Mark Shaw (June 25, 1921 – January 26, 1969) was an American fashion and celebrity photographer in the 1950s and 1960s. He worked for ''

Life Life is a quality that distinguishes matter that has biological processes, such as signaling and self-sustaining processes, from that which does not, and is defined by the capacity for growth, reaction to stimuli, metabolism, energ ...

'' magazine from 1952 to 1968, during which time 27 issues of ''Life'' carried cover photos by Shaw. Shaw's work also appeared in ''Esquire'', ''

Harper's Bazaar ''Harper's Bazaar'' is an American monthly women's fashion magazine. It was first published in New York City on November 2, 1867, as the weekly ''Harper's Bazar''. ''Harper's Bazaar'' is published by Hearst and considers itself to be the st ...

'', ''Mademoiselle'', and many other publications. He is best known for his photographs of

John F. Kennedy John Fitzgerald Kennedy (May 29, 1917 – November 22, 1963), often referred to by his initials JFK and the nickname Jack, was an American politician who served as the 35th president of the United States from 1961 until his assassination ...

, his wife

Jacqueline Kennedy Jacqueline Lee Kennedy Onassis ( ; July 28, 1929 – May 19, 1994) was an American socialite, writer, photographer, and book editor who served as first lady of the United States from 1961 to 1963, as the wife of President John F. Kennedy. A po ...

, and their children, Caroline and John F. Kennedy, Jr. In 1964, many of these images were published in the book ''The John F. Kennedys: A Family Album'', which became a bestseller.

Early life

Shaw was born Mark Schlossman to working-class parents of

Eastern European Eastern Europe is a subregion of the European continent. As a largely ambiguous term, it has a wide range of geopolitical, geographical, ethnic, cultural, and socio-economic connotations. The vast majority of the region is covered by Russia, whi ...

heritage in New York City and grew up on the

Lower East Side The Lower East Side, sometimes abbreviated as LES, is a historic neighborhood in the southeastern part of Manhattan in New York City. It is located roughly between the Bowery and the East River from Canal to Houston streets. Traditionally an im ...

. His mother Rebecca (or Reva) Silverstein (also Kanzer) (1895–1960) was a

seamstress A dressmaker, also known as a seamstress, is a person who makes custom clothing for women, such as dresses, blouses, and evening gowns. Dressmakers were historically known as mantua-makers, and are also known as a modiste or fabrician. Nota ...

of Russian and Polish extraction; his father Joseph Charles Schlossman was a laborer and/or salesman of Austrian descent. They divorced while Mark was still a boy. Later he attended

New York University New York University (NYU) is a private research university in New York City. Chartered in 1831 by the New York State Legislature, NYU was founded by a group of New Yorkers led by then-Secretary of the Treasury Albert Gallatin. In 1832, the ...

, where he studied

industrial design Industrial design is a process of design applied to physical Product (business), products that are to be manufactured by mass production. It is the creative act of determining and defining a product's form and features, which takes place in advan ...

, and

Pratt Institute Pratt Institute is a private university with its main campus in Brooklyn, New York (state), New York. It has a satellite campus in Manhattan and an extension campus in Utica, New York at the Munson-Williams-Proctor Arts Institute. The school was ...

, where he studied engineering and likely was exposed to photography as well. In December 1941, Shaw completed

ROTC The Reserve Officers' Training Corps (ROTC ( or )) is a group of college- and university-based officer-training programs for training commissioned officers of the United States Armed Forces. Overview While ROTC graduate officers serve in all ...

training with a lieutenant's commission. A month after the

attack on Pearl Harbor The attack on Pearl HarborAlso known as the Battle of Pearl Harbor was a surprise military strike by the Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service upon the United States against the naval base at Pearl Harbor in Honolulu, Territory of Hawaii, j ...

, he enlisted in the

U.S. Army Air Force The United States Army Air Forces (USAAF or AAF) was the major land-based aerial warfare service component of the United States Army and ''de facto'' aerial warfare service branch of the United States during and immediately after World War II ...

as Mark Schlossman, recording his occupation at enlistment as "photographer". He served as a pilot throughout

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

, and was highly decorated, flying

fighters Fighter(s) or The Fighter(s) may refer to: Combat and warfare * Combatant, an individual legally entitled to engage in hostilities during an international armed conflict * Fighter aircraft, a warplane designed to destroy or damage enemy warplan ...

with the British forces in the North African Campaign and later flying transports over

