George Tames
Encyclopedia
George Tames was an American
photographer for The New York Times
from 1945-1985. As a newspaper photographer, Tames was a regular on Capitol Hill
over a span of forty years.
, Tames was a first generation Albanian American of ethnic Greek
descent who couldn't speak English when he went to school. He dropped out of high school in the tenth grade, and took a job as an officeboy in the Washington bureau of Time-Life to help out the family.
His career in photography began in 1940 in Washington D.C. Tames went with the Capitol Hill
photographers on assignments and eventually photographed individual members. He photographed Harry Truman's War Investigating Committee. He developed access to and captured the likeness of numerous members of the United States Congress
, and had his work reproduced in many influential publications. He developed a style contrary to the "herd instinct" of press photographers, demonstrating his artistic eye, sense of place, and special intimacy with his subjects.
Married to Frances Owens (1921-1996). Children: Chris, Pamela, Kathryn, Stephanie, Michael
.
President Kennedy's iconic stance staring down at the table in front of him is all the more fascinating insofar as Kennedy was actually reading a copy of Tames' paper, The New York Times. Tames recalled later that Kennedy was reading a column by editorial columnist Arthur Krock on the table in front of him by the window of the Oval Office.
Tames' daughter, Stephanie, recalls in an August 2010 essay for Salon the story of this enduring and iconic photograph by her father:
"By the way, the morning my father made the picture of JFK at the window, the president was reading the Times. He had gotten to the editorial page. My father said, 'He looked over and he saw me. He hadn't been aware that I took that picture from the back, but he saw me when I moved to the side there. He glanced over at me, and he said: "I wonder where Mr. Krock gets all the crap he puts in this horseshit column of his." Apparently he was much upset about Mr. Krock's column that day.'"
As he explained in an interview late in life, Tames took the photograph through the door of the Oval Office
, after Kennedy thought he had left:
Tames' work is the subject of an exhibit at the Averitt Center for the Arts in Statesboro, Ga, which opened on Friday, May 6, 2011. Featured in the exhibit is Tames' "The Loneliest Job" as well as photographs from President Franklin D. Roosevelt through President George H.W. Bush. The New York Times' Jim Mones attended the opening reception of the Averitt Center's exhibit and delivered remarks on Tames' career and his work for the newspaper.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
photographer for The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
from 1945-1985. As a newspaper photographer, Tames was a regular on Capitol Hill
Capitol Hill, Washington, D.C.
Capitol Hill, aside from being a metonym for the United States Congress, is the largest historic residential neighborhood in Washington D.C., stretching easterly in front of the United States Capitol along wide avenues...
over a span of forty years.
Biography
Born in Washington, D.C.Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
, Tames was a first generation Albanian American of ethnic Greek
Greeks
The Greeks, also known as the Hellenes , are a nation and ethnic group native to Greece, Cyprus and neighboring regions. They also form a significant diaspora, with Greek communities established around the world....
descent who couldn't speak English when he went to school. He dropped out of high school in the tenth grade, and took a job as an officeboy in the Washington bureau of Time-Life to help out the family.
His career in photography began in 1940 in Washington D.C. Tames went with the Capitol Hill
Capitol Hill, Washington, D.C.
Capitol Hill, aside from being a metonym for the United States Congress, is the largest historic residential neighborhood in Washington D.C., stretching easterly in front of the United States Capitol along wide avenues...
photographers on assignments and eventually photographed individual members. He photographed Harry Truman's War Investigating Committee. He developed access to and captured the likeness of numerous members of the United States Congress
United States Congress
The United States Congress is the bicameral legislature of the federal government of the United States, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Congress meets in the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C....
, and had his work reproduced in many influential publications. He developed a style contrary to the "herd instinct" of press photographers, demonstrating his artistic eye, sense of place, and special intimacy with his subjects.
Married to Frances Owens (1921-1996). Children: Chris, Pamela, Kathryn, Stephanie, Michael
Photography
Tames took countless Washington shots, but (by his own admission) is particularly remembered for one, "The Loneliest Job," a photograph of President John F. KennedyJohn F. Kennedy
John Fitzgerald "Jack" Kennedy , often referred to by his initials JFK, was the 35th President of the United States, serving from 1961 until his assassination in 1963....
