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Danny Lyon (born March 16, 1942) is an American
photographer A photographer (the Greek φῶς (''phos''), meaning "light", and γραφή (''graphê''), meaning "drawing, writing", together meaning "drawing with light") is a person who uses a camera to make photographs. Duties and types of photograp ...
and filmmaker. All of Lyon's publications work in the style of photographic
New Journalism New Journalism is a style of news writing and journalism, developed in the 1960s and 1970s, that uses literary techniques unconventional at the time. It is characterized by a subjective perspective, a literary style reminiscent of long-form no ...
, meaning that the photographer has become immersed in, and is a participant of, the documented subject. He is the founding member of the publishing group ''Bleak Beauty.'' After being accepted as the photographer for
Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee The Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee, and later, the Student National Coordinating Committee (SNCC, pronounced ) was the principal channel of student commitment in the United States to the civil rights movement during the 1960s. Emer ...
(SNCC), Lyon was present at almost all of the major historical events during the Civil Rights Movement. He has had solo exhibits at the
Whitney Museum of American Art The Whitney Museum of American Art, known informally as "The Whitney", is a Modern art, modern and Contemporary art, contemporary American art museum located in the Meatpacking District, Manhattan, Meatpacking District and West Village neighbor ...
, the
Art Institute of Chicago The Art Institute of Chicago, founded in 1879, is one of the oldest and largest art museums in the United States. The museum is based in the Art Institute of Chicago Building in Chicago's Grant Park (Chicago), Grant Park. Its collection, stewa ...
, the
Menil Collection The Menil Collection, located in Houston, Texas, refers either to a museum that houses the art collection of founders John de Menil and Dominique de Menil, or to the collection itself of paintings, sculptures, prints, drawings, photographs a ...
, the M. H. de Young Memorial Museum in San Francisco and the Center for Creative Photography at the
University of Arizona The University of Arizona (Arizona, U of A, UArizona, or UA) is a Public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Tucson, Arizona, United States. Founded in 1885 by the 13th Arizona Territorial Legislature, it ...
. Lyon twice received a
Guggenheim Fellowship Guggenheim Fellowships are Grant (money), grants that have been awarded annually since by the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation, endowed by the late Simon Guggenheim, Simon and Olga Hirsh Guggenheim. These awards are bestowed upon indiv ...
; a Rockefeller Fellowship, Missouri Honor Medal for Distinguished Service in Journalism; and a Lucie Award.


Early life

Lyon was born in 1942 in Brooklyn, New York and is the son of Russian-Jewish mother Rebecca Henkin and German-Jewish father Dr. Ernst Fredrick Lyon. He was raised in Kew Gardens, Queens, and went on to study history and philosophy at the
University of Chicago The University of Chicago (UChicago, Chicago, or UChi) is a Private university, private research university in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Its main campus is in the Hyde Park, Chicago, Hyde Park neighborhood on Chicago's South Side, Chic ...
, where he graduated with a
Bachelor of Arts A Bachelor of Arts (abbreviated B.A., BA, A.B. or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is the holder of a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the liberal arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts deg ...
degree in 1963.


