Presented by Harvey Milk Photo Center and the SF Rec & Park
Photographer Fred Lyon was born in San Francisco in 1924, and he calls himself a “third or fourth generation native.” He grew up around the Peninsula, and got into photography in high school – “because cameras were cool and I thought it would be a good way to get girls,” he told me. “Guess how that turned out.”
I’d say it turned out very well for Fred – after stints in DC photographing the navy and the White House, and in New York shooting for the big fashion houses, he moved back to SF in 1946 and starting freelancing for such prestigious and popular magazines as Vogue, Glamour, Life, and Seventeen. He captured a city that was captivating the country, and has ventured into everything from food and fashion to wine, news, and architecture as subjects. His work has morphed from print to fine art, as his gorgeous photos hang on the walls of galleries and in collectors’ homes. “But I’m still dancing out on the edge,” he jokes, “pushing my luck, and living beyond my means.”
You’ll soon be able to collect Fred’s work in hardback book form with the release of San Francisco, Portrait of a City (1940-1960), which comes out this September (you can pre-order a copy now – seems like an awesome gift for any San Franciscan). And you can see his work in person at an upcoming solo show at the Harvey Milk Photo Center on Nov. 8.
Ibid. Jennifer Maerz – thebolditalic.com 2014
Exhibit: Fred Lyon Photography
Opening Reception: Saturday, November 8, 1–4p.m.
Dates: November 8 – January 10
Locations: Harvey Milk Photo Center, 50 Scott St.
Opening Reception: Saturday, November 8, 1:00PM–4:00PM
Second Book Signing: Sat., Dec 6th. 1-3pm, with
Film Screening: Living Through the Lens, 1:30pm-2:30pm
Show Dates: November 8 – January 10
Venue: Harvey Milk Photo Center. 50 Scott Street, San Francisco, CA 94117
Viewing hours: Tues-Thursday, 4-8 p.m., Sat & Sunday noon–4:30 p.m.
Curators:
- Dave Christensen, Director of the Harvey Milk Photo Center
*Exhibit gallery will be closed Wednesday, November 19 from 5–7 p.m. It will re-open from 7–9 p.m. The main lobby gallery will remain open from 4–9 p.m.