The Hump The Hump was the name given by Allied pilots in the Second World War to the eastern end of the Himalayan Mountains over which they flew military transport aircraft from India to China to resupply the Chinese war effort of Chiang Kai-shek and t ...

from India to China. Due to his expertise with multiengine planes, he was then assigned to Russian General

Georgy Zhukov Georgy Konstantinovich Zhukov ( rus, Георгий Константинович Жуков, p=ɡʲɪˈorɡʲɪj kənstɐnʲˈtʲinəvʲɪtɕ ˈʐukəf, a=Ru-Георгий_Константинович_Жуков.ogg; 1 December 1896 – ...

as his personal pilot. Shaw also flew one of the escort planes accompanying General

Douglas MacArthur Douglas MacArthur (26 January 18805 April 1964) was an American military leader who served as General of the Army for the United States, as well as a field marshal to the Philippine Army. He had served with distinction in World War I, was C ...

on his way to Tokyo to accept the Japanese surrender. At some point during or soon after the war, Mark (and his mother) changed their surname (Schlossman) to "Shaw", probably in order to sound more "American", which was a common motivation for name changes at the time.

Career

After the war, Shaw began his professional photography career in New York City, managing the photographic studio at ''

'', where he came under the influence and mentorship of art director

Alexey Brodovitch Alexey Vyacheslavovich Brodovitch (also Brodovich; be, Аляксей Брадовіч, russian: Алексе́й Вячесла́вович Бродо́вич; 1898 – April 15, 1971) was a Russian-born American photographer, designer ...

. From 1946 to 1948, Shaw did fashion photography for ''Harper's Bazaar'' and began acquiring advertising clients as well. In 1949, Shaw married Geraldine "Geri" Trotta, who was a professional fashion and travel writer for several publications including ''Mademoiselle''. The couple bought a

brownstone Brownstone is a brown Triassic–Jurassic sandstone that was historically a popular building material. The term is also used in the United States and Canada to refer to a townhouse clad in this or any other aesthetically similar material. Type ...

on the East side of midtown Manhattan. Shaw established his photography studio in a

carriage house A carriage house, also called a remise or coach house, is an outbuilding which was originally built to house horse-drawn carriages and the related tack. In Great Britain the farm building was called a cart shed. These typically were open f ...

behind their home. Starting in 1951, Shaw contributed fashion images to ''Mademoiselle''. In 1952, Shaw became a

freelance ''Freelance'' (sometimes spelled ''free-lance'' or ''free lance''), ''freelancer'', or ''freelance worker'', are terms commonly used for a person who is self-employed and not necessarily committed to a particular employer long-term. Freelance w ...

photographer for ''

'' magazine and preferred freelancing throughout his career so that he could retain the rights to all of his work—a goal which he was able to achieve even with his most famous images. Trotta's connections further expanded Mark's access to celebrities and public figures, and his career flourished. Freelancing on over 100 assignments for ''Life'', Shaw photographed many actresses, actors, politicians, and other celebrities, while also frequently working

photo shoots A photo shoot is the process taken by creatives and models that results in a visual objective being obtained. An example is a model posing for a photographer at a studio or an outdoor location. A photo shoot is a series of images that are taken, ...

in the fashion industry. He was the first photographer to portray the Paris fashion collections backstage in color. In 1953, probably because of his fashion experience, Shaw was assigned to photograph the young actress

Audrey Hepburn Audrey Hepburn (born Audrey Kathleen Ruston; 4 May 1929 – 20 January 1993) was a British actress and humanitarian. Recognised as both a film and fashion icon, she was ranked by the American Film Institute as the AFI's 100 Years...100 Stars, t ...

during the filming of Paramount's ''Sabrina''. Evasive at first, Hepburn became comfortable with Shaw's presence over a two-week period and allowed him to record many of her casual and private moments. This produced some of his best-known images, though most of the negatives were subsequently lost for many years. ''Life'' published several of these photos in the December 7, 1953 issue, which also carried a Shaw cover of Hepburn. Also during the 1950s, Shaw and fellow fashion and portrait photographer

Richard Avedon Richard Avedon (May 15, 1923 – October 1, 2004) was an American fashion and portrait photographer. He worked for ''Harper's Bazaar'', ''Vogue'' and ''Elle'' specializing in capturing movement in still pictures of fashion, theater and danc ...

contributed concurrently to a well-known, long-running ad campaign for Vanity Fair lingerie. Shaw won numerous

Art Directors Club The Art Directors Club of New York is an organization for art directors in New York City. It was founded in 1920, and has grown as an industry group, promoting art directors' work through exhibitions and awards, including the annual DESI award for ...

awards for his creative images in this campaign. By the late 1950s, Shaw's career was reaching its zenith. Among the famous figures he photographed were

Brigitte Bardot Brigitte Anne-Marie Bardot ( ; ; born 28 September 1934), often referred to by her initials B.B., is a former French actress, singer and model. Famous for portraying sexually emancipated characters with hedonistic lifestyles, she was one of the ...

