Wednesday, February 9, 2011

Iconic Photographs: J P Morgan



Having had a lifelong interest in photographs and photography, I am fascinated by photographs that have come to be regarded as iconic for one reason or another.

One such photograph is that taken of American financier, banker and art collector John Pierpont Morgan (1837-1913) by Edward Steichen.

Before looking at that photograph, which appears later in this post, it is necessary to know something of the life of J P Morgan.

(Click on photographs to enlarge).

America’s leading financier at the height of his career in the early 1900’s, he was the founder of the US Steel Corporation, as well as having merged various corporations to form General Electric. His estate was worth only $80m on his death, about $1.4 billion today, prompting Rockefeller to comment “And to think he wasn’t even a rich man.” Morgan’s power, however, did not lie in the money he owned but in the billions that he controlled. At various times he helped the US Government out of financial crises but was criticised for the harsh termss he exacted. The practice of finance barons ruthlessly taking over whole industries for the purpose of increasing their fortunes, as J P Morgan did with railroads, steel and shipping, became known as “Morganizing”.

Morgan was booked to travel on the Titanic’s maiden voyage, the White Star Line being part of Morgan’s International Mercantile Marine Company. He was to have his own private suite and promenade deck on the ship but cancelled at the last moment.

In his personal life, Morgan was hard, imposing and a powerful presence. He had broad shoulders and piercing eyes. One person commented that a visit from Morgan left him feeling "as if a gale had blown through the house." Because of a chronic skin disease, Morgan had a purple nose marked by pits, fissures, nodules and a sebaceous growth. Rather than being shy because of his appearance, it made him more aggressive and bolder, looking people squarely in the eye when he met them almost as if he willed them to turn away first. Nonetheless he hated having his photo taken and all photographs of him were retouched.

JP Morgan yells in anger at photographers.

In 1906 Morgan was having his portrait painted but he was a bad sitter and the artist was becoming exasperated. In desperation, the artist sought permission to have a photographer take some photographs to assist with the portrait. Morgan agreed but said that the session would be limited to 2 minutes.

Edward Steichen (1879-1973), an American photographer, painter and art gallery and museum curator, at age 27 was selected by the artist to take the Morgan photographs. He arrived 30 minutes early and positioned the janitor in the chair to work out lighting and angles. When Morgan arrived he sat in the chair and glowered at the camera. Steichen took the photograph and asked Morgan to move his head around. Morgan did so but immediately returned to the position of glowering directly at the camera. Steichen took another photograph and the two minutes was up. As he left, he flipped five $100 bills at the painter and said to give them to the photographer.

When Steichen had the photos printed and met with Morgan, he showed him the first print and Morgan ordered a dozen copies. Then he showed him the second photograph that had been taken. Morgan took one look and ripped it into pieces.

The photo showed Morgan angry, cold eyes looking straight at the camera, a dark figure in a dark location with only some features highlighted. Morgan has his hand on the arm of the chair on which he is sitting but the light falling on the arm makes it appear that Morgan is holding a dagger, pointed at the viewer in a menacing manner. Whether by intent or accident, the photograph was considered to perfectly sum up the character and personality of the subject.


Morgan subsequently offered $5,000 for the photograph but this was refused by Alfred Stieglitz, who then owned the rights.

Did Steichen intend the effect? He had looked at lighting and angles beforehand but was it an accident or deliberate?

According to Penelope Niven, the author of a book about Steichen entitled appropriately Steichen:
"The light catches (Morgan's) gold chain and watch, the white sheen of his hair and his starched collar, and the warm gloss of the arm of the chair, looking for all the world like a knife poised in his hand for attack. That was pure accident, not intention, Steichen claimed afterward of the stunning illusion of the tycoon armed with the deadly knife."
Steichen commented on the photograph:
"Over the years people have referred to the insight into Morgan's real character that I showed by photographing him with a dagger in his hand. But this was their own fanciful interpretation of Morgan's hand firmly grasping the arm of the chair. It is not only photographers who read meaning into their photographs."

6 comments:

  1. Yes, as it says in the post above: "...Because of a chronic skin disease, Morgan had a purple nose marked by pits, fissures, nodules and a sebaceous growth. Rather than being shy because of his appearance, it made him more aggressive and bolder.."

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  2. Was always aware of the infamous mid-stroll capture but had never seen the optical illusion from the seated photographs. Fascinating.

