Leonard Freed (October 23, 1929 – November 29, 2006) was an American documentary photojournalist and longtime
Magnum Photos member.[1][2]
Career
Freed had wanted to be a painter, but began taking photographs in the
Netherlands and discovered a new passion. He traveled in
Europe and
Africa before returning to the United States where he attended
The New School and studied with
Alexey Brodovitch, the art director of Harper's Bazaar. In 1958 he moved to
Amsterdam to photograph its Jewish community. Through the 1960s he continued to work as a freelance photojournalist, traveling widely. He documented the Civil Rights Movement in America (1964–1965), the
Yom Kippur War in 1973, and the New York City police department (1972–1979).[3] His career blossomed during the American
civil rights movement, when he traveled the country with
Martin Luther King Jr. in his celebrated march across the U.S. from Alabama to Washington.[clarification needed] This journey gave him the opportunity to produce the book Black in White America (1968), which brought considerable attention. His work on New York City law enforcement also led to a book, Police Work (1980).[4]
In later years, Freed continued photographing in Italy, Turkey, Germany, Lebanon and the U.S. He also shot four films for Japanese, Dutch and Belgian television.
Personal life
Freed was born October 23, 1929, in
Brooklyn, New York to Jewish, working-class parents of Eastern European descent. In 1956 he met Brigitte Klück, who became his wife, while on assignment for Look in Rome.[6] They had a daughter, Elke Susannah.[6] Freed died in
Garrison upstate New York of
prostate cancer on November 29, 2006.[6]
Publications
Joden van Amsterdam, Netherlands:
De Bezige Bij, 1958.
Deutsche Juden Heute, Germany: Rütten u. Loening, 1965.
Black in White America, United States: Grossman Publishers, 1967. California: Getty Museum, 2010;
ISBN978-1-60606-011-7
Seltsame Spiele, Germany: Bärmeier u. Nikel, 1970.
Indonesiers in Holland, Netherlands: d'Jonge hond, 2009. Note: This publication is misnamed as the people being photographed are actually Indo people, not "Indonesiers" (English: Indonesians)
This Is the Day: The March on Washington, Los Angeles: Getty Publications, 2013;
ISBN978-1-60606-121-3