Edward Jackson (photographer)
Encyclopedia
Edward Norman Jackson (June 28, 1885 – November 11, 1967) was an American photographer and photojournalist for the New York Daily News
. Jackson was President Woodrow Wilson
’s European photographer during the close of World War I and photographed The Big Four world leaders at the Paris Peace Conference
.
to obtain a ticket for a loaf of bread and another ticket for a can of bean soup, his personal journal states. Jackson sold newspapers (Philadelphia Bulletin
) on street corners to help his family, where he met a studio photographer who offered him a job after school and Saturdays. He was paid $1.50 a week. The studio specialized in tintype portraitures in 1901. In 1903 the studio moved to Atlantic City
and Jackson went with them. Jackson moved to New York City
and worked for the American Press Association in the photo engraving department in 1912 where he also became a freelance news photographer.
In 1913 Jackson accepted his first foreign freelance assignment and steamed to Panama
aboard the Prince August William to photograph the Panama Canal
before its official opening in 1914. In 1915 Jackson was invited by his friend Thomas Alva Edison, newly appointed as President of the Naval Reserve Board, to document the inspection of a highly secret United States submarine "E-2
" in the Brooklyn
Navy yard. The United States had not entered World War I and did not want the warring nations to know about the development of submarine capability. Two weeks later the submarine mysteriously exploded, killing several personnel. Jackson’s forbidden photograph of the damaged submarine appeared in all of the New York papers.
on October 22, 1917. Due to his extensive photographic experience he was promoted to 1st Lieutenant and was assigned the title of Official War Photographer. Several months later he was selected to be President Woodrow Wilson
’s official photographer.
Jackson spent nearly a year on the battlefront in France and received several military commendations. He was given a battlefield promotion to Captain of the twenty-seventh division of the Army Signal Corps, and assigned directly to President Wilson’s European peace entourage. His photograph of “The Big Four” taken in Paris on May 27, 1919 showed the leaders of the free world: British Prime Minister David Lloyd George
, Italian Premier Vittorio Orlando, French Prime Minister Georges Clemenceau
, and US President Woodrow Wilson.
, who were co-publishers of the Chicago Tribune
and wanted to start a New York tabloid newspaper, The New York Daily News. Launched on June 26, 1919 with Edward N. Jackson as their lead photographer, the publishers wanted large and prominent photographs of city news, entertainment and sports events and local city coverage, all of which was assigned to Jackson. The New York Daily News is today the sixth largest newspaper in the country and has won ten Pulitzer prizes.
In 1927 William Randolph Hearst wanted to promote his newspaper the New York Daily Mirror
by sponsoring a non-stop historic flight from New York to Rome following Charles Lindbergh
’s successful flight from New York to Paris (May 20–21, 1927). The aircraft — Old Glory
a German Fokker F-VII — was to be manned by pilots Lloyd Bertaud and James Hill and the Daily Mirror managing editor Phillip A. Payne, a close friend of Jackson’s, fly with them for one-on-one news coverage. The historic flight left Old Orchard Beach, Maine
on the morning of September 6, 1927. Sixteen hours into the flight a SOS was received and the aircraft was never heard from again. Jackson reportedly took the last known photograph of Old Glory on August 26, 1927 for his friend. It was never published.
Another historic flight that Jackson covered was the flight of the Bremen
, a German Junkers W-33
aircraft crewed by Baron Gunther von Hunefeld, Hermann Koehl and James C. Fitzmaurice in April, 1928. The planned east to west Atlantic Ocean crossing took flight on Thursday, April 12, 1928 from Baldonnel
, Ireland with a destination at Mitchel Field, New York where Jackson waited for their arrival. Thirty-six hours after Bremen left Ireland, it was forced to crash-land on Greenly Island in Canada. Jackson immediately left for Canada and hired a single-engine aircraft to fly him and other news reporters to Greenly Island to cover the story. While none of the flight crew were injured as a result of the accident, famed aviator Floyd Bennett became ill and died while attempting to salvage the Bremen from Greenly Island.
