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Draft:Philip Leonian

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Phillip Leonian (born January 13, 1927[1]) was an American photographer. Leonian worked in New York City, specializing in advertising and editorial work during the 1950s through the 1980s. Some of his clients included IBM, AT&T, Time, Look. He also produced eight cover photos for Sports Illustrated, including a portrait of Muhammed Ali in a red velvet robe and crown.[2] He was most fascinated by motion, creating photographs with a slow shutter speed that created a blur effect.

Early Life


Phillip Leonian was born in Morgantown, West Virginia, to Leon and Nell Leonian. He began experimenting with photography in high school. He served in the army during the US occupation of Japan. Upon his return, he studied photography at the Brooks Institute of Photography in Santa Barbara, California. In the mid-1950s, he moved to New York City, where he met his wife Edith Leonian.[3] She died in 2013.[4]

Many museums, such as the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, benefit from Leonian's legacy. Phillip and Edith ran Phillip's photography studio in New York City for 30 years. In 2010, the Leonians created the Phillip and Edith Leonian Foundation to support photographic endeavors. The Phillip and Edith Leonian Charitable Trust, which supports institutions and artists in photography, was founded in 2016 following Phillip’s passing.[5] Some of his work is collected by the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, in Houston, Texas.[6] Additionally, the foundation supports a photography curatorial position at the Brooklyn Museum.[7]

In 1978 he showed his work in an exhibition entitled "Pictures of people walking by" at Neikrug, which was highlighted in the New York Times.[8]

References

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