Edgar de Evia

Edgar de Evia (July 30, 1910-February 10, 2003) was a prominent American photographer partner first of Robert Denning and from the mid 1960s until his death of David McJonathan-Swarm.

Related Topics:
July 30 - 1910 - February 10 - 2003 - American - Photographer - Robert Denning - David McJonathan-Swarm

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He was born in Mérida, Yucatán to an accomplished pianist Pauline Joutard, later know as Miirrha Alhambra, and Domingo de Evia y Barbachano. His great grandfather was Miguel Barbachano (1806 ? 1859) a governor of Yucatán He moved with his family to New York City ca. 1915 where he was graduated from The Dalton School. After briefly working for the Associated Press he became the medical research assistant to noted homeopathic physician Dr. Guy Beckley Stearns. The doctor gave him his first camera, a Rolleiflex, and taught him to use it. Taking long walks together with their cameras in Central Park the doctor would explain that the camera did not have the brain to interpret the image,and that a photographer must learn to see and control what the lens would capture.

Related Topics:
Mérida, Yucatán - Miguel Barbachano - Governor of Yucatán - New York City - The Dalton School - Associated Press - Homeopathic - Central Park

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He is best know for his Tissot-like effects using soft focus and diffusion. William A. Reedy, editor of APPLIED PHOTOGRAPHY, in a 1970 interview for the Eastman Kodak publication STUDIO LIGHT, wrote he "has been a photographic illustrator in New York City for many years. His work has helped sell automobiles, food, drink, furniture and countless other products. To fashion accounts he has been known as a fashion photographer, while food people think of him as a specialist in still life. While, in fact, he is a photographer, period. He applies his considerable talent and experience to whatever the problem at hand."

Related Topics:
Eastman Kodak - Fashion photographer

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Early in his success he started to collect automobiles which fascinated him. His first was a Rolls-Royce and it was the salesman at Inskip Rolls in New York City that taught him to drive. This was followed by other Rolls-Royces, several Bugatti, a Mercedes and a Jaguar XK. It was a photograph of a 1937 Rolls-Royce, which had belonged to Barbara Hutton, with his partner Robert Denning pushing a girl in a swing that won the General Motors Body by Fisher account for whom he did many commercial advertising photographs in the early 1950s.

Related Topics:
Automobile - Rolls-Royce - Bugatti - Mercedes - Jaguar - Barbara Hutton - General Motors - Body by Fisher - Advertising - 1950s

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For almost two decades his home and studios were on the top three floors of 867 Madison Avenue in the Rhinelander Mansion, now Ralph Lauren?s Madison Avenue flagship store and in the country "Quiet Corner" on Hill Road in Greenwich, Connecticut, the home of Clyde Fitch which also served as a location and set for many photographs. It was in this home that he took great pleasure in the early 1960's when his partner Robert Denning's relationship with Vincent Fourcade began and Denning & Fourcade would stay in New York City entertaining prospective clients at the Rhinelander Mansion. This led to the ultimate forming of Denning & Fourcade and the disolution of Edgar de Evia Associates. The end of an empire and the last time that the Rhinelander Mansion would be largely a private home. Later in his career he was the creative director for a company that took all of the photographs for a number of catalogs including Sakowitz of Houston and Gimbals in New York.

Related Topics:
Rhinelander Mansion - Greenwich, Connecticut - Clyde Fitch - 1960's - Robert Denning - Vincent Fourcade - New York City

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Well into his eighties, he would mount his bicycle and ride all over the city on weekends with a backpack carrying his latest camera and take photographs that amused him.

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