1953 – Seatle Tubbing Society – Burt Glinn

Via: Seattle Weekly

When New York photojournalist Burt Glinn passed away in April this year, his work happened to be on display at SAM. Now its supplemental “Burt Glinn: 35 Years of Northwest History” (through Sept. 14) pays homage to the man who documented the Cold War as a member of the famous Magnum photo agency. He shot Khrushchev and Castro, and celebs including Elizabeth Taylor too.

But the focus here is on images created in Seattle, where he lived during the ’50s and ’60s, sometimes on assignment for Life magazine. From a West Seattle High School cheerleader adoring her mud-stained football jock to a look at our jazz scene, Glinn had a keen eye for the moment.

And nothing beats Glinn’s images of the Seattle Tubing Society floating down the Sammamish Slough with drinks in hand and outrageous (outrageous? don’t think so) costumes sticking to their skin. That’s how summers should be spent. And that’s how photographers should capture local history.

http://www.seattleweekly.com/2008-07-30/calendar/burt-glinn-35-years-of-northwest-history/

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