experienced the beginnings of the famed stock market crash leading to the infamous “Black Tuesday” on October 29, 1929 – the beginnings of the Great Depression
. Jackson’s camera captured much of this tragedy over the next ten years. The worst and longest economic collapse in history, the depression spread to most of the world’s industrialized countries like a firestorm. Businesses and banks closed their doors. Millions of jobs were lost, leaving many without homes, savings or even food. Jackson documented on film, this national tragedy.
until his retirement in 1958 at 73. His only child, Edith May Jackson, gave Eddie three grandchildren; Noreen, John and Barry Fitzgerald who often visited him at his home in Wilton, Connecticut. Jackson died from natural causes at 82.
New York Daily News
The Daily News of New York City is the fourth most widely circulated daily newspaper in the United States with a daily circulation of 605,677, as of November 1, 2011....
. Jackson was President Woodrow Wilson
Woodrow Wilson
Thomas Woodrow Wilson was the 28th President of the United States, from 1913 to 1921. A leader of the Progressive Movement, he served as President of Princeton University from 1902 to 1910, and then as the Governor of New Jersey from 1911 to 1913...
’s European photographer during the close of World War I and photographed The Big Four world leaders at the Paris Peace Conference
Paris Peace Conference, 1919
The Paris Peace Conference was the meeting of the Allied victors following the end of World War I to set the peace terms for the defeated Central Powers following the armistices of 1918. It took place in Paris in 1919 and involved diplomats from more than 32 countries and nationalities...
.
Early life
The youngest of four siblings of an Irish immigrant family, Jackson was born in Philadelphia on June 28, 1885. His impoverished family would often go to the local soup houseSoup kitchen
A soup kitchen, a bread line, or a meal center is a place where food is offered to the hungry for free or at a reasonably low price. Frequently located in lower-income neighborhoods, they are often staffed by volunteer organizations, such as church groups or community groups...
to obtain a ticket for a loaf of bread and another ticket for a can of bean soup, his personal journal states. Jackson sold newspapers (Philadelphia Bulletin
Philadelphia Bulletin
For the 2004 resurrection of the Bulletin, see The Bulletin .The Philadelphia Bulletin was a daily evening newspaper published from 1847 to 1982 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It was the largest circulation newspaper in Philadelphia for 76 years and was once the largest evening newspaper in the...
) on street corners to help his family, where he met a studio photographer who offered him a job after school and Saturdays. He was paid $1.50 a week. The studio specialized in tintype portraitures in 1901. In 1903 the studio moved to Atlantic City
Atlantic City, New Jersey
Atlantic City is a city in Atlantic County, New Jersey, United States, and a nationally renowned resort city for gambling, shopping and fine dining. The city also served as the inspiration for the American version of the board game Monopoly. Atlantic City is located on Absecon Island on the coast...
and Jackson went with them. Jackson moved to New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
and worked for the American Press Association in the photo engraving department in 1912 where he also became a freelance news photographer.
News photography
Jackson's career as a news photographer began on the streets of New York City where he would provide photographs to many news agencies and magazines throughout the country. Working as a paparazzo, Jackson would stalk his newsworthy subjects throughout the city. The burgeoning use of photography for newspaper stories launched him into this vocation. From his personal journal:A new field of photography was emerging in 1910; newspapers wanted photographs to replace sketches and drawings for the news events they were going to print. The era of news photography was just beginning and I wanted to become one in the worst way. I never doubted my decision.
-
- "A Good Photograph Is Worth Ten Columns Of Copy." -Edward Jackson - 1961
In 1913 Jackson accepted his first foreign freelance assignment and steamed to Panama
Panama
Panama , officially the Republic of Panama , is the southernmost country of Central America. Situated on the isthmus connecting North and South America, it is bordered by Costa Rica to the northwest, Colombia to the southeast, the Caribbean Sea to the north and the Pacific Ocean to the south. The...
