Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater by Jack Mitchell

In the 1960's The New York Times Arts and Leisure editor Seymour Peck and photo editor Lonnie Schlein became aware of Jack Mitchell’s work and began assigning him to photograph major artists and performers. Mitchell’s iconic Ailey photographs – spanning decades – capture both the man and his storied company, including photographs of Judith Jamison, whom Ailey chose to succeed himself as Artistic Director in 1989.

Jack Mitchell was a close friend of Alvin Ailey from the inception of Ailey’s dance company in 1960. Bob became Jack’s business and life partner. Within a few weeks they moved together into a large apartment at East 74th Street and York Avenue that afforded them adequate space for a photography studio and darkroom. William Como, editor of Dance Magazine (and later editor and publisher of After Dark magazine) assigned Jack to shoot many cover photographs for the publication. At the suggestion of modern dance pioneer Ted Shawn, he first concentrated on photographing dancers. In 1950, several years after returning to the U.S., he moved to New York City. Mitchell spent his military service stationed in Italy at the end of World War II as a U.S. At age 16 he became the youngest person to whom the newspaper had ever issued an official Press Card. She laughingly complied and Mitchell sold the photograph to the Daytona Beach Observer newspaper. Not knowing that Lake’s trademark look was to wear her hair obscuring one eye, young Jack asked her to pull her hair back. They also bought him an expensive camera which he took to a War Bond rally in 1942 in Daytona Beach to photograph actress Veronica Lake. When he was just 14 years old his parents recognized his talent as a photographer and built him a darkroom. Jack Mitchell was born in Key West in 1925 and grew up in New Smyrna Beach, Florida.

Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater by Jack Mitchell