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Kenneth Alexander (photographer)

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Kenneth Alexander
Alexander in the aero-photo service of the United States Navy, 1918
Born(1887-03-03)3 March 1887
London, England
Died24 January 1975(1975-01-24) (aged 87)

Kenneth Alexander (March 3, 1887 – January 24, 1975) was a photographer for United Artists, 20th Century Studios and Samuel Goldwyn Productions.[1][2] He was known for his celebrity portraiture, photographing such stars as Marlene Dietrich,[3] Lillian Gish,[4] Betty Blythe,[5] and Vilma Bánky.[6]

Early years

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Kenneth Alexander (born Alexander Kenneth Alexander)[7] was born in London on March 3, 1887, the son of Alexander Fyfe and Alice (née Austin).[8] He was educated in England at Bedford Modern School.[8] His family emigrated to New York in 1903 after which he studied art at the London Polytechnic and later at the New York School of Art.[8]

Career

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Alexander was a student of photography with Vandyke as a London Court photographer after which he joined H. H. Pierce of Boston (1905–07).[8] In America, Alexander's work became known nationally in 1907 when his photograph of the painter Arthur Wesley Dow won an award in the Third American Salon at the Toledo Museum of Art and was later included in The American Amateur Photographer.[9][10]

In 1908 he joined Ernest Walter Histed in New York who specialised in low light dramatic portraiture.[8][9] In 1910 he left Histed and operated a studio alone in Seattle, Washington, between 1910 and 1914, specialising in home portraiture.[9] He became a US citizen in 1914 when he established a freelance studio in Honolulu, Hawaii, and became more widely known for celebrity portraiture.[8][9]

During World War I he served in the aero-photo service of the United States Navy operating from a warship, taking close-ups and panoramas.[11] Alexander later established himself as a photographer in New York with a tagline, "Photographer of Women Exclusively",[2] a gender reversal of Pirie MacDonald's motto. He gained particular acclaim with United Artists during his time in New York assisting them and other film companies with offices in the city.[12]

After New York, Alexander moved to Los Angeles at the behest of Lillian Gish, who wanted him as a photographer on her film La Bohème.[13] Alexander eventually settled in Hollywood, where he was employed by Sam Goldwyn Productions throughout the 1930s.[9]

Filmography

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References

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  1. ^ Hollywood Glamour 1924–1956: Selected Portraits from Wisconsin Center for Film and Theatre Research, by Elvehjem Museum of Art, ISBN 0932900151
  2. ^ a b Steele, Jim (September 5, 2008). Heritage Auctions Music and Entertainment Auction Catalog #696. Heritage Capital Corporation. ISBN 9781599672885 – via Google Books.
  3. ^ "Marlene Dietrich by Kenneth Alexander". The English Group. March 14, 2012. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved January 16, 2015.
  4. ^ "Lillian Gish". sc.edu. Retrieved January 16, 2015.
  5. ^ "Betty Blythe". sc.edu. Retrieved January 16, 2015.
  6. ^ "Austro-Hungarian actress Vilma Banky , one of Samuel Goldwyn's stars,..." Getty Images.
  7. ^ "Genealogy, Family Trees & Family History Records at Ancestry.co.uk". ancestry.co.uk. Retrieved January 16, 2015.
  8. ^ a b c d e f Men Of Hawaii, Being A Biographical Reference Library, Complete and Authentic, Of The Men Of Note And Substantial Achievement In The Hawaiian Islands, Volume I. Honolulu Star-Bulletin Limited, 1917
  9. ^ a b c d e Kenneth Alexander Biography, Broadway Photographs, broadway.cas.sc.edu. Retrieved November 5, 2014
  10. ^ "The American Amateur Photographer and Camera and Dark Room". American Photographic Publishing Company. December 5, 1907 – via Google Books.
  11. ^ Honolulu Star-Bulletin, Saturday, July 20, 1918, p. 1
  12. ^ Kobal, John (January 1, 1976). Hollywood Glamor Portraits: 145 Photos of Stars, 1926-1949. Courier Corporation. ISBN 9780486233529 – via Google Books.
  13. ^ Dance, Robert; Robertson, Bruce (2002). Ruth Harriet Louise and Hollywood Glamour Photography. ISBN 9780520233478.
  14. ^ Press, Ivy (June 3, 2006). The Lost Hollywood Collection Featuring Photos from the Culver Picture Service Files, Auction Catalog #363. Heritage Capital Corporation. ISBN 9781599670621 – via Google Books.
  15. ^ Institute, American Film (June 3, 1993). The 1931-1940: American Film Institute Catalog of Motion Pictures Produced in the United States: Feature Films. University of California Press. ISBN 9780520079083 – via Google Books.
  16. ^ Press, Ivy (August 3, 2006). Heritage Music and Entertainment Dallas Signature Auction Catalog #634. Heritage Capital Corporation. ISBN 9781599670812 – via Google Books.
  17. ^ "Motion Picture". Macfadden-Bartell. February 3, 1934 – via Google Books.
  18. ^ Vieira, Mark A. (October 1, 1999). Sin in Soft Focus: Pre-Code Hollywood. Harry N. Abrams. ISBN 9780810944756 – via Google Books.
  19. ^ Press, Ivy (June 3, 2006). The Lost Hollywood Collection Featuring Photos from the Culver Picture Service Files, Auction Catalog #363. Heritage Capital Corporation. ISBN 9781599670621 – via Google Books.
  20. ^ Vieira, Mark A. (October 1, 1999). Sin in Soft Focus: Pre-Code Hollywood. Harry N. Abrams. ISBN 9780810944756 – via Google Books.
  21. ^ Staff, America Film Institute; Institute, American Film; Afi, American Film (December 3, 1997). Within Our Gates: Ethnicity in American Feature Films, 1911-1960. University of California Press. ISBN 9780520209640 – via Google Books.
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