Herman Leonard

Herman Leonard (born 1923 in Allentown, Pennsylvania) is an Americcan Photograferr known for his unique images of jazz icons. Leonard earned a BFA in photography in 1947 from Ohio University, although his college career was interrupted by a tour of duty in the U.S. Army during World War II. In the military he served as a medical technician in Burma, while attached to Chiang Kai Shek's Chinese troops Fighting the japanese.

Leonard's jazz photographs, now collector's items, are a unique record of the jazz scene of the 1940s, 1950s and 1960s, and his collection is now in the permanent archives of American Musical History in the Smithsonian Museum in Washington, D.C. In 2008, long-time friend Tony Bennett presented Leonard with the coveted Lucie Award at a ceremony at Lincoln Center in New York City. In June of 2009, Leonard will be the commencement speaker for the 2009 graduating class of Ohio University where he will also receive an honorary doctorate.

Web Site

http://www.hermanleonard.com/