.
President Kennedy's iconic stance staring down at the table in front of him is all the more fascinating insofar as Kennedy was actually reading a copy of Tames' paper, The New York Times. Tames recalled later that Kennedy was reading a column by editorial columnist Arthur Krock on the table in front of him by the window of the Oval Office.
Tames' daughter, Stephanie, recalls in an August 2010 essay for Salon the story of this enduring and iconic photograph by her father:
"By the way, the morning my father made the picture of JFK at the window, the president was reading the Times. He had gotten to the editorial page. My father said, 'He looked over and he saw me. He hadn't been aware that I took that picture from the back, but he saw me when I moved to the side there. He glanced over at me, and he said: "I wonder where Mr. Krock gets all the crap he puts in this horseshit column of his." Apparently he was much upset about Mr. Krock's column that day.'"
As he explained in an interview late in life, Tames took the photograph through the door of the Oval Office
Oval Office
The Oval Office, located in the West Wing of the White House, is the official office of the President of the United States.The room features three large south-facing windows behind the president's desk, and a fireplace at the north end...
, after Kennedy thought he had left:
Tames' work is the subject of an exhibit at the Averitt Center for the Arts in Statesboro, Ga, which opened on Friday, May 6, 2011. Featured in the exhibit is Tames' "The Loneliest Job" as well as photographs from President Franklin D. Roosevelt through President George H.W. Bush. The New York Times' Jim Mones attended the opening reception of the Averitt Center's exhibit and delivered remarks on Tames' career and his work for the newspaper.
Quotations
- "'Why are you a Democrat?' I say, 'I was born into the Democratic party, the same way I was born into the Greek Orthodox Church.'"http://72.14.207.104/search?q=cache:9LiaWSEMoUYJ:www.senate.gov/artandhistory/history/resources/pdf/Tames1.pdf+George+Tames+greek&hl=en&gl=us&ct=clnk&cd=3
- "If there is anyone that should be a RepublicanRepublican Party (United States)The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
or an ultra conservative, it's me, because I have not only conquered the fact that I had only a tenth grade education, but based on the friendships that I made, and the betting on people, like Mr. J. Willard Marriott."http://72.14.207.104/search?q=cache:9LiaWSEMoUYJ:www.senate.gov/artandhistory/history/resources/pdf/Tames1.pdf+George+Tames+greek&hl=en&gl=us&ct=clnk&cd=3 - "My mother's reference to RooseveltFranklin D. RooseveltFranklin Delano Roosevelt , also known by his initials, FDR, was the 32nd President of the United States and a central figure in world events during the mid-20th century, leading the United States during a time of worldwide economic crisis and world war...
would be "ieous", (GreekGreek languageGreek is an independent branch of the Indo-European family of languages. Native to the southern Balkans, it has the longest documented history of any Indo-European language, spanning 34 centuries of written records. Its writing system has been the Greek alphabet for the majority of its history;...
άγιος)which is the Greek word for saintly, Saintly Roosevelt. She would refer to HooverHerbert HooverHerbert Clark Hoover was the 31st President of the United States . Hoover was originally a professional mining engineer and author. As the United States Secretary of Commerce in the 1920s under Presidents Warren Harding and Calvin Coolidge, he promoted partnerships between government and business...
as "garata," (GreekGreek languageGreek is an independent branch of the Indo-European family of languages. Native to the southern Balkans, it has the longest documented history of any Indo-European language, spanning 34 centuries of written records. Its writing system has been the Greek alphabet for the majority of its history;...
(κερατάς) which means someone with horns, like a goat. So that's how I reckoned my own feelings. Then also in every Greek Orthodox family there's a holy corner, usually in the bedroom of the parents, and it faces east."http://72.14.207.104/search?q=cache:9LiaWSEMoUYJ:www.senate.gov/artandhistory/history/resources/pdf/Tames1.pdf+George+Tames+greek&hl=en&gl=us&ct=clnk&cd=3