Cary Grant Cary Grant (born Archibald Alec Leach; January 18, 1904November 29, 1986) was an English-American actor. He was known for his Mid-Atlantic accent, debonair demeanor, light-hearted approach to acting, and sense of comic timing. He was one o ...

Danny Kaye Danny Kaye (born David Daniel Kaminsky; yi, דוד־דניאל קאַמינסקי; January 18, 1911 – March 3, 1987) was an American actor, comedian, singer and dancer. His performances featured physical comedy, idiosyncratic pantomimes, and ...

Grace Kelly Grace Patricia Kelly (November 12, 1929 – September 14, 1982) was an American actress who, after starring in several significant films in the early to mid-1950s, became Princess of Monaco by marrying Prince Rainier III in April 1956. Kelly ...

Nico Naftiran Intertrade Company Société à responsabilité limitée#In Switzerland, limited (NICO) is a Switzerland, Swiss-based subsidiary of the National Iranian Oil Company (NIOC). NICO is a general contractor for the oil and gas industry. NIOC bu ...

Pablo Picasso Pablo Ruiz Picasso (25 October 1881 – 8 April 1973) was a Spanish painter, sculptor, printmaker, ceramicist and Scenic design, theatre designer who spent most of his adult life in France. One of the most influential artists of the 20th ce ...

, Yves St. Laurent,

Elizabeth Taylor Dame Elizabeth Rosemond Taylor (February 27, 1932 – March 23, 2011) was a British-American actress. She began her career as a child actress in the early 1940s and was one of the most popular stars of classical Hollywood cinema in the 1950s. ...

, and many others. For example, in 1957 Shaw portrayed fashion designer

Coco Chanel Gabrielle Bonheur "Coco" Chanel ( , ; 19 August 1883 – 10 January 1971) was a French fashion designer and businesswoman. The founder and namesake of the Chanel brand, she was credited in the post-World War I era with popularizing a sporty, c ...

, actress

Jeanne Moreau Jeanne Moreau (; 23 January 1928 – 31 July 2017) was a French actress, singer, screenwriter, director, and socialite. She made her theatrical debut in 1947, and established herself as one of the leading actresses of the Comédie-Française. Mo ...

, and model

Suzy Parker Suzy Parker (born Cecilia Ann Renee Parker; October 28, 1932 – May 3, 2003) was an American model and actress active from 1947 until 1970. Her modeling career reached its zenith during the 1950s, when she appeared on the covers of dozens of ma ...

during a single shoot in Chanel's Paris apartment and fashion house. ''Life'' published several of these photos with a story on Chanel that appeared in the issue of August 19, 1957 (which was also Chanel's birthday). In 1959, ''Life'' chose Shaw to photograph

while her husband, Senator

, was running for president. This assignment was the beginning of an enduring working relationship and personal friendship with the Kennedys that would eventually lead to Shaw's acceptance as the Kennedys' de facto "family photographer". He visited them at the

White House The White House is the official residence and workplace of the president of the United States. It is located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., and has been the residence of every U.S. president since John Adams in 1800. ...

and at Hyannisport; during this time he produced his most famous photographs, portraying the couple and their children in both official and casual settings. In 1964, Shaw published a collection of these images in his book ''The John F. Kennedys: A Family Album'', which was very successful. Late in his career Shaw also worked in film, directing numerous television commercials for major companies.

Personal life

In 1960, Shaw and his first wife Geri Trotta divorced. He and singer

Pat Suzuki Pat Suzuki (born Chiyoko Suzuki; September 22, 1930) is an American popular singer and actress, who is best known for her role in the original Broadway production of the musical ''Flower Drum Song'', and her performance of the song "I Enjoy Being ...

married on March 28, 1960. They had a son, David, two years later, and divorced in February 1965.

