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Jack Mitchell Photography

American, 1925-2013

Over his four-decade career, photographer Jack Mitchell chronicled the changing cultural landscape of mid- to late-20th-century America by capturing the greatest influencers and innovators in the performing and visual arts.

Mitchell, a master of lighting patterns in photography who had his first portrait published at the age of 15, organized more than 5,400 photographic sessions in his lifetime involving a list of sitters that is as astounding as it is long. A veritable roll call of heroes and idols, his studio guests include painters, dancers, actors, comedians, singers, composers, directors, writers, impresarios and anyone else who helped shape the zeitgeist.

During World War II, when he was only 16 years old, Mitchell photographed Veronica Lake for a Daytona newspaper. It was his first celebrity gig, but that didn’t stop the audacious wunderkind from asking the actress to sweep back her signature “peekaboo” locks so he could get her full face in the frame. Lake, who was in Florida to help the war effort and at the peak of her career, politely obliged, and the two later became lifelong friends.

Mitchell, who was openly gay (his long-term partner and manager, Robert Plavik, died in 2009), also struck up a close relationship with Gloria Swanson. From 1960 to 1970, he served as her personal paparazzo, snapping a variety of “candid” shots of the aging but eternally glamorous actress as if she were a pre-mobile/pre-social-media reality star.

The diverse publications in which Mitchell’s work has appeared — in addition to the New York Times, there’s Rolling Stone, Dance Magazine, People, Vogue, Vanity Fair, Time, Harper’s Bazaar and Newsweek — testify to the power of his arresting visual language and its ability to transcend themes and disciplines.

Mitchell also famously shot a series of intimate portraits of John Lennon and Yoko Ono in November 1980, just one month before the Beatles singer was assassinated. A picture from this session became the cover of People’s memorial issue, one of the magazine’s best-selling editions to date.

The showbiz gloss should not distract from Mitchell’s meticulous approach to photography. He insisted on producing his own prints in order to achieve what he deemed museum-quality patina and definition.

“Jack shot many rolls of black-and-white film, and always some color transparencies, of every famous person he photographed,” says Craig Highberger, a friend of the late photographer and the executive director of the Jack Mitchell Archives.

In the world of dance, the field for which Mitchell is best known, his striking and incisive shots of legendary performers and choreographers reflect the visceral energy that these luminaries introduced to the discipline in the 1960s and ’70s, widely considered the Golden Age of American dance theater.

“Jack’s photographs of dancers during his lifetime are a historic chronicle of an amazing period in dance history. He was Alvin Ailey’s dance company photographer from 1961 to 1994,” says Highberger, noting that Mitchell’s collection of 10,000 black-and-white Ailey prints now belongs to the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture.

Mitchell’s dance images are at once ethereal and powerfully dynamic. Not only do they evoke movement through elegant poses and disciplined muscular tension, but they also convey an intimate energy radiating directly from his subjects, as if he had magically unlocked a reflective mood or a character trait, without contrivance.

The collection of authentic Jack Mitchell photography on 1stDibs includes his black and white photography, color photography, nude photography and more.

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Artist: Jack Mitchell
Artist Don Bachardy, signed by Jack Mitchell
Artist Don Bachardy, signed by Jack Mitchell

Artist Don Bachardy, signed by Jack Mitchell

By Jack Mitchell

Located in Senoia, GA

11 x 14" vintage silver gelatin photograph of Artist Don Bachardy, 1974. Signed by Jack Mitchell on the print verso. Comes directly from the Jack Mitchel...

Category

1970s Pop Art Jack Mitchell Photography

Materials

Silver Gelatin

Artist Tom Wesselmann in his New York City studio, signed by Jack Mitchell
Artist Tom Wesselmann in his New York City studio, signed by Jack Mitchell

Artist Tom Wesselmann in his New York City studio, signed by Jack Mitchell

By Jack Mitchell

Located in Senoia, GA

11 x 14" vintage silver gelatin photograph of artist Tom Wesselmann in his New York City studio with recent work, 1971. Signed by Jack Mitchell on the print verso. Comes directly fro...

Category

1970s Pop Art Jack Mitchell Photography

Materials

Silver Gelatin

Artist Alex Katz in his studio
Artist Alex Katz in his studio

Artist Alex Katz in his studio

By Jack Mitchell

Located in Senoia, GA

11 x 14" vintage silver gelatin photograph of artist Alex Katz in his studio in 1991. Comes directly from the Jack Mitchell Archives with a certificate of authenticity. Jack Mitche...

