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Herman Leonard

(Allentown, Pennsylvania, 1923 - 2010, Los Angeles, California)

Doc Cheatham, New Orleans

c. 1991 (printed later)

Gelatin silver print

17 3/8 x 14 5/8 in. (44.2 x 37.1 cm)

Collection of the Akron Art Museum

Gift of George Stephanopoulos

2007.101

More Information

Leonard moved to New Orleans in 1991 and immediately became immersed in the city’s vibrant jazz scene. In this image, he documents one of many late career visits made to the city by Doc Cheatham (1905-1997), a trumpeter, singer and band leader. Leonard, who was forced to relocate to California in 2005 due to damage to his studio during Hurricane Katrina, said, “New Orleans represents the happiest years of my life . . . the end of my life, so to speak. . . . I can’t recall anywhere I felt more comfortable in my own skin.”

Keywords
Photography
Black and White
Horns
Musicians