Death

On January 26, 1969, Shaw died at his New York City apartment. His death was initially reported as a heart attack. An autopsy later revealed that Shaw had died of "acute and chronic intravenous

amphetamine Amphetamine (contracted from alpha- methylphenethylamine) is a strong central nervous system (CNS) stimulant that is used in the treatment of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), narcolepsy, and obesity. It is also commonly used ...

poisoning". At the time of his death, Shaw was being treated by physician Dr. Max Jacobson. Nicknamed "Dr. Feelgood" and "Miracle Max", Jacobson administered "vitamin shots" that consisted of a mixture of multivitamins,

steroids A steroid is a biologically active organic compound with four rings arranged in a specific molecular configuration. Steroids have two principal biological functions: as important components of cell membranes that alter membrane fluidity; and a ...

, animal organ cells,

hormones A hormone (from the Ancient Greek, Greek participle , "setting in motion") is a class of cell signaling, signaling molecules in multicellular organisms that are sent to distant organs by complex biological processes to regulate physiology and beh ...

placenta The placenta is a temporary embryonic and later fetal organ that begins developing from the blastocyst shortly after implantation. It plays critical roles in facilitating nutrient, gas and waste exchange between the physically separate mater ...

bone marrow Bone marrow is a semi-solid tissue found within the spongy (also known as cancellous) portions of bones. In birds and mammals, bone marrow is the primary site of new blood cell production (or haematopoiesis). It is composed of hematopoietic ce ...

, and high doses of amphetamine to a number of high-profile celebrity clients. Shaw's death drew attention to Jacobson's practice which was publicly exposed in the media in December 1972. Jacobson eventually lost his medical license in 1975.

Legacy

Following Shaw's death, his estate, including his large body of photographic work, passed to his ex-wives. In 1994, Shaw's son David Shaw and his wife Juliet Cuming took over management of Mark Shaw's photographic legacy and later purchased Geri Trotta's share of the collection. In 1999, they established the Mark Shaw Photographic Archive, in East

Dummerston Dummerston is a town in Windham County, Vermont, United States. The population was 1,865 at the 2020 census. It is home to the longest covered bridge still in use in Vermont. Its borders include three main villages: Dummerston Center, West Dumme ...

, Vermont, which is now the sole legal proprietor of Mark Shaw images. Prior to founding the Archive, David Shaw had a career as a film and music video

cinematographer The cinematographer or director of photography (sometimes shortened to DP or DOP) is the person responsible for the photographing or recording of a film, television production, music video or other live action piece. The cinematographer is the ch ...

, and Juliet Cuming directed music videos (including White Zombie's "

Thunder Kiss '65 "Thunder Kiss '65" is a song by American Heavy metal music, heavy metal band White Zombie (band), White Zombie, released in 1992 from the band's third studio album, ''La Sexorcisto: Devil Music Volume One'' (1992). The song was released as a singl ...

"). They have two children. The couple also operate a nonprofit
Earth Sweet Home
which promotes

sustainable building Green building (also known as green construction or sustainable building) refers to both a structure and the application of processes that are environmentally responsible and resource-efficient throughout a building's life-cycle: from planni ...

and design techniques. The Archive itself is housed in an

off-the-grid Off-the-grid or off-grid is a characteristic of buildings and a lifestyle designed in an independent manner without reliance on one or more public utilities. The term "off-the-grid" traditionally refers to not being connected to the electrical gr ...

straw-bale structure which they built themselves following sustainable principles. The building is powered by

wind Wind is the natural movement of air or other gases relative to a planet's surface. Winds occur on a range of scales, from thunderstorm flows lasting tens of minutes, to local breezes generated by heating of land surfaces and lasting a few hou ...

and solar energy. In December 2005, a few months after Geri Trotta's death, the long-lost negatives from 60 rolls of film Mark Shaw had shot on his 1953 Audrey Hepburn assignment were found in Trotta's residence. Selections from these rediscovered images were published in 2009 in the book ''Charmed by Audrey: Life on the Set of Sabrina''.

Works

Notable photographs

* ''Jackie and Caroline on the Beach'', Hyannis Port, 1959
Image, notes at Monroe Gallery
* ''JFK Walking in the Dunes'', Hyannis Port, 1959
Image, notes at Monroe Gallery
* ''Audrey Walking Away'', Beverly Hills, 1953
Image, notes at Monroe Gallery
* ''Audrey Under the Hair Dryer'', Paramount Back Lot, 1953
Image, notes at Monroe Gallery
* ''Coco Lies on Divan'', Paris, 1957
Image, notes at Andrew Wilder Gallery
* ''Vanity Fair Butterfly Robe Arm Out'', New York, c. 1955
Image, notes at Andrew Wilder Gallery
* ''Vanity Fair Sheer Gown'', New York, c. 1955
Image, notes at Andrew Wilder Gallery
* ''White Gown with Pearls'', Paris, 1954
Image, notes at Andrew Wilder Gallery
* ''Henrietta Tiarks, the Dutchess of Bedford'', Palais Royale, Paris, 1959
Image, notes at Andrew Wilder Gallery