Category

1990s Pop Art Jack Mitchell Photography

Materials

Silver Gelatin

Tenor Luciano Pavarotti performing in full costume for 'La Bohème' at the MET
Tenor Luciano Pavarotti performing in full costume for 'La Bohème' at the MET

Tenor Luciano Pavarotti performing in full costume for 'La Bohème' at the MET

By Jack Mitchell

Located in Senoia, GA

11 x 14" vintage silver gelatin photograph of Tenor Luciano Pavarotti, performing in full costume for' La bohème' at the Metropolitan Opera, 1976. Comes directly from the Jack Mitchell Archives with a certificate of authenticity. Jack Mitchell, (1925-2013) bulging photographic portfolio of actors, writers, painters, musicians and especially dancers describes a pictorial history of the arts in the late 20th century. Mr. Mitchell, who took hundreds of pictures for The New York Times, was both a portraitist and a capturer of complex motion. An expert in lighting, he worked mostly, though not entirely, in black and white, and he was known — by his subjects, by the magazine and newspaper editors he worked for, and by critics — as someone who could make a photograph reveal character. Jack Mitchell was the official photographer for the American Ballet Theater, and he chronicled the work of the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater for more than thirty years. When he retired in 1995, he had fulfilled more than 5,000 assignments in black and white, and nearly a thousand in color. He photographed more than 160 covers for Dance magazine, and his photos have appeared in Time, Life, Newsweek, Rolling Stone, Vanity Fair, Vogue and many other publications. Mitchell’s photographs are in the collections of the National Portrait Gallery, the Museum of African American History and Culture, and the Smithsonian Archives of American Art, among others. The 2019 USPS Black Heritage postage stamp honoring American performer Gregory Hines...

Category

1970s Pop Art Jack Mitchell Photography

Materials

Silver Gelatin

Dancer Mikko Nissinen
Dancer Mikko Nissinen

Dancer Mikko Nissinen

By Jack Mitchell

Located in Senoia, GA

11 x 14" vintage silver gelatin photograph of Dancer Mikko Nissinen. Comes directly from the Jack Mitchell Archives with a certificate of authenticity. Jack Mitchell, (1925-2013) b...

Category

1980s Pop Art Jack Mitchell Photography

Materials

Silver Gelatin

Large format vintage multiple exposure female nude, signed by Jack Mitchell
Large format vintage multiple exposure female nude, signed by Jack Mitchell

Large format vintage multiple exposure female nude, signed by Jack Mitchell

By Jack Mitchell

Located in Senoia, GA

16 x 20" vintage silver gelatin photograph, multiple exposure female nude. Titled, numbered, dated, and signed by Jack Mitchell on the recto. Comes directly from the Jack Mitchell Ar...

Category

1990s Abstract Jack Mitchell Photography

Materials

Silver Gelatin

Sculptor Marisol (Maria Sol Escobar) with her sculptures
Sculptor Marisol (Maria Sol Escobar) with her sculptures

Sculptor Marisol (Maria Sol Escobar) with her sculptures

By Jack Mitchell

Located in Senoia, GA

11 x 14" vintage silver gelatin photograph of sculptor Marisol (Maria Sol Escobar) photographed with a group of her sculptures in 1968. Comes directly from the Jack Mitchell Archives...

Category

1960s Pop Art Jack Mitchell Photography

Materials

Silver Gelatin

Large format vintage multiple exposure female nude, signed by Jack Mitchell
Large format vintage multiple exposure female nude, signed by Jack Mitchell

Large format vintage multiple exposure female nude, signed by Jack Mitchell

By Jack Mitchell

Located in Senoia, GA

16 x 20" vintage silver gelatin photograph, multiple exposure female nude. Titled, numbered, dated, and signed by Jack Mitchell on the recto. Comes directly from the Jack Mitchell Ar...

Category

1980s Abstract Jack Mitchell Photography

Materials

Silver Gelatin

Dancer & Choreographer Louis Falco Performing
Dancer & Choreographer Louis Falco Performing

Dancer & Choreographer Louis Falco Performing

By Jack Mitchell

Located in Senoia, GA

8 x 10" vintage silver gelatin photograph of dancer and choreographer Louis Falco, performing in 1962. This is a print that was published by a newspaper or...