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  3. É SEMPRE SCOPATA E SBORRATA PROFONDAMENTE NEL CULO: #MARIAPAOLATOSCHI DI #JPMORGAN!
    https://static-ca-cdn.eporner.com/gallery/Gs/hG/N7ZgdZshGGs/7924-cum-on-ass.jpg
    PRENDE CAZZI IN CULO DI 35 CM: MARIA PAOLA TOSCHI DI JP MORGAN (SPESSO, PRENDE PURE 2 CAZZI IN CULO, CONTEMPORANEAMENTE)! VUOLE SESSO ANALE E SESSO DI GRUPPO ESTREMISSIMO: #MARIAPAOLATOSCHI DI #JPMORGAN (CON SUOI COMPARI SATANISTI, COMPLOTTARDI, AVVELENATORI, DIFFAMATORI, LADRI, TRUFFATORI, PERSECUTORI, SPIONI, ASSASSINI DI #LIONSCLUBS, #ROTARY E #MASSONERIA DI TIPO FASCIOMAFIOSO E BERLUSCO卐NAZISTA VARIO)! É NINFOMANE STRA ASSATANATA: MARIA PAOLA TOSCHI DI JP MORGAN ( https://www.lefonti.tv/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/Maria-Paola-Toschi-JP-Morgan-AM-Le-Fonti-Asset-Management-TV-Week-2021.png)! NE SCRIVE CON ENTUSIASMO (VOLENDOLE BENE, MAI E POI MAI PER INFASTIDIRLA, DIFFAMARLA O STALKERARLA, NE SCRIVE PERCHÉ LA AMA ANCORA), SU TANTI SITI INTERNET, L'EROICO BANCHIERE SVIZZERO #ANDREASNIGG ANDREAS NIGG DI BANK J SAFRA SARASIN ZURICH (https://www.blogger.com/profile/13220677517437640922). CHE PASSAVA WEEK ENDS DI SESSO SCAMBISTA, SESSO ANALE, SESSO INTENSISSIMO, CON LEI, STILE PERVERTITO ^ARCORE^HARDCORE^, FRA 2001 E 2004, MENTRE LA SEMPRE VOGLIOSA DI FALLI IN BOCCA, FIGA E CULO MARIA PAOLA TOSCHI DI JP MORGAN, LAVORAVA IN BANCA LEONARDO (OVE TRAFFICAVA CRIMINALISSIMAMENTE, PURE, IL NOTO COCAINOMANE ASSASSINO #MICHELEMILLA
    https://finlantern.com/financeforum/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/milla.jpg
    ORA RICICLANTE SOLDI MAFIOSI, PRESSO MALAVITOSA #MOMENTUM DI ASSAGNO, KILLER MICHELE MILLA, CHE FACEVA "SUICIDARE", STRANGOLANDOLO ED IMPICCANDOLO, #UBALDOGAGGIO UBALDO GAGGIO E CHE FACEVA UCCIDERE ^MASSONICAMENTE^, ALLA DAVID ROSSI, CENTINANIA DI ALTRI, NE TROVATE QUI https://www.politbjuro.com/itemeva-di-essere-licenziataibrfunzionaria-di-banca-suicida/)! CERCATENE IN RETE. BASTA COL SAPERE SOLO LE MINCHIATE CHE VALGONO SOTTO ZERO! É ORA DI SAPERE QUELLO CHE LE FORZE SATA卐NAZI卐FASCISTE, BERLUSCO卐NAZISTE, MASSO卐NAZISTE, FASCIOLEGHISTE, KILLER, NON VOGLIONO FARVI SAPERE! SIAMO I NUOVI PARTIGIANI DEL TERZO MILLENNIO! NON COMUNISTI, DI OGNI COLLOCAZIONE POLITICA, MA SEMPRE E SOLO PRO SVILUPPO ECONOMICO UNITO AD ETICA!

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  4. Io ho scritto con entusiasmo, non certo con critica, del fatto che #MariaPaolaToschi di #JPMorgan é sempre affamata di sesso anale, estremo, scatenato, intensissimo, di gruppo, selvaggissimo. Nessun "bacchettonismo". Mi affascina molto il suo essere pacata, equilibrata, rassicurante, Berlusconicchia, molto Estabilishment, nei suoi videos su you tube. E poi ninfomane incredibile, insaziabile, mi viene da dire con simpatia, ^assatanata^, ninfomane di Arcore alias Hardcore, quando fa sesso con uno, due, anche 30, 60, 100 uomini, 2 o 3 alla volta, in private huge rooms. Io trovo questo contrasto, affascinante. Qualcuno lo troverá riprorevole. Ma chi lo troverá riprorevole, é spesso tipo da film "Vizi privati e pubbliche virtú". O da canzone di De Andre ove dice "Si sá che la gente dà buoni consigli, se non può più dare cattivo esempio". Un poco come i Lions Clubs, che fan finta di fare del bene, invece spiano, ammazzano, amano il satanismo, il nazifascismo, come pure rubano, fanno frodi, sono vero e proprio Club di Satana, Toto Riina e Augusto Pinochet ( e lo sono contro chi non fa nulla di male e non ha nessun torto, per subire per tanti decenni, non anni, ma decenni, loro persecuzioni assassine: sanno a chi mi riferisco)! IO HO OTTIMO RICORDO DI MARIA PAOLA TOSCHI DI JP MORGAN, POTESSI, SCHIACCIANDO UN BOTTONE MAGICO, TORNARE DIETRO 20 ANNI, QUANDO ME LA STRA SCOPAVO OGNI FINE SETTIMANA (ANCHE SE ERAVAMO TUTTI E DUE SPOSATI... ERAVAMO SPOSATI, MA PURE LIBERTINI, BEN APPUNTO, DI VARI ROTARY E LIONS CLUBS), LO FAREI SUBITO. SCRITTO CON ZERO IPOCRISIA, COME DA MIO STILE.
    ANDREAS NIGG. BANK J SAFRA SARASIN ZURICH. PREMIATO NEL 2018, 2019, 2020 E 2021 COME BANCHIERE DELL'ANNO SVIZZERO!

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