William Garnett (photographer) facts for kids
William A. Garnett (born December 27, 1916 – died August 26, 2006) was an American photographer famous for his amazing pictures of landscapes taken from an airplane. This special type of photography is called aerial photography. He captured the beauty of the Earth from high above, showing us views we don't usually get to see.
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Early Life and Learning
William Garnett was born in Chicago, Illinois, in 1916. When he was four years old, his family moved to Pasadena, California. After finishing high school, he studied at the Art Center School in Los Angeles for a year. Then, starting in 1938, he worked on his own for two years as a photographer and graphic designer. This means he took pictures for businesses and designed visual things.
Starting His Photography Career
In 1940, Garnett got a job as a photographer for the Pasadena Police Department, where he worked for four years. Later, he briefly worked for the Lockheed aircraft company. In 1944, he joined the U.S. Army. There, he helped make training films for the U.S. Signal Corps, which is the part of the army that handles communications.
Discovering Aerial Photography
After leaving the Army in 1945, Garnett used a program called the G.I. Bill to pay for flying lessons. By 1949, he had bought his very own airplane! This was a big step because it allowed him to start taking the incredible aerial photographs he became known for.
His unique work quickly caught people's attention. In 1953, he received his first of three Guggenheim fellowships. This is a special award given to people who show great ability in arts, sciences, or other fields. It helped him continue his amazing work.
Exhibitions and Famous Works
In 1955, Garnett had his first solo art show at the George Eastman House in Rochester, New York. His photographs were also part of a very famous exhibition called The Family of Man. This show was put together by Edward Steichen and displayed at the Museum of Modern Art in New York City in 1955.
His Plane and Cameras
In 1956, Garnett bought a Cessna 170B airplane. He used this plane for many decades as his special "photo studio in the sky." He even made small changes to the plane to make it easier to take pictures from above.
Garnett tried different types of cameras and films. He found that using two 35mm cameras worked best for him. One camera had black-and-white film, and the other had color film. He might have also used Pentax 6X7 medium format cameras for some of his pictures.
Later Life and Teaching
In 1958, Garnett moved from Los Angeles to Napa, California. He continued working as a commercial photographer for the next ten years. In 1968, he joined the College of Environmental Design at the University of California, Berkeley. He became a professor there and taught students until he retired in 1984.
Where You Can See His Work
William Garnett's photographs were shown in many popular national magazines. These included Fortune, Life, Reader's Digest, and The New York Times Magazine. His special landscape photos have also appeared in many art books and as pictures in textbooks.
His work is collected by many important museums around the world. These include the J. Paul Getty Museum in Los Angeles, the Museum of Modern Art in New York, the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, and the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C.
Family Life
In 1941, William Garnett married Eula Beal (1919–2008), who was a talented singer. They had three sons together. William Garnett passed away on August 26, 2006, at his home in Napa, California.
William Garnett's Books