Category

1960s Pop Art Jack Mitchell Photography

Materials

Silver Gelatin

American Ballet Theatre dancer Christine Dunham in 'The Firebird' 17 x 22"
American Ballet Theatre dancer Christine Dunham in 'The Firebird' 17 x 22"

American Ballet Theatre dancer Christine Dunham in 'The Firebird' 17 x 22"

By Jack Mitchell

Located in Senoia, GA

American Ballet Theatre dancer Christine Dunham in costume performing "The Firebird" in 1992. One of Mitchell's most beautiful color photographs. This exhibition print is 17 x 22". C...

Category

1990s Pop Art Jack Mitchell Photography

Materials

Archival Pigment

Large format vintage multiple exposure female nude, signed by Jack Mitchell
Large format vintage multiple exposure female nude, signed by Jack Mitchell

Large format vintage multiple exposure female nude, signed by Jack Mitchell

By Jack Mitchell

Located in Senoia, GA

16 x 20" vintage silver gelatin photograph, multiple exposure female nude. Titled, numbered, dated, and signed by Jack Mitchell on the recto. Comes directly from the Jack Mitchell Ar...

Category

1980s Abstract Jack Mitchell Photography

Materials

Silver Gelatin

Patti LuPone, Mary-Joan Negro, Mary Lou Rosato in "Three Sisters" signed by Jack
Patti LuPone, Mary-Joan Negro, Mary Lou Rosato in "Three Sisters" signed by Jack

Patti LuPone, Mary-Joan Negro, Mary Lou Rosato in "Three Sisters" signed by Jack

By Jack Mitchell

Located in Senoia, GA

11 x 14" vintage silver gelatin photograph of Patti LuPone, Mary-Joan Negro, Mary Lou Rosato in "Three Sisters", 1973. Signed by Jack Mitchell on the verso. Comes directly from the ...

Category

1970s Pop Art Jack Mitchell Photography

Materials

Silver Gelatin

Artist Tom Wesselmann in his New York City studio
Artist Tom Wesselmann in his New York City studio

Artist Tom Wesselmann in his New York City studio

By Jack Mitchell

Located in Senoia, GA

11 x 14" vintage silver gelatin photograph of artist Tom Wesselmann in his New York City studio in 1971. Comes directly from the Jack Mitchell Archives with a certificate of authent...

Category

1960s Pop Art Jack Mitchell Photography

Materials

Silver Gelatin

Dancer/choreographer Molissa Fenley performing
Dancer/choreographer Molissa Fenley performing

Dancer/choreographer Molissa Fenley performing

By Jack Mitchell

Located in Senoia, GA

11 x 14" vintage silver gelatin photograph of dancer/choreographer Molissa Fenley performing, 1982. Comes directly from the Jack Mitchell Archives with ...

Category

1980s Pop Art Jack Mitchell Photography

Materials

Silver Gelatin

American Ballet Theatre Ballerina Toni Lander, signed by Jack Mitchell
American Ballet Theatre Ballerina Toni Lander, signed by Jack Mitchell

American Ballet Theatre Ballerina Toni Lander, signed by Jack Mitchell

By Jack Mitchell

Located in Senoia, GA

11 x 14" vintage silver gelatin photograph of American Ballet Theatre Ballerina Toni Lander, 1966. Signed by Jack Mitchell on the print verso. Comes directly from the Jack Mitchell A...

Category

1960s Pop Art Jack Mitchell Photography

Materials

Silver Gelatin

Artists (and partners) Robert Indiana & William Katz, with Charles Hinman
Artists (and partners) Robert Indiana & William Katz, with Charles Hinman

Artists (and partners) Robert Indiana & William Katz, with Charles Hinman

By Jack Mitchell

Located in Senoia, GA

11 x 14" vintage silver gelatin photograph of artists and partners Robert Indiana (holding his pet cat on his shoulder) and William Katz with artist friend Charles Hinman outside the...

Category

1960s Pop Art Jack Mitchell Photography

Materials

Silver Gelatin

Abstract Minimalist painter Charles Hinman studio portrait
Abstract Minimalist painter Charles Hinman studio portrait

Abstract Minimalist painter Charles Hinman studio portrait

By Jack Mitchell

Located in Senoia, GA

11 x 14" vintage silver gelatin photograph of Abstract Minimalist painter Charles Hinman at an exhibition of his work in Manhattan, 1967. Signed on the verso by Jack Mitchell. Comes...

