READ THIS: The Kennedys: Photographs by Mark Shaw September 1, 2012 Reel Art Press will release a new and definitive collection of Mark Shaw’s photographs of the Kennedys Our Coverage Sponsored by Austrian Luxury Brand GEIGER
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Without a doubt, President Kennedy is our favorite President of all-time, up there with Ronald Reagan. Peachy Deegan grew up in an Irish-Catholic family that always had an appreciation for this family, and Peachy's grandfather was even in WWII with the President. When Peachy's Irish Catholic grandmother passed away who collected everything Kennedy, Peachy inherited it and we thought we had seen everything that was published, but on September 1, 2012, brand new photography is being released by The Reel Art Press taken by Mark Shaw during the days of Camelot, and we have never seen better photography of the Kennedy White House.
Mark Shaw was an incredibly gifted photographer, and that is clear upon looking at the first few pictures of this book. We love the organization that is chosen for it: it is mainly geographic ranging from Nantucket Sound to Palm Beach, and including inbetween Hyannis Port, Georgetown, Wheeling, West Virginia, Merrywood, the Amalfi Coast, and Washington D.C.. Shaw first shot for Life magazine in 1959 and he became the unofficial Kennedy photographer. His close relationship to Jack and Jackie is captured in each photo and the results are not only glorious, but also priceless especially after all this time. Mark Shaw passed away in 1969 so this is a posthumous publication. Originally in 1964, he published The John F. Kennedys: A Family Album. The reflective moments and overall mood captured from chapter to chapter is the best we've ever seen. You'll feel like you're looking at a genuine family album taken by someone who was a true connection, loved by those being photographed. Even if you have the 1964 publication, be aware this new edition is fresh and expanded.
Shaw also worked with greats such as Audrey Hepburn, and always showed a distinct ability to capture the natural. It has been said he never recovered after the Kennedy assassination. We can see why his spirit died with the President. No one else that we know of was able to capture these quality reactions Shaw does in the photography, which we believe were captured in part because of the quality of their relationship, paired with Shaw's innate talent of course.
The beach scenes in particular we love-they exemplify pure joy and it will bring happiness to the reader to see the highlights captured by Shaw, simple as they might be, each moment speaks volumes and that is testament to the quality of the photographs.
These pictures are brilliant.
These pictures are real.
These pictures are genuine.
These pictures are what the truth of photography should always reflect.
Aside from all of the beach photography, our favorite specific photographs from this book include:
*Jackie with books, page 95
*Jackie and Caroline with a dog jumping, page 138-9
*Jackie in the office chair-we believe she could do the job equally well, page 166
Caroline Kennedy today is an incredibly gracious person and we were thrilled to meet her once by chance:
And we believe the cover of another book, which we also reviewed by Chris Matthews, shows a Shaw photograph included in the book and the President said it was his favorite of himself.
Shaw clearly was no ordinary photographer. We quote Jackie's note to him and his wife on page 148:
"You are an angel to send those beautiful pictures-contacts-and Pat's record-which I am playing tonight by myself-My Funny Valentine is on right now and I can tell you it is the worst possible music to answer campaign mail to...I just hope the days will come soon when we can all have a marvellous Portofino weekend and everything she and you remind me of-la dolce vita- can happen again! ...every time I look at your pictures...I realize how incredible they are."
You cannot beat those praises.
Whom You Know gives
The John F. Kennedys: A Family Album Our Highest Recommendation.
We suggest you READ THIS too:
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For the first time, complete access has been granted to the Mark Shaw Photographic Archive. Reel Art Press expands Shaw’s classic 1964 work, The John F. Kennedys: A Family Album.
Over fifty percent of the material in this lavish book has never been seen before and it features the finest ever reproductions of Shaw's work.
Mark Shaw first met the charismatic young Massachusetts Senator and his elegant wife in 1959 when he photographed them for Life magazine. A close friendship and bond developed which allowed him extraordinary and informal access to the Kennedy family.
During the following four years, Shaw captured them at their most relaxed: in Nantucket, Hyannis Port, Jacqueline's family home in Merrywood, Virginia and on The Amalfi Coast with the Agnellis. On the campaign trail in West Virginia, where they felt overwhelmed by kindness, pre-White House at their first proper family home in Georgetown and at the star-studded inauguration gala.
Among the most memorable photographs must be the image that was JFK’s personal favourite; the photograph he told his family and friends he liked best. Perhaps somewhat poignantly, as the 60th anniversary of the assassination approaches, it is the image of Kennedy walking alone in the sand dunes at Hyannis Port which resonates, alongside a later iconic and moving image of the rider-less horse and the fallen leader’s reversed riding boots.
Shaw had earlier taken a series of natural, exuberant photographs of Jacqueline and John John and her personal note to thank him conveys just how much they meant to her, as she compared Shaw to a modern day Caravaggio and vowed to treasure them always.
No doubt she did just that. So many unseen images in this stunning 288-page book capture Jacqueline Kennedy carefree, barefoot, laughing and playing on the beach or in the house with her children. Accompanying text from the Special Agent assigned to protect Jacqueline, Clint Hill, opens a section dedicated to the ‘fifty mile hike’, which was the result of a wager between President Kennedy and his closest friends. There are some surprises here too, as few photographs of the infamous Dr. Feelgood have survived, but it is perhaps the sombre photographs from a rainy November evening that will haunt the reader.
Book Information:
£45/$75
ISBN: 978-0-9566487-6-1
288 pp, 260 colour and b/w photographs
HB w/jacket; 300 x 250 mm / 12 x 10 in.
Mark Shaw was one of the greatest fashion and editorial photographers of the 1950s and 1960s, renowned for his photographs of the Kennedys and for his fashion work. He was the first photographer to shoot backstage and in colour at the couture shows and his Vanity Fair lingerie campaign remains landmark.
Tony Nourmand is co-founder of Reel Art Press and editor of all R|A|P publications. He is also the author of a further sixteen best-selling books on entertainment-related imagery, including James Bond Movie Posters and Audrey Hepburn: The Paramount Years.
About Reel Art Press: Reel Art Press specialises in exclusive publications with a focus on entertainment art. Their deluxe editions unveil largely unseen photography and celebrate the people responsible for capturing some of the most seminal moments in entertainment history. The company made headlines around the world with their first four editions: The Rat Pack, Bill Gold: PosterWorks, Weddings and Movie Stars and Hollywood and the Ivy Look and have seven editions scheduled for release in 2012.
