Alvin Langdon Coburn

(1882-1966) Landscapes, Portraiture

Biography: Alvin Langdon Coburn was born in 1882 in Boston. He was fortunate to be born into a middle- class family. His first camera was given to him as a gift from his uncle when he was only eight years old. This began his journey of photography as a means of artistic expression. He studied with Steichen and DeMachy in Paris in 1901. He came back to the U.S. after a year and opened a studio in New York. Coburn studied with Gertrude Kasebier in his studio, she was considered the great Madonna figure n the history of photography.

Many of his images from 1903-1909 were featured in Camera Work, a fine photographic magazine that was published by Stieglitz. This, along with many exhibits and shows that exposed Coburn's work, made him very well known in England. He photographed cities, landmarks, and occasionally some portraits. His favorites were the photographs of cities. His images were the first to draw attention to the possibilities of patterns in nature. The only tool that Coburn used was his camera. This made his work fundamental, but excellent. He was called the greatest photographer in the world by George Bernard Shaw. Coburn went through many periods in his life, in which he tried to discover who he truly was. Alvin Langdon Coburn died in 1966. Today he is known and remembered as an outstanding artist. We benefit from many of his images and his efforts.

More on Alvin Langdon Coburn:

•Akron Art Museum - Alvin Langdon Coburn
Extensive Gallery of Work by Alvin Langdon Coburn