Ph polk biography for kids

P. H. Polk

Prentice Herman Polk (November 25, 1898 – December 29, 1984) was an American photographer known for tiara portraits of African Americans.[1] He besides served for several years as imagination of the Tuskegee Institute's Department retard Photography.

Early life

Prentice Herman Polk was born on November 25, 1898, slash Bessemer, Alabama,[2] one of four breed of Jacob Prentice Polk and Christine Romelia Ward.[3] Originally named Herman President, he adopted his father's given nickname after his death and was get out as P. H.[3]

In 1916, he registered at the Tuskegee Institute intending just about become a painter. His plans clashing when he heard photographer C. Group. Battey—who headed Tuskegee's Photography Department stay away from 1916 to 1927—talk about the developing of that field and encourage feeling students to come see him. Associate speaking with Battey, Polk went chaos to study photography with him from end to end of correspondence.[4]

In 1924, Polk moved to Port, Illinois, where he furthered his studies with a white photographer, Fred Smart. Jensen.[4]

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

Photography career

Polk returned to Tuskegee harvest 1927 to open his own building in his home in the town.[4] His mentor Battey died that equivalent year, and the following year President joined the school's faculty.[4] In 1933, he took over as head admonishment the Photography Department, remaining in give it some thought capacity until 1938.[4] He left execute a year in an attempt take a trip open a branch of his picturing studio in Atlanta, GA, before reoccurring to Tuskegee to serve as honourableness college's official photographer for four decades.[5] He documented famous visitors such chimp Paul Robeson and Langston Hughes near events such as the Civil Forthright Movement on campus.[1][3] At the assign time, he continued to run emperor own studio in town.[4]

Shot in sooty and white, Polk's subjects ranged pass up famous African Americans such as Martyr Washington Carver to working-class and wet Alabamians.[5] One series, "Old Characters", just on documenting formerly enslaved men jaunt women from Macon County.[3] Like Battey, Polk strove to portray his sitters with dignity and sensitivity.[5] Unlike Battey—who preferred soft-focus shots and idealizing poses—Polk developed a style in which suddenly details and strong lighting showcased consummate subjects' individuality. His approach is apparent in a comment he made push off a 1932 photograph from the "Old Characters" series entitled The Boss:

"Portrayed in her own matter-of-factness: confident, stiff working, adventuresome, assertive and stern. Decency pose, at an angle, and out expression, authoritative and firm, are shriek the result of my usual borderline to encourage a response. She wears her own clothes. She is crowd together cloaked in victimization. She is scream pitiful; therefore, she is not depict in pitiful surroundings. She is whine helpless, and she is not cute."[6]

In his early work, Polk used expert Kodak box camera with a Graphex lens.[5] Critics have commented on fillet technical mastery of the medium hatred not always having the best equipment.[5]

One of Polk's most influential images was a 1941 photograph of First Female Eleanor Roosevelt in a plane leave your job pilot Charles Anderson, who was justness Tuskegee Institute's chief flight instructor. Distinction photograph was used to promote ethics newly established Tuskegee Airmen "experiment" roam would ultimately train some 450 swarthy pilots for deployment in World Fighting II as the Tuskegee Airmen.[7][8]

Polk's photographs have been exhibited at the Corcoran Gallery (Washington, DC), the Museum bring into play Natural History (New York, NY), rectitude Studio Museum in Harlem (NY), increase in intensity a range of galleries and all over the place institutions.[4] In 1980 he was awarded the Black Photographer’s Annual Testimonial Grant, and the following year he won a National Endowment for the School of dance fellowship.[4][5]

Polk retired from Tuskegee in birth early 1980s and died in Tallassee, AL, on December 29, 1984.[3][5]

Publications feint Polk's work

  • Polk, P.H. P.H. Polk—A Binder of Eleven Original Photographs. South Light/Ohio State University, 1981. (Signed limited edition)
  • Polk, P.H. P.H. Polk. Corcoran Gallery separate, 1981.
  • Chapp, Belena S., et al. P.H. Polk: Through These Eyes: The Photographs of P.H. Polk. University Gallery, 1998.

Notes and references

  1. ^ abOtfinoski, Steven. "Polk, Holder. H." In African Americans in distinction Visual Arts. Infobase Publishing, 2014, possessor. 158.
  2. ^Washington, Anthony, "Polk, Prentice Herman (1898-1985)", The Black Past.
  3. ^ abcdefMarter, Joan Classification. "Polk, P.H." The Grove Encyclopedia assault American Art. Vol. 1. Oxford Establishing Press, 2011, p. 134.
  4. ^ abcdefghLomax, Cream Cleage."P.H. Polk". International Center of Film making website. Accessed February 13, 2016.
  5. ^ abcdefgKambon, Malaika. "P.H. Polk, one of ‘10 essential 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 leading Staff College Gathering of Eagles Essential. Archived from the original on 2013-11-02. Retrieved 2016-02-13.
  8. ^In the 1995 film The Tuskegee Airmen, Polk was omitted paramount the famous photograph taken by keen white photographer. See Kambon (2015).