Coming this weekend to the International Photography Hall of Fame and Museum is the new exhibit Moment by Moment: The Photography of John Loengard, featuring 53 black-and-white photos by John Loengard. Now 85 years old, Loengard served as Life Magazine’s photo editor for 30 years and was inducted into the Hall of Fame just last year.
Photos in the exhibit feature figures such as Georgia O’Keeffe, Louis Armstrong, and Judy Garland, and will include iconic photos like Annie Leibovitz and her assistant on the top of the Chrysler Building. And then there’s, of course, the photo of the singing Beatles in a pool.
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“There’s excellence in photography, and there’s excellence in black-and-white representation,” says CEO and president of the Hall of Fame Patty Wente. “He captured the moments in time that are significant in our country and the world—it’s enlightening.”
Each photo on display has a story behind it. Loengard tells the story of the iconic 1964 Beatles photo through laughter. Originally supposed to be a cover photo, the editor in chief of Life asked Loengard for ideas for the photo. “For some reason, I suggested to put them in water,” Loengard says.
The magazine staff then began the search for a private pool—so other press wouldn’t have access—in the middle of a Miami cold spell. They found one that would be perfect, but it wasn’t heated. Nonetheless, the Beatles hopped into the pool in the 50-degree weather and Loengard took their photo while their lips turned blue. The moment the photos were done, the band hopped right back out, shivering.
“They’re very moving. They’re still pictures, but they’re moving in a way and I think they’ll catch a viewers’ emotions,” Loengard says.
Moment by Moment: The Photography of John Loengard opens July 20 and will run until September 7 at the International Photography Hall of Fame and Museum, 3415 Olive.
