Photographer. Born John Ernest Joseph Bellocq to a well to do French Creole family from the French Quarter of New Orleans. Famous for his early 20th century photographs of the prostitutes of Storyville. Although he did other more commercial work of buildings, machinery and ships from approximately 1895 to 1940, it was his images of the darker side of New Orleans that are most memorable. After his death, much of his work was destroyed. However photographer Lee Friedlander discovered the 89 surviving Storyville glass plate negatives in 1958, and purchased them in 1966. In 1970 the images were given a show at the Museum of Modern Art in Manhattan. A Book of the Storyville photographs followed and interest in Bellocq's work grew. He also photographed New Orleans opium dens but that work is completely lost. Not much is known about Bellocq's personality other than hearsay from people who knew him in life and commented after his death. He was said to be interested only in photography and brusque in manner. His Grandmother is memorial # 156822961.
Photographer. Born John Ernest Joseph Bellocq to a well to do French Creole family from the French Quarter of New Orleans. Famous for his early 20th century photographs of the prostitutes of Storyville. Although he did other more commercial work of buildings, machinery and ships from approximately 1895 to 1940, it was his images of the darker side of New Orleans that are most memorable. After his death, much of his work was destroyed. However photographer Lee Friedlander discovered the 89 surviving Storyville glass plate negatives in 1958, and purchased them in 1966. In 1970 the images were given a show at the Museum of Modern Art in Manhattan. A Book of the Storyville photographs followed and interest in Bellocq's work grew. He also photographed New Orleans opium dens but that work is completely lost. Not much is known about Bellocq's personality other than hearsay from people who knew him in life and commented after his death. He was said to be interested only in photography and brusque in manner. His Grandmother is memorial # 156822961.
