Co Rentmeester facts for kids
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Rentmeester in front of his picture which became World Press Photo of the Year 1967
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| Birth name | Jacobus Willem Rentmeester | |||||||||||||
| Born | 28 February 1936 Amsterdam, the Netherlands |
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| Occupation | Photojournalist | |||||||||||||
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| Sport | Rowing | |||||||||||||
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Medal record
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Jacobus Willem Rentmeester, often called Co or Ko, was born on February 28, 1936. He is a famous Dutch rower and a talented photojournalist. A photojournalist is someone who tells stories using pictures for newspapers and magazines. Co Rentmeester took many important photos, including some during the Vietnam War.
Contents
Co Rentmeester's Life and Career
Early Life and Rowing Achievements
Co Rentmeester was born in 1936 in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. He loved sports, especially rowing. In 1959, he teamed up with Peter Bakker in a "double scull" boat. They won a bronze medal at the 1959 European Rowing Championships in France. The next year, Co and Peter competed for the Netherlands at the 1960 Summer Olympics in Rome. They made it to the finals and finished in fifth place.
Starting a Photography Career
In 1961, Co Rentmeester moved to the United States. He decided to study photography at the Art Center College in Los Angeles. After finishing his studies, he began working as a freelance photographer in 1965. He started taking pictures for Life Magazine, a very famous magazine at the time.
Documenting Important Events
Co Rentmeester joined the staff of Life Magazine in 1966. One of his first big assignments was covering the Watts Riots in Los Angeles. He took many powerful pictures that showed the dramatic events happening there. These photos helped him become known as a great photographer.
Between 1965 and 1969, Co Rentmeester traveled to Asia. He spent a lot of time covering the Vietnam War. One of his most famous pictures showed an M48 tank gunner looking through a special sight. This photo was very important because it was the first color photograph to win the World Press Photo of the Year award in 1967. He also took pictures in Hong Kong during the big civil disturbances there in 1967.
Later Work and Exhibitions
After being injured near Saigon, Co Rentmeester returned to the U.S. in 1972. His amazing pictures from a trip through Indonesia were shown in famous museums. These included the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam, the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C., and Asia House in New York. For many years, Co Rentmeester continued to work as a photojournalist and also took pictures for advertisements.
Awards and Recognition
Co Rentmeester has received many awards for his photography. These awards show how talented and important his work is.
- 1967: World Press Photo of the Year, 1st prize. This is one of the most important awards for photojournalism in the world.
- 1972: Magazine Photographer of the Year, from the School of Journalism at the University of Missouri.
- 1973: World Press Photo, 1st prize in the Sports category.
- 1976: New York Art Directors Club award for his photo story about Thomas Jefferson.
- 1979: World Press Photo: 2nd prize in the Color picture stories category.
- 1980: Missouri School of Journalism award for a photo story about the U.S. Air Force.
- 2001: KLM Paul Huf Award, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
- 2018: Lucy Foundation Award for Outstanding Achievement in Sports Photography.