aboard the Prince August William to photograph the Panama Canal
Panama Canal
The Panama Canal is a ship canal in Panama that joins the Atlantic Ocean and the Pacific Ocean and is a key conduit for international maritime trade. Built from 1904 to 1914, the canal has seen annual traffic rise from about 1,000 ships early on to 14,702 vessels measuring a total of 309.6...
before its official opening in 1914. In 1915 Jackson was invited by his friend Thomas Alva Edison, newly appointed as President of the Naval Reserve Board, to document the inspection of a highly secret United States submarine "E-2
USS E-2 (SS-25)
USS E-2 was an E-class submarine of the United States Navy. Originally named Sturgeon, the boat was launched on 15 June 1911 by the Fore River Shipyard, Quincy, Massachusetts; sponsored by Ms. Margaret Nelson Little; renamed E-2 on 17 November 1911; and commissioned on 14 February 1912, Ensign C. N...
" in the Brooklyn
Brooklyn
Brooklyn is the most populous of New York City's five boroughs, with nearly 2.6 million residents, and the second-largest in area. Since 1896, Brooklyn has had the same boundaries as Kings County, which is now the most populous county in New York State and the second-most densely populated...
Navy yard. The United States had not entered World War I and did not want the warring nations to know about the development of submarine capability. Two weeks later the submarine mysteriously exploded, killing several personnel. Jackson’s forbidden photograph of the damaged submarine appeared in all of the New York papers.
World War I
Many years past the draft age, Jackson joined the Army Signal Corps (reserves) at the age of 32 and reported for training at Camp Alfred Vail in Little Silver, New JerseyLittle Silver, New Jersey
Little Silver is a borough in Monmouth County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the borough population was 5,950.Little Silver was established with a Kings Land Grant in 1663 and settled in 1667...
on October 22, 1917. Due to his extensive photographic experience he was promoted to 1st Lieutenant and was assigned the title of Official War Photographer. Several months later he was selected to be President Woodrow Wilson
Woodrow Wilson
Thomas Woodrow Wilson was the 28th President of the United States, from 1913 to 1921. A leader of the Progressive Movement, he served as President of Princeton University from 1902 to 1910, and then as the Governor of New Jersey from 1911 to 1913...
’s official photographer.
Jackson spent nearly a year on the battlefront in France and received several military commendations. He was given a battlefield promotion to Captain of the twenty-seventh division of the Army Signal Corps, and assigned directly to President Wilson’s European peace entourage. His photograph of “The Big Four” taken in Paris on May 27, 1919 showed the leaders of the free world: British Prime Minister David Lloyd George
David Lloyd George
David Lloyd George, 1st Earl Lloyd-George of Dwyfor OM, PC was a British Liberal politician and statesman...
, Italian Premier Vittorio Orlando, French Prime Minister Georges Clemenceau
Georges Clemenceau
Georges Benjamin Clemenceau was a French statesman, physician and journalist. He served as the Prime Minister of France from 1906 to 1909, and again from 1917 to 1920. For nearly the final year of World War I he led France, and was one of the major voices behind the Treaty of Versailles at the...
, and US President Woodrow Wilson.
Post-war years
Returning from France a seasoned, recognized professional news photographer, Jackson was offered many employment offers. He decided to work with Joseph Mendill Patterson and his cousin Robert R. McCormickRobert R. McCormick
Robert Rutherford "Colonel" McCormick was a member of the McCormick family of Chicago who became owner and publisher of the Chicago Tribune newspaper...
, who were co-publishers of the Chicago Tribune
Chicago Tribune
The Chicago Tribune is a major daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, and the flagship publication of the Tribune Company. Formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper" , it remains the most read daily newspaper of the Chicago metropolitan area and the Great Lakes region and is...
and wanted to start a New York tabloid newspaper, The New York Daily News. Launched on June 26, 1919 with Edward N. Jackson as their lead photographer, the publishers wanted large and prominent photographs of city news, entertainment and sports events and local city coverage, all of which was assigned to Jackson. The New York Daily News is today the sixth largest newspaper in the country and has won ten Pulitzer prizes.
