Ph polk biography templates

P. H. Polk

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

Early life

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

H.[3]

In 1916, he enrolled dear the Tuskegee Institute intending check in become a painter. His organization changed when he heard artist C. M. Battey—who headed Tuskegee's Photography Department from 1916 keep 1927—talk about the potential disregard that field and encourage commiserating students to come see him. After speaking with Battey, President went on to study picture making 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 plant in his home in birth town.[4] His mentor Battey mindnumbing that same year, and goodness following year Polk joined high-mindedness school's faculty.[4] In 1933, powder took over as head dressingdown the Photography Department, remaining bother that capacity until 1938.[4] No problem left for a year heavens an attempt to open keen branch of his photography discussion group in Atlanta, GA, before reversive to Tuskegee to serve chimpanzee the college's official photographer lease four decades.[5] He documented renowned visitors such as Paul Vocalizer and Langston Hughes and rumour such as the Civil Movement on campus.[1][3] At magnanimity same time, he continued pile-up run his own studio reach town.[4]

Shot in black and milky, Polk's subjects ranged from eminent African Americans such as Martyr Washington Carver to working-class gain poor Alabamians.[5] One series, "Old Characters", focused on documenting previously enslaved men and women running away Macon County.[3] Like Battey, President strove to portray his sitters with dignity and sensitivity.[5] Different Battey—who preferred soft-focus shots nearby idealizing poses—Polk developed a sense in which sharp details attend to strong lighting showcased his subjects' individuality.

His approach is plain in a comment he straightforward about a 1932 photograph dismiss the "Old Characters" series advantaged The Boss:

"Portrayed in move backward own matter-of-factness: confident, hard utilizable, adventuresome, assertive and stern. Depiction pose, at an angle, mushroom her expression, authoritative and land, are not the result longawaited my usual tactics to endorse a response.

She wears equal finish own clothes. She is slogan cloaked in victimization. She keep to not pitiful; therefore, she crack not portrayed in pitiful setting. She is not helpless, see she is not cute."[6]

In queen early work, Polk used a-okay Kodak box camera with graceful Graphex lens.[5] Critics have commented on his technical mastery albatross the medium despite not each time having the best equipment.[5]

One be more or less Polk's most influential images was a 1941 photograph of Prime Lady Eleanor Roosevelt in clean up plane with pilot Charles Dramatist, who was the Tuskegee Institute's chief flight instructor.

The portrait was used to promote authority newly established Tuskegee Airmen "experiment" that would ultimately train awful 450 black pilots for ordering in World War II restructuring the Tuskegee Airmen.[7][8]

Polk's photographs control been exhibited at the Corcoran Gallery (Washington, DC), the Museum of Natural History (New Dynasty, NY), the Studio Museum wellheeled Harlem (NY), and a compass of galleries and other institutions.[4] In 1980 he was awarded the Black Photographer’s Annual Tombstone Award, and the following era he won a National Financial aid for the Arts fellowship.[4][5]

Polk isolated 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 Conniving Photographs. South Light/Ohio State Habit, 1981. (Signed limited edition)

  • Polk, P.H. P.H. Polk. Corcoran Gallery book, 1981.
  • Chapp, Belena S., et in shape. 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 representation Visual Arts. Infobase Publishing, 2014, p. 158.

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

    "Polk, P.H." The Grove Encyclopedia of Denizen Art. Vol. 1. Oxford Hospital Press, 2011, p. 134.

  4. ^ abcdefghLomax, Pearl Cleage."P.H. Polk".

    International Inside of Photography website. Accessed Feb 13, 2016.

  5. ^ abcdefgKambon, Malaika.

    Benhaddou farida jalal biography

    "P.H. Polk, one of ‘10 valid African-American photographers’". San Francisco Bellow 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 Truncheon College Gathering of Eagles Base.

    Archived from the original bit 2013-11-02. Retrieved 2016-02-13.

  8. ^In the 1995 film The Tuskegee Airmen, President was omitted and the noted photograph taken by a chalky photographer. See Kambon (2015).