Civil rights work

Lyon began his involvement in the civil rights movement in 1962 when he hitch-hiked to
Cairo Cairo ( ; , ) is the Capital city, capital and largest city of Egypt and the Cairo Governorate, being home to more than 10 million people. It is also part of the List of urban agglomerations in Africa, largest urban agglomeration in Africa, L ...
,
Illinois Illinois ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern United States. It borders on Lake Michigan to its northeast, the Mississippi River to its west, and the Wabash River, Wabash and Ohio River, Ohio rivers to its ...
during a summer break after his junior year at the University of Chicago. He was inspired by a speech
John Lewis John Robert Lewis (February 21, 1940 – July 17, 2020) was an American civil rights activist and politician who served in the United States House of Representatives for from 1987 until his death in 2020. He participated in the 1960 Nashville ...
had given at a church on his first day in Cairo. After his speech Lewis left to go attend a sit-in, Lyon was impressed by this, Lewis was putting action behind his words. Lyon then decided to march to a nearby segregated swimming pool, the demonstrators knelt down to pray as the pool-goers heckled them. Soon a truck came, it went through the crowd in an attempt to break it up, a young black girl was hit by the truck and Lyon knew that he wanted to be a part of the movement. For a time after this, in the 1960s, Lewis and Lyon were roommates. In September 1962, with a $300 donation by
Harry Belafonte Harry Belafonte ( ; born Harold George Bellanfanti Jr.; March 1, 1927 – April 25, 2023) was an American singer, actor, and civil rights activist who popularized calypso music with international audiences in the 1950s and 1960s. Belafonte ...
, the
Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee The Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee, and later, the Student National Coordinating Committee (SNCC, pronounced ) was the principal channel of student commitment in the United States to the civil rights movement during the 1960s. Emer ...
(SNCC) flew Lyon to Jackson and the
Mississippi Delta The Mississippi Delta, also known as the Yazoo–Mississippi Delta, or simply the Delta, is the distinctive northwest section of the U.S. state of Mississippi (and portions of Arkansas and Louisiana) that lies between the Mississippi and Yazo ...
to cover voter registration workers. Shortly after, Lyon had a run-in with the police, one of whom threatened to kill him because when told they “didn’t mix the races down here”, Lyon claimed he had a Black grandfather. Lyon left town in order to keep all the pictures he had taken safe from being confiscated. In 1963 Lyon returned, but the SNCC was reluctant to bring him aboard as their photographer. One job Lyon participated in was getting a picture of some high-school girls who were in prison at the Leesburg Stockade without any charges against them. He hid in the back of a car while someone else drove him to the prison, and the young man who drove distracted the guards while Lyon snuck in the back to get the photo. After being accepted as the photographer for SNCC, Lyon was present at almost all of the major historical events during the movement capturing the moments with his camera. His pictures appeared in ''The Movement: documentary of a struggle for equality'', a documentary book about the Civil Rights Movement in the southern region of the United States.