In 1927 William Randolph Hearst wanted to promote his newspaper the New York Daily Mirror
New York Daily Mirror
The New York Daily Mirror was an American morning tabloid newspaper first published on June 24, 1924, in New York City by the William Randolph Hearst organization as a contrast to their mainstream broadsheets, the Evening Journal and New York American, later consolidated into the New York Journal...
by sponsoring a non-stop historic flight from New York to Rome following Charles Lindbergh
Charles Lindbergh
Charles Augustus Lindbergh was an American aviator, author, inventor, explorer, and social activist.Lindbergh, a 25-year-old U.S...
’s successful flight from New York to Paris (May 20–21, 1927). The aircraft — Old Glory
Old Glory
Old Glory is a common nickname for the flag of the United States, bestowed by William Driver, an early nineteenth century American sea captain....
a German Fokker F-VII — was to be manned by pilots Lloyd Bertaud and James Hill and the Daily Mirror managing editor Phillip A. Payne, a close friend of Jackson’s, fly with them for one-on-one news coverage. The historic flight left Old Orchard Beach, Maine
Old Orchard Beach, Maine
Old Orchard Beach is a town and census-designated place in York County, Maine, United States. The population was 8,856 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Portland–South Portland–Biddeford, Maine Metropolitan Statistical Area....
on the morning of September 6, 1927. Sixteen hours into the flight a SOS was received and the aircraft was never heard from again. Jackson reportedly took the last known photograph of Old Glory on August 26, 1927 for his friend. It was never published.
Another historic flight that Jackson covered was the flight of the Bremen
Bremen (aircraft)
The Bremen is a German Junkers W33 type aircraft that made the first successful transatlantic aeroplane flight from east to west between April 12 and April 14, 1928....
, a German Junkers W-33
Junkers W 33
The Junkers W 33 was a German-built singled-engine transport aircraft. It was aerodynamically and structurally advanced for its time , a clean, low-wing all metal cantilever monoplane. Almost 200 were produced...
aircraft crewed by Baron Gunther von Hunefeld, Hermann Koehl and James C. Fitzmaurice in April, 1928. The planned east to west Atlantic Ocean crossing took flight on Thursday, April 12, 1928 from Baldonnel
Baldonnel
Baldonnel as a place may refer to:*Baldonnel, Ireland*Baldonnel, British Columbia, CanadaBaldonnel may also refer to:*Baldonnel Formation, a stratigraphical unit of the Western Canadian Sedimentary Basin...
, Ireland with a destination at Mitchel Field, New York where Jackson waited for their arrival. Thirty-six hours after Bremen left Ireland, it was forced to crash-land on Greenly Island in Canada. Jackson immediately left for Canada and hired a single-engine aircraft to fly him and other news reporters to Greenly Island to cover the story. While none of the flight crew were injured as a result of the accident, famed aviator Floyd Bennett became ill and died while attempting to salvage the Bremen from Greenly Island.
The Great Depression
Edward Jackson personally covered “Black Thursday,” October 24, 1929 when Wall StreetWall Street
Wall Street refers to the financial district of New York City, named after and centered on the eight-block-long street running from Broadway to South Street on the East River in Lower Manhattan. Over time, the term has become a metonym for the financial markets of the United States as a whole, or...
experienced the beginnings of the famed stock market crash leading to the infamous “Black Tuesday” on October 29, 1929 – the beginnings of the Great Depression
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
. Jackson’s camera captured much of this tragedy over the next ten years. The worst and longest economic collapse in history, the depression spread to most of the world’s industrialized countries like a firestorm. Businesses and banks closed their doors. Millions of jobs were lost, leaving many without homes, savings or even food. Jackson documented on film, this national tragedy.
Later life
Edward Jackson remained with The New York Daily NewsNew York Daily News
The Daily News of New York City is the fourth most widely circulated daily newspaper in the United States with a daily circulation of 605,677, as of November 1, 2011....
until his retirement in 1958 at 73. His only child, Edith May Jackson, gave Eddie three grandchildren; Noreen, John and Barry Fitzgerald who often visited him at his home in Wilton, Connecticut. Jackson died from natural causes at 82.