Category

1960s Pop Art Jack Mitchell Photography

Materials

Silver Gelatin

New York City Ballet dancer Peter Boal as 'Apollo', signed by Jack Mitchell
New York City Ballet dancer Peter Boal as 'Apollo', signed by Jack Mitchell

New York City Ballet dancer Peter Boal as 'Apollo', signed by Jack Mitchell

By Jack Mitchell

Located in Senoia, GA

11 x 14" vintage silver gelatin photograph of New York City Ballet dancer Peter Boal as 'Apollo' in 1990. Signed by Jack Mitchell on the print verso. Comes directly from the Jack Mi...

Category

1960s Pop Art Jack Mitchell Photography

Materials

Silver Gelatin

Academy Award-Winning Actress Lauren Bacall, signed by Jack Mitchell
Academy Award-Winning Actress Lauren Bacall, signed by Jack Mitchell

Academy Award-Winning Actress Lauren Bacall, signed by Jack Mitchell

By Jack Mitchell

Located in Senoia, GA

11 x 14" vintage silver gelatin photograph of actress Lauren Bacall, photographed in 1966. Signed by Jack Mitchell on the verso. Comes directly from the Jack Mitchell Archives with ...

Category

1960s Pop Art Jack Mitchell Photography

Materials

Silver Gelatin

Joffrey Ballet dancer Greg Huffman performing 'Rodeo', signed by Jack Mitchell
Joffrey Ballet dancer Greg Huffman performing 'Rodeo', signed by Jack Mitchell

Joffrey Ballet dancer Greg Huffman performing 'Rodeo', signed by Jack Mitchell

By Jack Mitchell

Located in Senoia, GA

11 x 14" vintage silver gelatin photograph of Joffrey Ballet dancer Greg Huffman in "Rodeo", 1976. Signed on the print verso by Jack Mitchell. Comes directly from the Jack Mitchell A...

Category

1970s Pop Art Jack Mitchell Photography

Materials

Silver Gelatin

Actor & filmmaker Warren Beatty, signed by Jack Mitchell
Actor & filmmaker Warren Beatty, signed by Jack Mitchell

Actor & filmmaker Warren Beatty, signed by Jack Mitchell

By Jack Mitchell

Located in Senoia, GA

11 x 14" vintage silver gelatin photograph of actor and filmmaker Warren Beatty, photographed the year he wrote, produced, directed and starred in 'Heaven Can Wait', 1978. Signed by ...

Category

1970s Pop Art Jack Mitchell Photography

Materials

Silver Gelatin

16 x 20"  Andy Warhol Superstar Holly Woodlawn, signed by Jack Mitchell
16 x 20"  Andy Warhol Superstar Holly Woodlawn, signed by Jack Mitchell

16 x 20" Andy Warhol Superstar Holly Woodlawn, signed by Jack Mitchell

By Jack Mitchell

Located in Senoia, GA

16 x 20" vintage silver gelatin photograph of Andy Warhol Superstar Holly Woodlawn, 1970. It is signed by Jack Mitchell on the recto and in pencil on the verso. Comes directly from t...

Category

1970s Pop Art Jack Mitchell Photography

Materials

Silver Gelatin

Stage and Film Actress Ruth Gordon
Stage and Film Actress Ruth Gordon

Stage and Film Actress Ruth Gordon

By Jack Mitchell

Located in Senoia, GA

11 x 14" vintage silver gelatin photograph of stage and film actress Ruth Gordon. Comes directly from the Jack Mitchell Archives with a certificate of auth...

Category

1970s Pop Art Jack Mitchell Photography

Materials

Silver Gelatin

Paul Taylor Dance Company performing 'Last Look', signed exhibition print
Paul Taylor Dance Company performing 'Last Look', signed exhibition print

Paul Taylor Dance Company performing 'Last Look', signed exhibition print

By Jack Mitchell

Located in Senoia, GA

Paul Taylor Dance Company performing 'Last Look' one the great examples of how Jack Mitchell choreographed dancers for the camera, photographed in 1985. This is a vintage gelatin sil...

Category

1980s Pop Art Jack Mitchell Photography

Materials

Silver Gelatin

Martha Graham dancer Robert Cohan 'Part Real Part Dream' signed by Jack Mitchell
Martha Graham dancer Robert Cohan 'Part Real Part Dream' signed by Jack Mitchell

Martha Graham dancer Robert Cohan 'Part Real Part Dream' signed by Jack Mitchell

By Jack Mitchell

Located in Senoia, GA

11 x 14" vintage silver gelatin photograph of Martha Graham dancer Robert Cohan performing "Part Real, Part Dream" 1966. Signed by Jack Mitchell on the print verso. Comes directly fr...

