Joe Schwartz - Atascadero Centennial

Born July 6, 1913 in the Williamsburgh section of Brooklyn, New York, Joe grew up in the poverty of the Brooklyn slums. His parents, Rose Mandel and Samuel Schwartz, were immigrants from Poland and Romania. From 1929-1933 he attended Alexander Hamilton High School, where he concentrated on commercial art, and began experimenting with an inexpensive camera. Soon after he became an activist, engaged in street politics, and became interested in proving the high value of the "have-nots". He knew that his life's work would be in photography, depicting the condition of the poor and downtrodden. After a short stint at the Pratt Institute where he learned the fundamentals of art composition, he attained a job at Haloid Paper Co. where he learned lithography. In 1936 his friend Dave Robbins led him to join the Photo League. He and the legendary Photo League (Sid Grossman was President and Eugene Smith, Dorthea Lange, and Margaret Bourke-White were among the members) shared a commitment to portraying the lives of America's working people in their urban environment, and these commitments often extended to the realistic portrayal of African-Americans as well. Joe wanted to illustrate the truth through his photography. He let his camera speak for him to show the social and economic injustice of the times. In 1939 Joe married modern dancer, Anne Paley. In 1943 he joined the Marine Corps on the staff of Leatherneck Magazine, where he served in the 5th Division as a combat … [Read more...]

March 13th, 2013 Mayor Tom O’Malley and the members of the Atascadero City Council would like to express their heartfelt condolences to the family of Joe Schwartz on his passing the morning of March 13th, 2013. Joe was an icon on the Central Coast and known around the world for his Folk Photography.  He resided in Atascadero for the past 25 years, and was recently honored by the City and many local dignitaries in conjunction with the kickoff of the Atascadero Centennial Celebration, as Joe’s own 100th birthday was to be celebrated this year along with Atascadero’s. Joseph Schwartz was born in 1913 in Brooklyn, New York.  Schwartz served in the Marines in World War II as a combat photographer. In the 1930s he joined the Photo League along with other notable photographers such as Eugene Smith and Dorothea Lange.  For over 70 years, Schwartz documented the “have-nots” and the greats. He is an internationally recognized documentary photographer. His work has been collected by the new Smithsonian Institution National Museum of African American History and Culture, and several other museums across the country. For more information about Mr. Schwartz and his remarkable life’s work, please visit his website at joeschwartzphoto.com, or his facebook page at facebook.com/JoeSchwartzPhoto.           … [Read more...]