Steve Schapiro, photographer of Martin Luther King, dies at 87
Steve Schapiro, the celebrated American photojournalist famous for his powerful images capturing the civil rights movement, Hollywood icons, and everyday life, has died at 87. Born in New York in 1934, he picked up a camera at nine, inspired by legends like Henri Cartier-Bresson and W. Eugene Smith, who fueled his love for social documentary photography. He went freelance in 1961, working with top magazines like Life, Time, and Rolling Stone. Schapiro documented key events of the 1960s, including the March on Washington and Martin Luther King Jr.'s assassination. He also designed movie posters for classics like The Godfather. His notable exhibitions included Harlem on My Mind in 1969, and he received accolades such as the James Joyce Award.
Key facts
- Steve Schapiro died at age 87
- Born in New York in 1934
- Began photography at age nine
- Influenced by Henri Cartier-Bresson and W. Eugene Smith
- Freelance career started in 1961
- Photographed for Life, Look, Time, Newsweek, Rolling Stone, Vanity Fair, Sports Illustrated, People, Paris Match
- Documented civil rights movement including March on Washington, Selma to Montgomery marches, MLK assassination
- Created movie posters for The Godfather, Taxi Driver, Rambo
- Exhibited at Metropolitan Museum of Art (Harlem on My Mind, 1969) and High Museum of Art (Road to Freedom)
- Received James Joyce Award and fellowship at University College Dublin
- Work in collections of Smithsonian, High Museum, Metropolitan Museum, Getty Museum
Entities
Artists
- Steve Schapiro
- Henri Cartier-Bresson
- W. Eugene Smith
- Martin Luther King Jr.
- Robert Kennedy
- Barbra Streisand
- David Bowie
Institutions
- Life
- Look
- Time
- Newsweek
- Rolling Stone
- Vanity Fair
- Sports Illustrated
- People
- Paris Match
- Metropolitan Museum of Art
- High Museum of Art
- Smithsonian Museum
- Getty Museum
- University College Dublin
- Artribune
Locations
- New York
- United States
- Washington D.C.
- Selma
- Montgomery
- Atlanta
- Dublin
- Ireland