Later work

Later, Lyon began creating his own books. His first was a study of outlaw motorcyclists in the collection ''The Bikeriders'' (1968), where Lyon photographed, traveled with and shared the lifestyle of bikers in the
American Midwest The Midwestern United States (also referred to as the Midwest, the Heartland or the American Midwest) is one of the four List of regions of the United States, census regions defined by the United States Census Bureau. It occupies the northern c ...
from 1963 to 1967. Living in a rented apartment in
Woodlawn, Chicago Woodlawn is a neighborhood on the South Side of Chicago, Illinois, near the shore of Lake Michigan south of the Loop. It is one of the city's 77 municipally recognized community areas, bounded by the lake to the east, 60th Street to the nor ...
, Lyon followed the Chicago chapter of the
Outlaws Motorcycle Club The Outlaws Motorcycle Club, Incorporation (business), incorporated as the American Outlaws Association or its acronym, A.O.A., is an international outlaw motorcycle club. Founded in McCook, Illinois in 1935, the Outlaws MC is the oldest outlaw ...
in an "attempt to record and glorify the life of the American bikerider". Seeking advice from Hunter S. Thompson, who spent a year with the
Hells Angels The Hells Angels Motorcycle Club (HAMC) is an international outlaw motorcycle club founded in California whose members typically ride Harley-Davidson motorcycles. In the United States and Canada, the Hells Angels are incorporated as the Hells ...
for his own book, '' Hell's Angels: The Strange and Terrible Saga of the Outlaw Motorcycle Gangs'', Thompson warned Lyon that he should "get the hell out of that club unless it's absolutely necessary for photo action."Danny Lyon's inside shots
Sean O'Hagan, ''
The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in Manchester in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'' and changed its name in 1959, followed by a move to London. Along with its sister paper, ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardi ...
'' (20 April 2014)
The Chicago Outlaws Motorcycle Club rides again
Patrick Sisson, ''
Chicago Reader The ''Chicago Reader'', or ''Reader'' (stylized as ЯEADER), is an American alternative newspaper in Chicago, Illinois, noted for its literary style of journalism and coverage of the arts, particularly film and theater. The ''Reader'' has been ...
'' (April 22, 2014)
Lyon said of Thompson's response: "He advised me not to join the Outlaws and to wear a helmet. I joined the club and seldom wore a helmet". He was a full-fledged member of the Outlaws between 1966 and 1967. On his time as an Outlaws member, Lyon said: "I was kind of horrified by the end. I remember I had a big disagreement with this guy who rolled out a huge Nazi flag as a picnic rug to put our beers on. By then I had realised that some of these guys were not so romantic after all". The series was immensely popular and influential in the 1960s and 1970s. By 1967, Lyon was invited to join
Magnum Photos Magnum Photos is an international photographic cooperative owned by its photographer-members, with offices in Paris, New York City, London and Tokyo. It was founded in 1947 in Paris by photographers Robert Capa, David Seymour (photographer), Davi ...
. After ''The Bikeriders'', he spent time documenting the lives of inmates in Texas prisons. During the 1970s, Lyon also contributed to the Environmental Protection Agency's DOCUMERICA project. In 1969, when Lyon returned from his work in Texas to
New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...
, and had no place to live, the photographer
Robert Frank Robert Frank (November 9, 1924 – September 9, 2019) was a Swiss American photographer and documentary filmmaker. His most notable work, the 1958 book titled ''The Americans'', earned Frank comparisons to a modern-day de Tocqueville for his ...
, famous by then for his 1958 book ''The Americans'', took him in. Lyon had met Frank two years earlier, at the end of a
Happening A happening is a performance, event, or situation art, usually as performance art. The term was first used by Allan Kaprow in 1959 to describe a range of art-related events. History Origins Allan Kaprow first coined the term "happening" i ...
that Lyon was part of, in New York City. Lyon lived with the Frank family for six months in the city, in an apartment on West 86th St. ''The Destruction of Lower Manhattan'' (1969) was Lyon's next work, published by Macmillan Publishers in 1969. The book documents the large-scale demolition taking place throughout
Lower Manhattan Lower Manhattan, also known as Downtown Manhattan or Downtown New York City, is the southernmost part of the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of Manhattan. The neighborhood is History of New York City, the historical birthplace o ...
in 1967. Included are photographs of soon to be demolished streets and buildings, portraits of the neighborhood's last remaining stragglers and pictures from within the demolition sites themselves. The book was eventually remaindered for one dollar each, but soon attained the status of a collector's item. It was reprinted in 2005. ''Conversations with the Dead'' (1971) was published with full cooperation of the Texas Department of Corrections. Lyon photographed in six prisons over a 14-month period in 1967–68. The series was printed in book form in 1971 by Holt publishing. The introduction points to a statement of purpose that the penal system of Texas is symbolic for
incarceration Imprisonment or incarceration is the restraint of a person's liberty for any cause whatsoever, whether by authority of the government, or by a person acting without such authority. In the latter case it is considered " false imprisonment". Impri ...
everywhere. He states, "I tried with whatever power I had to make a picture of imprisonment as distressing as I knew it to be in reality." Lyon befriended many of the prisoners. The book also includes texts taken from prison records, letters from convicts, and inmate artwork. In particular, the book focuses on the case of Billy McCune, a convicted rapist whose death sentence was eventually commuted to life in prison. In the foreword, Lyon describes McCune as a diagnosed psychotic, who one evening, while awaiting execution, "cut his penis off to the root and, placing it in a cup, passed it between the bars to the guard." All of Lyon's publications work in the style of photographic
New Journalism New Journalism is a style of news writing and journalism, developed in the 1960s and 1970s, that uses literary techniques unconventional at the time. It is characterized by a subjective perspective, a literary style reminiscent of long-form no ...
, meaning that the photographer has become immersed, and is a participant, of the documented subject. He is the founding member of the publishing group ''Bleak Beauty.'' He was greatly encouraged in his photography by curator of the
Art Institute of Chicago The Art Institute of Chicago, founded in 1879, is one of the oldest and largest art museums in the United States. The museum is based in the Art Institute of Chicago Building in Chicago's Grant Park (Chicago), Grant Park. Its collection, stewa ...
Hugh Edwards, who gave Lyon two solo exhibits as a young man. Also a filmmaker and writer, Lyon's films and videos include ''Los Niños Abandonados'', ''Born to Film'', ''Willie'', and ''Murderers''. He has published the non-fiction book ''Like A Thief's Dream''.


