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6/24/03 St. Petersburg, FL (June 24, 2003) The Florida International Museum (FIM) is pleased to present PORTRAITS FROM THE GOLDEN AGE OF JAZZ: Photographs by William Gottlieb, a fascinating exhibition of seventy-one photographs on display from July 20 through September 7, 2003. This exhibition is on loan from the Edward J. Gottlieb Collection. During the 1930s and ‘40s, William Gottlieb photographed the contemporary jazz scene to illustrate his columns in The Washington Post, Down Beat magazine and other publications. The photographic negatives were stored for more than thirty years until Gottlieb’s retirement in 1979, when he began printing the negatives. The rest, literally, became history. Gottlieb is now one of the most honored jazz photographers. Gottlieb’s images of these jazz artists from the era, considered by many to be the “golden age of jazz,” have become the standard icons of jazz history. According to jazz critic John Wilson of The New York Times, Gottlieb was able to combine his talents as a writer, photographer, and jazz enthusiast to capture images with a “distinctive, storytelling touch.” In addition, the Los Angeles Herald-Examiner has said Gottlieb’s photographs, “…transcend mere documentation. They provide a dramatic, mood-inducing setting. All that’s missing is the music.” In April of 1995, the Library of Congress acquired the photographs of this eminent jazz photographer through the Ira and Leonore Gershwin Fund. The collection includes Gottlieb’s photographs taken between 1938 and 1948, one of the richest periods in the history of jazz. Although Gottlieb will retain the copyright to all of the photographs, the Library of Congress can use the images for research purposes. Now in its 12th printing, Gottlieb’s book of photographs, The Golden Age of Jazz, has become an award-winning classic. His images of jazz greats such as Duke Ellington, Benny Goodman, Louis Armstrong, Frank Sinatra, Billie Holiday and Charlie Parker have been widely published in magazines, books and calendars, on over 250 album and CD covers, and have appeared in television documentaries and major motion pictures. Recently, the National Portrait Gallery acquired Gottlieb’s photograph of Duke Ellington, and the U.S. Postal Service has featured 4 of his photographic images on postage stamps. Florida International Museum is home to The John F. Kennedy Collection and The Cuban Missile Crisis: When The Cold War Got Hot. Through August 10th, FIM features Maze of Illusions & Puzzles, a huge interactive exhibition for children of all ages, and on display through August 31st is Famous Women Through Quilts: Patterns of Power. Admission for all exhibits is $12 for adults, $11 for college students and seniors 65+, $6 for students. The museum is open Monday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Sunday noon to 5 p.m. Last entry to the museum is at 4 p.m. daily. For more information please contact the Florida International Museum at 727-822-3693 or visit www.floridamuseum.org. # # # The Florida International Museum is a non-profit educational institution supported, in part, by the Institute of Museum and Library Services, St. Petersburg/Clearwater Area Convention and Visitors Bureau, Florida Arts Council, State of Florida, Division of Cultural Affairs, and the City of St. Petersburg. Other major sponsors include Progress Energy, Renaissance Vinoy Resort & Golf Club, and St. Petersburg Times. |
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