Jini Dellaccio facts for kids
Jini Dellaccio (born Jini Duckworth; January 31, 1917 – July 3, 2014) was an American photographer. She was best known for taking pictures of rock and pop music groups in the 1960s. Many of her photos were used for album covers, posters, and publicity. She photographed bands like the Sonics, the Wailers, and Merrilee Rush. Jini also took pictures of famous acts such as Neil Young, the Rolling Stones, the Beach Boys, and The Who. Her work has been shown in many books, CDs, and art galleries.
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Jini's Early Life
Jini Duckworth was born in Indiana in 1917. She grew up on a family farm. Her father was a mechanic, and her mother was a beautician. Jini's family loved art and music. Her mother played the violin, her father played drums, and her sister played piano. After finishing high school in 1935, Jini played the saxophone. She toured with different all-girl jazz bands for 12 years.
During World War II, Jini met Carl Dellaccio in Florida. He was serving in the Navy. They talked every night and fell in love. After the war, they moved to Chicago, Illinois. Carl went to college there. Jini and Carl married in 1946. Jini kept playing music for a while. Then, she started studying painting at the Art Institute of Chicago. This is where she became interested in photography. She bought her first camera, a used Leica, for $70.
Becoming a Fashion Photographer
In 1953, Jini and Carl moved to Long Beach, California. Carl got a job teaching Spanish and Italian. Jini first tried making pottery. Then, she became a very successful freelance fashion photographer. During this time, she bought a Rolleiflex camera. Later, she got a Hasselblad 500-C, which became her main camera.
Jini's fashion photos were "absolutely gorgeous," she said. One model showed Jini's pictures to a Hollywood contact. The person said, "Now he is a photographer." The model was happy to tell him, "This happens to be a lady." From then on, Jini was seen as a symbol of how women could be excellent in photography. She would always say, "Oh yes, I can do that," and then she would do it.
In 1958, Jini traveled to the South Sea Islands with her brother. She took her Leica camera and captured a picture of the Tasman Sea. This became one of her favorite photos. Her fashion photography career lasted ten years. It ended when Carl got a job in Tacoma, Washington, in 1961. The couple moved to nearby Gig Harbor. In 1962, the Tacoma Art Museum showed some of Jini's work. This included her fashion photos and pictures from the South Pacific.
Photographing Rock Stars
By 1964, a popular rock band from Tacoma, the Wailers, wanted better album covers. They contacted a graphic designer, who suggested Jini Dellaccio. He had seen her photos at the Tacoma Art Museum. Jini agreed to take their pictures. Instead of using her studio, she had them walk around a local park. These photos were used on their album Wailers, Wailers, Everywhere. The album sold very well in the region. Soon, many bands wanted Jini to photograph them. Her unique style was called "the Northwest cool."
Jini was 20 years older than most of the musicians she photographed. But she loved the raw, energetic music scene of the Northwest. She did not use the usual formal studio methods. Instead, she often photographed bands outdoors. She used the beautiful Pacific Northwest scenery as a background for her album covers. Jini said she was "inspired" by how "beautiful these kids looked out in the trees."
Jini's special way of taking photos was to have bands climb trees or look through the mist. She also photographed them among grand buildings and sculptures. The misty weather of the Northwest often appeared in her pictures. Her black-and-white photos showed sharply dressed young musicians. Sometimes they were joking, but often they looked mysterious in natural settings. This created a unique look.
Jini also worked indoors and in other locations. Her studio photos often used dramatic lighting and interesting poses. She also photographed musicians at the University of Washington. She used famous spots like Red Square, Suzzallo Library, and the 4 Pillars. Her unique style helped create a new, more creative way of commercial photography in the late 1960s.
Jini photographed many Northwest bands. These included Merrilee Rush & the Turnabouts, Paul Revere and the Raiders, the Galaxies, and the Daily Flash. Her pictures of the Sonics and the Wailers became very famous in garage-rock music.
Besides studio work, Jini loved going to live concerts. She documented performances by local bands and touring stars. She photographed the Rolling Stones, the Yardbirds, The Who, and the Beach Boys. Buck Ormsby, the Wailers' bassist, remembered: "She was going to gigs, hanging out; it was like she just fell in love with the music."
As Jini's skills became known, she sometimes traveled to California for jobs. In 1967, she had a memorable photo session with Neil Young. Jini told him, "If you get on the roof, we'd have the sky." Then she told him to "Fly like a bird." She continued to photograph bands and musicians regularly into the 1970s.
Later Life and Legacy
In the 1980s, Jini and Carl Dellaccio moved to a retirement community in Sequim, Washington. Then, they moved to Arizona in 1991. Soon after moving to Arizona, Carl had a major stroke. Jini cared for him for thirteen years until he passed away in 2004. Jini told Carl, "I'm so lucky I found you. And I want to tell you, you don't need to worry about me. I'm going to start doing pictures again." When she said this, Carl smiled a little.
Starting in the late 1980s, Jini's work was shown in several art exhibitions. A documentary film about her life and work was made by Karen Whitehead. It was called Her Aim Is True. The film first showed at the Seattle International Film Festival on May 26, 2013.
Later in her life, Jini switched to a digital Hasselblad camera. She kept her promise to Carl by continuing her photography. Jini Dellaccio passed away on July 3, 2014, in Seattle. She was 97 years old.
