Peter Andrew Gowland (April 3, 1916 – March 17, 2010) was a famous American
glamour photographer
Glamour photography is a genre of photography in which the subjects are portrayed in erotic poses ranging from fully clothed to nude. The term may be a euphemism for erotic photography. For glamour models, body shape and size are directly relate ...
and actor. He was known for designing and building his own studio equipment and was active professionally for six decades with his business partner, Alice Beatrice Adams (''maiden''; 1920–2014), whom he married in 1941 and divorced in 1969.
Career
Gowland shot more than 1,000 magazine covers, mostly glamour shots of female models but also portraits of celebrities including
Rock Hudson
Rock Hudson (born Roy Harold Scherer Jr.; November 17, 1925 – October 2, 1985) was an American actor. One of the most popular movie stars of his time, he had a screen career spanning more than three decades. A prominent heartthrob in the Golde ...
and
Robert Wagner
Robert John Wagner Jr. (born February 10, 1930) is an American actor of stage, screen, and television. He is known for starring in the television shows '' It Takes a Thief'' (1968–1970), ''Switch'' (1975–1978), and ''Hart to Hart'' (1979– ...
. His covers included ''Rolling Stone'', ''Playboy'', and ''Modern Photography''. He invented elite cameras and equipment that he used to shoot pinups and magazine covers. In the late 1950s, Gowland also invented the twin-lens Gowlandflex camera, which used 4-by-5 inch film for high-quality pictures. The camera has since been used by such photographers as
Annie Leibovitz
Anna-Lou Leibovitz ( ; born October 2, 1949) is an American portrait photographer best known for her engaging portraits, particularly of celebrities, which often feature subjects in intimate settings and poses. Leibovitz's Polaroid photo of Jo ...
and
Yousuf Karsh
Yousuf Karsh, FRPS (December 23, 1908 – July 13, 2002) was a Canadian-Armenian photographer known for his portraits of notable individuals. He has been described as one of the greatest portrait photographers of the 20th century.
An Armenian ...
.
Gowland grew up on movie sets and worked as a film extra in his youth. He learned photo lighting and techniques from watching movies being shot. The son of
Gibson Gowland
Gibson Gowland (4 January 1877 – 9 September 1951) was an English film actor.
Biography
Gowland was born in Spennymoor, County Durham. He started work as a sailor and later became the mate on a ship. For several years from the age of 25 he ...
and Sylvia Andrew, both actors, he acted in at least 12 films, mostly uncredited. He had a small part in ''
Citizen Kane
''Citizen Kane'' is a 1941 American drama film produced by, directed by, and starring Orson Welles. He also co-wrote the screenplay with Herman J. Mankiewicz. The picture was Welles' first feature film. ''Citizen Kane'' is frequently cited ...
''. He died of surgical complications after fracturing his hip.
''The Anatomical Basis of Medical Practice''
The 1971
human anatomy
The human body is the structure of a human being. It is composed of many different types of cells that together create tissues and subsequently organ systems. They ensure homeostasis and the viability of the human body.
It comprises a he ...
textbook ''The Anatomical Basis of Medical Practice'' featured photographs by Gowland in the
surface anatomy
Surface anatomy (also called superficial anatomy and visual anatomy) is the study of the external features of the body of an animal.Seeley (2003) chap.1 p.2 In birds this is termed ''topography''. Surface anatomy deals with anatomical features th ...
section. The book was authored by professors R. Frederick Becker, James S. W. Wilson, and John A. Gehweiler, and was met with scandal and a feminist boycott, which resulted in the withdrawal by the publisher after only 5000 copies were distributed.
Bibliography
* ''Classic Nude Photography'',
* ''Peter Gowland's New Handbook of Glamour Photography'',
* ''The Secrets of Photographing Women''
* ''Gowland's Guide to Glamour Photography''
* ''How to Photograph Women'' 1954 Crown, 7 printings
* ''Art & Technique of Stereo Photography'' 1954 Crown, LCCN 54011184
* ''Stereo Photography'' 1954 Crown, LCCN 54006642
* ''Figure Photography'' 1954 Fawcett, 600,000 sold
* ''How to Take Glamour Photos'' 1955 Fawcett
* ''Glamour Techniques'' 1958 Fawcett
* ''Photo Secrets'' 1958 Whitestone
* ''Glamour Camera'' 1959 Fawcett
* ''Face & Figure'' 1959 Fawcett
* ''How to Take Better Home Movies'' 1960 ARCO
* ''Guide to Electronic Flash'' 1960 Amphoto
* ''Photo Ideas'' 1961 Whitestone
* ''Peter Gowland Photographs the Figure'' 1962 Whitestone
* ''Camera in Hawaii'' 1963 Whitestone
* ''Camera in Japan'' 1964 Whitestone
* ''Figure Quarterly'' 1965 Development Corp
* ''Guide to Glamour Photography'' 1972 Crown, 16 printings
* ''Electronic Flash Simplified'' 1976 Amphoto, 7 printings
* ''Basic Glamour 1979 School of Modern Photography''
* ''The Secrets of Photographing Women'' 1981 Crown, 6 printings
* ''New Handbook of Glamour Photography'' 1988 Crown - Random House
* ''Henry Miller Portfolio'' 18 unbound prints 2000 Roger Jackson Publisher
* ''Classic Nude Photography'' 2001 Amherst Media, Inc.
Filmography
Notes
References
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* (publication); (article).
* (publication).
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* (publication); (article) (US Newsstream database).
External links
Official website for Peter Gowland 2007
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Gowland, Peter
Male actors from Los Angeles
20th-century American inventors
20th-century American photographers
1916 births
2010 deaths
United States Army personnel of World War II
United States Army non-commissioned officers
Accidental deaths from falls