Photographic Books

* ''The John F. Kennedys: A Family Album'', Farrar, Straus, 1964. * ''Messenger of Peace: The Visit of Pope Paul VI to the United States in the Cause of Peace'', Trinity House, 1965. (Editor, photojournal.) * ''The Catch and the Feast'', Weybright and Talley, 1969. (Photographer; text by Joie McGrail and Bill McGrail. A wild game cookbook.) * ''The John F. Kennedys: A Family Album'', Rizzoli, 2003. . (Expanded edition, including new images.) * ''Charmed by Audrey: Life on the Set of Sabrina'', Palace Press, 2009. . (Text by Juliet Cuming and David Taylor.) * ''Dior Glamour: 1952-1962'', Rizzoli, 2010. . (Photographer; text by Natasha Fraser-Cavassoni)

Awards

awards in 1950, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 57, 59, 60, 61, 62, and 65 including two gold medals. * 1957 Art Directors Club - Award of Distinctive Merit, Editorial Art (Magazine Covers) (for ''Life'' cover of

Rosalind Russell Catherine Rosalind Russell (June 4, 1907November 28, 1976) was an American actress, comedienne, screenwriter, and singer,Obituary ''Variety'', December 1, 1976, p. 79. known for her role as fast-talking newspaper reporter Hildy Johnson in the H ...

, November 12, 1956) * 1957 Art Directors Club - Award of Distinctive Merit, Editorial Art (Non-Fiction - Two Colors) * American Television Commercial Festival (

Clio In Greek mythology, Clio ( , ; el, Κλειώ), also spelled Kleio, is the muse of history, or in a few mythological accounts, the muse of lyre playing. Etymology Clio's name is etymologically derived from the Greek root κλέω/κλεί� ...

) award: Television/Cinema, Best, 1964: "Night Ride" ad for

Breck Shampoo Breck Shampoo is an American brand of shampoo that is also known for its Breck Girls advertising campaign. History In 1930, Dr. John H. Breck, Sr. (June 5, 1877 – February 1965) of Springfield, Massachusetts, founded Breck Shampoo. Adver ...

(Director, Cameraman),

Young & Rubicam VMLY&R is an American marketing and Marketing communications, communications company specializing in advertising, Digital media, digital and social media, sales promotion, direct marketing and brand identity consulting, formed from the merger of ...

agency, New York. * American Television Commercial Festival (Clio) award: Television/Cinema, Best, 1964: "Ford Has Changed" ad for

Ford Motor Company Ford Motor Company (commonly known as Ford) is an American multinational automobile manufacturer headquartered in Dearborn, Michigan, United States. It was founded by Henry Ford and incorporated on June 16, 1903. The company sells automobi ...

(Director),

J. Walter Thompson J. Walter Thompson (JWT) was an advertisement holding company incorporated in 1896 by American advertising pioneer James Walter Thompson. The company was acquired in 1987 by multinational holding company WPP plc, and in November 2018, WPP merge ...

agency, New York. * American Television Commercial Festival (Clio) award: Television/Cinema, Best, 1967: "Words on Paper" ad for IBM typewriter (Production Company),

Benton & Bowles Benton & Bowles (B&B) was a New York-based advertising agency founded by William Benton and Chester Bowles in 1929. One of the oldest agencies in the United States, and frequently one of the 10 largest, it merged with D'Arcy-MacManus Masius in ...

agency, New York.

References

External links

Official site

Andrew Wilder Gallery - Mark Shaw Photography
(Fashion, celebrity, and Kennedy family images by Shaw)
Monroe Gallery of Photography: Kennedy family and celebrity images by Shaw

mptvimages.com - Licensing & Syndication contact for Mark Shaw images
{{DEFAULTSORT:Shaw, Marl Commercial photographers Fashion photographers American portrait photographers 1921 births 1969 deaths Military personnel from New York City Photographers from New York (state) Pratt Institute alumni Tisch School of the Arts alumni American people of Austrian descent American people of Polish descent American people of Russian descent Drug-related deaths in New York City United States Army Air Forces officers United States Army Air Forces pilots of World War II 20th-century American photographers