Steve Schapiro

Born in New York STEVE SCHAPIRO (1934-2021) began taking photographs at the age of 9. Excited by the camera’s potential, Schapiro spent the next decades prowling the streets of his native New York City trying to emulate the work of French photographer Henri Cartier-Bresson, whom he greatly admired. He originally aimed to be a writer but decided to devote himself to photojournalism and was taught by William Eugene Smith. In 1961 he embarked on a career as a freelance photographer and captured key historical moments of the 1960’s, working for Life, Vanity Fair, Sports Illustrate, Newsweek, Time and Paris Match amongst others.

An activist as well as documentarian, Schapiro covered many stories related to the Civil Rights Movement, including the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, the push for voter registration, and the Selma to Montgomery March. Called by Life to Memphis after Martin Luther King Jr.’s assassination, Schapiro produced some of the most iconic images of the tragic event. In the 1970s, as picture magazines folded, Schapiro shifted his attention to film. Schapiro produced advertising materials, publicity stills, and posters for such notable films as The Godfather, Taxi Driver, Midnight Cowboy, and Chinatown. He also collaborated on projects with musicians, such as Barbra Streisand and David Bowie, for record covers and related art.

Schapiro’s work has been exhibited internationally and was included in the Metropolitan Musuem of Art’s 1968 exhibition Harlem On My Mind and more recently Warhol Underground at the Centre Pompidou, Paris, France. His work is held in the collections of the Smithsonian, The High Museum and the National Portrait Gallery amongst others and has published numerous books. In 2017, Schapiro won the Lucie Award for Achievement in Photojournalism.