Pictured is photographer Mark Shaw.
(Cazenovia, NY – April 2014) “American Royalty: The Kennedys, Fashion and Celebrity Photographs by Mark Shaw” will be discussed on Wednesday, April 9 at 7 p.m. in the Cazenovia Public Library Community Room.
Presenting the lecture will be Meg Gianetti, Museum School Programs Coordinator at the Munson-Williams-Proctor Art Institute in Utica where “American Royalty” is currently on exhibit.
Shaw (1922-1969) recorded an era and produced exquisite and unforgettable images that symbolize 1960’s America. He originally photographed Jacqueline Kennedy for LIFE magazine in 1959. He subsequently developed a close friendship with her and the family resulting in extraordinary access to their inner circle.
During the following 4 years, Shaw captured the Kennedy family at their most relaxed: in Hyannis Port, on the campaign trail in West Virginia, at their first proper family home in Georgetown, and in the White House. He became the Kennedys’ unofficial family photographer and his timeless images include some of their most intimate and candid moments.
As a leading fashion photographer who began working for LIFE in 1952, Shaw spent 16 years with the magazine and is credited with 27 cover photographs. His images were included in more than 100 stories showcasing the magazine’s European fashion collections.
Vanity Fair, Harper’s Bazaar, and Mademoiselle all featured Shaw’s photographs, and he was one of the first photographers to capture fashion on the runways and backstage at the couture shows. His fashion photography ranges from models in glorious gowns to behind-the-scenes images of the embodiment of high fashion, Coco Chanel.
Many of the celebrity icons Shaw photographed are included in the Museum of Art exhibition: Pablo Picasso, Brigitte Bardot, Grace Kelly, and Yves St. Laurent. Also exhibited are candid photographs of Audrey Hepburn. These, showing a carefree and relaxed Hepburn, had been lost after Shaw’s death and were only rediscovered in 2005.
“American Royalty” is free and open to the public. For more information on this lecture or other events at the Cazenovia Public Library, call 655-9322 or visit www.cazenoviapubliclibrary.org.