John Benton-Harris
John Benton-Harris (September 28, 1939 – August 26, 2023) was an American photographer and educator who lived and worked in the United Kingdom.
John Benton-Harris
- Born
- 1939 · New York City.
- Died
- 2023
- Nationality
- United States
- Occupation
- photographer
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John Benton-Harris (September 28, 1939 – August 26, 2023) was an American photographer and educator who lived and worked in the United Kingdom.
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John Benton-Harris (1939–2023) was a photographer, of American nationality. The photographer was born in New York City. John Benton-Harris worked in Great Britain. Works are held at The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art.
Composed from admitted, traceable facts · 01 October 2026
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wikidata · Q44912180 · wikipedia · John Benton-Harris
In this article
Life and work
Life and work
John Benton-Harris was born in The Bronx, New York City on September 28, 1939. He worked as an industrial photographer with the Sinclair Oil Corporation for a period from 1961. He then completed mandatory military service as a photographer with the United States Army, in Italy. Afterwards he travelled in Europe, then in 1965 settled in London, working as a staff photographer for London Life magazine. He subsequently worked as a photojournalist for various newspapers and magazines. In 1987/88 Benton-Harris was appointed adjunct Professor of Photography at the University of Michigan's School of Art. Benton-Harris died on August 26, 2023, at the age of 83. He never retired, and was working on taking pictures and book projects until shortly before his death.
Zines by Benton-Harris
Zines by Benton-Harris
• The English. Southport: Café Royal, 2018. Edition of 250 copies. • Saint Patrick's People. Southport: Café Royal, 2019. Edition of 250 copies. • Children of the Troubles: Northern Ireland. Southport: Café Royal, 2020. Edition of 250 copies. • Walking New York 1961–1981. Southport: Café Royal, 2020. Edition of 250 copies. • Walking London 1965–1988. Southport: Café Royal, 2021.
Solo exhibitions
Solo exhibitions
• A Walk in New York, Impressions Gallery, York, UK, 1973 • England, St Patrick's Day, Streets of NYC, The Photographers' Gallery, London, 1981/82
Group exhibitions
Group exhibitions
• Summer Show 6: Old masters were young once, Serpentine Galleries, London, 1971. Benton-Harris' work was shown on its own in the Print room. • Two Views: Photographs of British Towns as Seen by Eight Photographers, The Photographers' Gallery, London, 1973. With work by Benton-Harris, Ian Berry, Colin Curwood, Chris Killip, Josef Koudelka, Ron McCormick, and Christine Pearcey. • The Portrait Season, Impressions Gallery, York, UK, 1985. With work by Benton-Harris, Clive Landen, and Philip Sayer.
Exhibitions co-curated by Benton-Harris
Exhibitions co-curated by Benton-Harris
• American Images: Photography 1945 to 1980, Barbican Art Gallery, London, 1985 and touring • Through the Looking Glass: Photographic Art in Britain 1945–1989, Barbican Art Gallery, London, 1989; Manchester City Art Gallery, 1989/90
Books edited with others
• Through the Looking Glass: Photographic art in Britain 1945–1989. London: Barbican Art Gallery, 1989. Coedited by Benton-Harris and Gerry Badger..
Collections
Collections
Benton-Harris' work is held in the following permanent collections: • Arts Council Collection, UK: 80 prints (as of September 28, 2021) • Brooklyn Museum, Brooklyn, New York: 1 print (as of September 28, 2021) • Museum of Contemporary Photography, Chicago, Illinois: 2 prints (as of September 28, 2021) • National Portrait Gallery, London: 9 prints (as of September 28, 2021)
Documents and archives
Primary material
Documents and archives
reference work
- “John Benton-Harris”, English Wikipedia, consulted as further reading
Reputable secondary · Wikipedia
authority record
- Wikidata, structured authority record Q44912180: John Benton-Harris
General reference · Wikidata
Notes from the source article
Cited by Wikipedia
Notes from the source article
These works are cited by the source article, in its own numbering. They are recorded as its citations, not as sources VALÉORINE has verified.
- 1.John Benton-Harris. APAG - American Photography Archives Group. July 31, 2017.
- 2.Ontdek fotograaf John Benton-Harris. rkd.nl.
- 3.John Benton-Harris. collection.sciencemuseumgroup.org.uk.
- 4.The photographer documenting the eccentricities of London street life. Huck Magazine. September 3, 2021.
- 5.John Benton-Harris. www.johnbenton-harris.com.
- 6.John Benton-Harris obituary. The Guardian. October 23, 2023.
- 7.The big picture: out to lunch in London, 1974. The Guardian. August 8, 2021.
- 8.A Walk in New York. collection.sciencemuseumgroup.org.uk.
- 9.The Photographers' Gallery: Exhibition History, 1971 – Present. The Photographers' Gallery.
- 10.Summer Show 6 [1971]: Old masters were young once. Serpentine Galleries.
- 11.The Portrait Season. collection.sciencemuseumgroup.org.uk.
- 12.Lee, A. Robert. Shooting America: "American Images: Photography 1945-1980" Barbican Art Gallery, 10 May to 30 June 1985. Journal of American Studies. 20. 2. 294–298. 1986. 0021-8758.
- 13.Badger, Gerry. Through the looking glass: photographic art in Britain 1945-1989. Barbican Art Gallery. 1989. 9780946372171.
- 14.Benton-Harris, John. www.artscouncilcollection.org.uk.
- 15.Brooklyn Museum. www.brooklynmuseum.org.
- 16.Museum of Contemporary Photography. www.mocp.org.
- 17.John Benton-Harris - National Portrait Gallery. www.npg.org.uk.
References
Citations
References
Each reference names the institution holding it, so a reader may go to the document itself.
reference work
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General reference
The Encyclopedia exists whether or not anything is for sale. Corrections are recorded rather than overwritten, and every version of this record is kept. Published 18 August 2026.
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