William Gottlieb

Nat Cole, 1947

William Gottlieb Biography William 'Bill' Gottlieb, an American photographer renowned for documenting the 'Golden Age' of American jazz in the 1930s and 40s, captured intimate and iconic portraits of jazz legends such as Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington, Billie Holiday, and Charlie Parker. Gottlieb, self-taught in photography, saw his career blossom from a passion for jazz journalism, initially writing a weekly column for The Washington Post which led William Gottlieb to photograph his own subjects. His photographs are celebrated for their storytelling quality and ability to convey the essence of jazz culture through black and white imagery. Born in Brooklyn, NY, in 1917, William Gottlieb went on to attend Lehigh University. During his senior year, Gottlieb’s love for jazz music inspired him to begin writing a weekly column about the subject for The Washington Post. When The Post was unable to afford a photographer to accompany him on his profiles, William Gottlieb took matters into his own hands and purchased a camera to capture his own photos of jazz culture. At the outbreak of World War II, William Gottlieb ’s journalism and photography careers were put on hold when he was drafted into the Army, where he served as a photo officer. After the war William Gottlieb moved back to New York City, where he continued his photo-journalistic pursuits, writing and shooting for Down Beat Magazine, the Saturday Review, and Collier’s. In 1979, William Gottlieb published The Golden Age of Jazz, a seminal monograph featuring over 200 of his photographs alongside original text contextualizing the images and their subjects. This publication became a definitive collection of Gottlieb's work. William Gottlieb 's photographs have also been featured in prominent publications such as Down Beat Magazine and Collier’s, showcasing William Gottlieb 's dual talent in photography and journalism. In 1994, several of William Gottlieb 's jazz photographs were featured as United States postage stamps and in 1995 his portfolio, recognized for its historical significance, was acquired by the Library of Congress. William Gottlieb 's photographs have been exhibited worldwide, including prestigious venues like the Museum of Modern Art in Stockholm and the Navio Museum in Osaka. His work is part of many prestigious public collections including the New York Public Library. Jackson Fine Art featured William Gottlieb 's work in 2020 in their Private Consignment Salon & Sale.