Publications

*''The Bikeriders.'' **London: Macmillan, 1968. **Santa Fe, NM: Twin Palms, 1998. . ** New York City:
Aperture In optics, the aperture of an optical system (including a system consisting of a single lens) is the hole or opening that primarily limits light propagated through the system. More specifically, the entrance pupil as the front side image o ...
, 2014. . Facsimile edition. *''Conversations With The Dead.'' **New York City:
Henry Holt and Company Henry Holt and Company is an American book-publishing company based in New York City. One of the oldest publishers in the United States, it was founded in 1866 by Henry Holt (publisher), Henry Holt and Frederick Leypoldt. The company publishes in ...
, 1971. . **''Conversations With The Dead: Photographs of Prison Life with the Letters and Drawings of Billy McCune #122054.'' . Digitally remastered facsimile edition with a new afterword by Lyon. *''Pictures from the New World.'' New York City: Aperture, 1981. *''I Like To Eat Right On The Dirt.'' Clintondale, NY: Bleak Beauty, 1989. *''Memories of the Southern Civil Rights Movement.'' **''Memories of the Southern Civil Rights Movement.'' The Lyndhurst Series on the South. Center for Documentary Studies at
Duke University Duke University is a Private university, private research university in Durham, North Carolina, United States. Founded by Methodists and Quakers in the present-day city of Trinity, North Carolina, Trinity in 1838, the school moved to Durham in 1 ...
;
University of North Carolina The University of North Carolina is the Public university, public university system for the state of North Carolina. Overseeing the state's 16 public universities and the North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics, it is commonly referre ...
, 1992. . Edited by Alex Harris. **''Memories of the Southern Civil Rights Movement.'' Santa Fe, NM: Twin Palms, 2010. . *''Indian Nations.'' Twin Palms, 2002. *''The Destruction of Lower Manhattan.'' New York City: PowerHouse, 2005. *''Like A Thief's Dream.'' New York City: PowerHouse, 2007. Non-fiction book. *''Memories of Myself''. London; New York City: Phaidon, 2009. *''Deep Sea Diver.'' London; New York City: Phaidon, 2011. *''The Seventh Dog.'' London; New York City: Phaidon, 2014. *''Burn Zone.'' Albuquerque, NM: Bleak Beauty. . With texts by Josephine Ferorelli.


Filmography

*''Los Niños Abandonados'' *''Born to Film'' *''Willie'' *''Murderers''


Awards

*1969:
Guggenheim Fellowship Guggenheim Fellowships are Grant (money), grants that have been awarded annually since by the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation, endowed by the late Simon Guggenheim, Simon and Olga Hirsh Guggenheim. These awards are bestowed upon indiv ...
from the
John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation The John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation is a private foundation formed in 1925 by Olga and Simon Guggenheim in memory of their son, who died on April 26, 1922. The organization awards Guggenheim Fellowship Guggenheim Fellowships are Gr ...
*1978: Guggenheim Fellowship from the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation *1980s: Fellowship in Film making from the
Rockefeller Foundation The Rockefeller Foundation is an American private foundation and philanthropic medical research and arts funding organization based at 420 Fifth Avenue, New York City. The foundation was created by Standard Oil magnate John D. Rockefeller (" ...
*2011: Missouri Honor Medal for Distinguished Service in Journalism,
Missouri School of Journalism The Missouri School of Journalism, housed under the University of Missouri in Columbia, Missouri, Columbia, is one of the oldest formal journalism schools in the world. The school provides academic education and practical training in of journalis ...
,
University of Missouri The University of Missouri (Mizzou or MU) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Columbia, Missouri, United States. It is Missouri's largest university and the flagship of the four-campus Univers ...
, Columbia, MO *2015: Lucie Awards, "Achievement in Documentary" category *2022: Induction into the
International Photography Hall of Fame and Museum The International Photography Hall of Fame and Museum in St. Louis, Missouri, honors those who have made great contributions to the field of photography. History In 1977, the first Hall of Fame and Museum opened in Santa Barbara, California, as ...
.


See also

* List of photographers of the civil rights movement


References


External links

*
The films of Danny Lyon on Vimeo

SNCC Digital Gateway: Danny Lyon
Documentary website created by the SNCC Legacy Project and Duke University, telling the story of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee and grassroots organizing from the inside-out

* ttps://www.wsj.com/articles/danny-lyon-message-to-the-future-review-from-civil-rights-to-occupy-1469658064 "‘Danny Lyon: Message to the Future’ Review: From Civil Rights to Occupy" by Richard B. Woodward, ''The Wall Street Journal'', July 27, 2016 * An Interview with Filmmaker Danny Lyo
Part I
an
Part II
Chicago Film Society, 2017 * , at the
Whitney Museum of American Art The Whitney Museum of American Art, known informally as "The Whitney", is a Modern art, modern and Contemporary art, contemporary American art museum located in the Meatpacking District, Manhattan, Meatpacking District and West Village neighbor ...
{{DEFAULTSORT:Lyon, Danny 1942 births Living people American photojournalists Motorcycling writers Outlaws Motorcycle Club University of Chicago alumni People from Brooklyn American people of Russian-Jewish descent American people of German-Jewish descent Journalists from New York City 21st-century American Jews Filmmakers from New Mexico Artists from New Mexico 20th-century American male artists Photographers from New Mexico Jews from New Mexico