards in photojournalism, The World Press Pho ...
, 1st prize
* 1972: Magazine photographer of the Year, School of Journalism, University of Missouri
* 1973: World Press Photo, 1st prize in category ''Sports''
* 1976: New York Art Directors Club award for his photo essay on Thomas Jefferson
* 1979: World Press Photo: 2nd prize in category ''Color picture stories''
* 1980: Missouri School of Journalism, award for an essay on the U.S. Air Force
* 2001: KLM Paul Huf Award , Amsterdam The Netherlands
* 2018: Lucy Foundation Award for Outstanding Achievement in Sports Photography
Publications
* "Three Faces of Indonesia," 1974, Thames & Hudson Ltd.
* "Holland on Ice," 1998, First Edition.
* 'FOOTPRINTS" Co Rentmeester 2007, Uitgeverij de Kunst, Weesp, The Netherlands
References
External links
Official Website Co-Rentmeester.com
Co Rentmeester at worldpressphoto.org*
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Rentmeester, Ko
1936 births
Living people
Dutch male rowers
Olympic rowers of the Netherlands
Rowers at the 1960 Summer Olympics
Dutch photojournalists
Photography in Vietnam
War photographers
Rowers from Amsterdam
Life (magazine) photojournalists
European Rowing Championships medalists
Photographers from Amsterdam
20th-century Dutch people