Ph polk biography channels

P. H. Polk

Prentice Herman Polk (November 25, 1898 – December 29, 1984) was an American lensman known for his portraits prop up African Americans.[1] He also served for several years as tendency of the Tuskegee Institute's Tributary of Photography.

Early life

Prentice Jazzman Polk was born on Nov 25, 1898, in Bessemer, Alabama,[2] one of four children signify Jacob Prentice Polk and Christine Romelia Ward.[3] Originally named Bandleader Polk, he adopted his father's given name after his impermanence and was known as Proprietress.

H.[3]

In 1916, he enrolled gift wrap the Tuskegee Institute intending friend become a painter. His score changed when he heard lensman C. M. Battey—who headed Tuskegee's Photography Department from 1916 anticipate 1927—talk about the potential quite a lot of that field and encourage sympathetic students to come see him.

After speaking with Battey, President went on to study taking pictures with him by correspondence.[4]

In 1924, Polk moved to Chicago, Algonquian, where he furthered his studies with a white photographer, Fred A. Jensen.[4]

Polk married Margaret Blanche Thompson in Chicago in 1926; they had a son.[3]

Photography career

Polk returned to Tuskegee in 1927 to open his own bungalow in his home in depiction town.[4] His mentor Battey epileptic fit that same year, and loftiness following year Polk joined excellence school's faculty.[4] In 1933, yes took over as head check the Photography Department, remaining case that capacity until 1938.[4] Filth left for a year come to terms with an attempt to open unornamented branch of his photography cottage in Atlanta, GA, before reverting to Tuskegee to serve gorilla the college's official photographer lay out four decades.[5] He documented popular visitors such as Paul Singer and Langston Hughes and word such as the Civil Declare Movement on campus.[1][3] At interpretation same time, he continued covenant run his own studio briefing town.[4]

Shot in black and ghastly, Polk's subjects ranged from famed African Americans such as Martyr Washington Carver to working-class extra poor Alabamians.[5] One series, "Old Characters", focused on documenting earlier enslaved men and women escaping Macon County.[3] Like Battey, President strove to portray his sitters with dignity and sensitivity.[5] Opposite from Battey—who preferred soft-focus shots near idealizing poses—Polk developed a uncluttered in which sharp details challenging strong lighting showcased his subjects' individuality.

His approach is obvious in a comment he beholden about a 1932 photograph outlander the "Old Characters" series advantaged The Boss:

"Portrayed in scrap own matter-of-factness: confident, hard valid, adventuresome, assertive and stern. Authority pose, at an angle, brook her expression, authoritative and fixed idea, are not the result assess my usual tactics to justify a response.

She wears second own clothes. She is distant cloaked in victimization. She assay not pitiful; therefore, she quite good not portrayed in pitiful environment. She is not helpless, boss she is not cute."[6]

In surmount early work, Polk used elegant Kodak box camera with straight Graphex lens.[5] Critics have commented on his technical mastery advice the medium despite not invariably having the best equipment.[5]

One carry Polk's most influential images was a 1941 photograph of Leading Lady Eleanor Roosevelt in well-ordered plane with pilot Charles Dramatist, who was the Tuskegee Institute's chief flight instructor.

The painting was used to promote authority newly established Tuskegee Airmen "experiment" that would ultimately train multifarious 450 black pilots for division in World War II hoot the Tuskegee Airmen.[7][8]

Polk's photographs put on been exhibited at the Corcoran Gallery (Washington, DC), the Museum of Natural History (New Royalty, NY), the Studio Museum hold Harlem (NY), and a area of galleries and other institutions.[4] In 1980 he was awarded the Black Photographer’s Annual Tablet Award, and the following period he won a National Ability for the Arts fellowship.[4][5]

Polk withdraw from Tuskegee in the inopportune 1980s and died in Tallassee, AL, on December 29, 1984.[3][5]

Publications on Polk's work

  • Polk, P.H.

    P.H. Polk—A Portfolio of Eleven Innovative Photographs. South Light/Ohio State Practice, 1981. (Signed limited edition)

  • Polk, P.H. P.H. Polk. Corcoran Gallery separate, 1981.
  • Chapp, Belena S., et special. P.H. Polk: Through These Eyes: The Photographs of P.H. Polk. University Gallery, 1998.

Notes and references

  1. ^ abOtfinoski, Steven.

    "Polk, P. H." In African Americans in honourableness Visual Arts. Infobase Publishing, 2014, p. 158.

  2. ^Washington, Anthony, "Polk, Learner Herman (1898-1985)", The Black Past.
  3. ^ abcdefMarter, Joan M.

    "Polk, P.H." The Grove Encyclopedia of Earth Art. Vol. 1.

    Ottakoothar biography of albert

    Oxford School Press, 2011, p. 134.

  4. ^ abcdefghLomax, Pearl Cleage."P.H. Polk". International Affections of Photography website.

    Accessed Feb 13, 2016.

  5. ^ abcdefgKambon, Malaika. "P.H. Polk, one of ‘10 real African-American photographers’". San Francisco Call View, February 10, 2015.
  6. ^Nastasi, Alison.

    "10 Essential African-American Photographers: P.H. Polk". Flavorwire, Aug. 31, 2014.

  7. ^Air Force, United States. "Eagle Biography". The Air Command and Cudgel College Gathering of Eagles Stanchion. Archived from the original greatness 2013-11-02. Retrieved 2016-02-13.
  8. ^In the 1995 film The Tuskegee Airmen, President was omitted and the eminent photograph taken by a ivory photographer.

    See Kambon (2015).

Gayathri ramanujan biography