Bert Andrews (photographer) facts for kids

Bert Andrews (born March 21, 1929 – died January 25, 1993) was an American photographer. He was famous for taking pictures of Black theater in New York City. For over 30 years, he photographed many important African American actors. These included stars like James Earl Jones, Cicely Tyson, Morgan Freeman, and Denzel Washington. His work helped show the amazing talent in Black theater.

Who Was Bert Andrews?

Bert J. Andrews was born in Chicago on March 21, 1929. He later moved to Harlem, a neighborhood in New York City, where he grew up. When he was young, he started in entertainment. He wrote songs, sang, and danced. In the early 1950s, while serving in the army, Andrews began to study photography.

Starting His Photography Career

In 1953, after leaving the army, Andrews started working for Chuck Stewart. Stewart was a famous photographer known for his jazz musician photos. Andrews learned a lot from him until 1957. Then, he decided to work on his own. He began taking pictures for Black theater shows in New York City.

One of his first jobs as a freelance photographer was in 1957. He photographed a play called Dark of the Moon. This play was put on by the YMCA Drama Guild. It featured actors like Cicely Tyson, Roscoe Lee Browne, and Clarence Williams III.

Capturing Iconic Plays

Throughout his long career, Andrews photographed many important plays. Some of these included The Blacks (1961) and The Blood Knot (1964). He also photographed To Be Young, Gifted and Black (1969) and The River Niger (1972). Later, he captured Bubbling Brown Sugar (1976), A Soldier's Play (1982), and Ma Rainey's Black Bottom (1984). His photos helped tell the stories of these powerful shows.

His photographs also appeared in many big magazines. These included Time, Life, Ebony, and Newsweek. His work was also seen in The New York Times.

Overcoming Challenges

On January 29, 1985, a fire destroyed Bert Andrews' studio. It was located in New York City. This fire caused him to lose about 40,000 to 50,000 of his images. These pictures covered roughly 30 years of his work. But, many theater companies helped him. They gave him copies of a lot of his photos. For example, the Negro Ensemble Company helped him get back about 2,000 pictures.

His Legacy

In 1988, a special collection was created. It was called the Bert Andrews Photographic Collection of Blacks in the Theatre. This collection is kept at the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture. The next year, some of these photos were put into a book. The book was titled In the Shadow of the Great White Way: Images from the Black Theatre (1989).

Bert Andrews passed away from cancer on January 25, 1993. He was 63 years old. His work continues to be an important record of Black theater.