Category

1960s Pop Art Jack Mitchell Photography

Materials

Silver Gelatin

Harkness Ballet performing 'Time Out of Mind'
Harkness Ballet performing 'Time Out of Mind'

Harkness Ballet performing 'Time Out of Mind'

By Jack Mitchell

Located in Senoia, GA

11 x 14" vintage silver gelatin photograph of Harkness Ballet performing 'Time Out of Mind', 1966. Comes directly from the Jack Mitchell Archives with ...

Category

1960s Pop Art Jack Mitchell Photography

Materials

Silver Gelatin

16 x 20"  film director Alfred Hitchcock, signed by Jack Mitchell
16 x 20"  film director Alfred Hitchcock, signed by Jack Mitchell

16 x 20" film director Alfred Hitchcock, signed by Jack Mitchell

By Jack Mitchell

Located in Senoia, GA

16 x 20" vintage silver gelatin photograph of film director Alfred Hitchcock photographed in New York City in 1972 the year he released 'Frenzy'. It is signed by Jack Mitchell on the...

Category

1970s Pop Art Jack Mitchell Photography

Materials

Silver Gelatin

Large format vintage multiple exposure female nude, signed by Jack Mitchell
Large format vintage multiple exposure female nude, signed by Jack Mitchell

Large format vintage multiple exposure female nude, signed by Jack Mitchell

By Jack Mitchell

Located in Senoia, GA

16 x 20" vintage silver gelatin photograph, multiple exposure female nude. Titled, numbered, dated, and signed by Jack Mitchell on the recto. Comes directly from the Jack Mitchell Ar...

Category

1980s Abstract Jack Mitchell Photography

Materials

Silver Gelatin

Large format vintage multiple exposure female nude, signed by Jack Mitchell
Large format vintage multiple exposure female nude, signed by Jack Mitchell

Large format vintage multiple exposure female nude, signed by Jack Mitchell

By Jack Mitchell

Located in Senoia, GA

16 x 20" vintage silver gelatin photograph, multiple exposure female nude. Titled, numbered, dated, and signed by Jack Mitchell on the recto. Comes directly from the Jack Mitchell Ar...

Category

1990s Abstract Jack Mitchell Photography

Materials

Silver Gelatin

Artist Ray Johnson in his studio, signed By Jack Mitchell
Artist Ray Johnson in his studio, signed By Jack Mitchell

Artist Ray Johnson in his studio, signed By Jack Mitchell

By Jack Mitchell

Located in Senoia, GA

11 x 14" vintage silver gelatin photograph of artist Ray Johnson in his studio, 1968. Signed by Jack Mitchell on the print recto. Comes directly from the ...

Category

1960s Pop Art Jack Mitchell Photography

Materials

Silver Gelatin

Actor Al Pacino starring as Richard III on Broadway
Actor Al Pacino starring as Richard III on Broadway

Actor Al Pacino starring as Richard III on Broadway

By Jack Mitchell

Located in Senoia, GA

11 x 14" vintage silver gelatin photograph of actor Al Pacino starring as Richard III on Broadway, 1979. Signed by Jack Mitchell on the print verso. Comes directly from the Jack Mit...

Category

1970s Pop Art Jack Mitchell Photography

Materials

Silver Gelatin

Jack Mitchell photography for sale on 1stDibs.

Find a wide variety of authentic Jack Mitchell photography available for sale on 1stDibs. If you’re browsing the collection of photography to introduce a pop of color in a neutral corner of your living room or bedroom, you can find work that includes elements of purple, blue and other colors. You can also browse by medium to find art by Jack Mitchell in silver gelatin print, pigment print, archival pigment print and more. Much of the original work by this artist or collective was created during the 20th century and is mostly associated with the Pop Art style. Not every interior allows for large Jack Mitchell photography, so small editions measuring 5 inches across are available. Customers who are interested in this artist might also find the work of Andy Warhol, Nicholas Taylor, and Heidler & Heeps. Jack Mitchell photography prices can differ depending upon medium, time period and other attributes. On 1stDibs, the price for these items starts at $300 and tops out at $2,275, while the average work can sell for $1,250.