Ko Rentmeester

Ko Rentmeester studied at Art Center College of Design. Places of work recorded in the authority are United States. Residence is recorded at Amsterdam and Westhampton Beach. Work by Ko Rentmeester is recorded in the collections of Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam. Distinctions recorded are World Press Photo of the Year.

• Name — Co Rentmeester • Birth Name — Jacobus Willem Rentmeester • Born — 28 February 1936 • Birthplace — Amsterdam, the Netherlands • Occupation — Photojournalist • Sport — Rowing • Medal Templates — Men's rowing European Championships Jacobus Willem Rentmeester (born 28 February 1936), nicknamed "Co" or "Ko", is a Dutch rower. He later became a photojournalist and covered the Vietnam War among other newsworthy events.

Rentmeester was born in 1936 in Amsterdam. He competed with Peter Bakker in double scull and won bronze at the 1959 European Rowing Championships in Mâcon, France. Bakker and Rentmeester reached the finals in double scull for the Netherlands at the 1960 Summer Olympics in Rome where they came fifth. In early 1961, Rentmeester moved to the United States and studied photography at the Art Center College in Los Angeles. After receiving his Bachelor of Arts, Rentmeester initially started his career as a freelance photographer in 1965 for Life magazine. A short time later, he joined the Life staff from April 1966 until 1972, when the magazine folded. He first covered the Watts Riots in Los Angeles, documenting many of the dramatic events, which earned him his first accolades as a photographer. Between late 1965 and 1969, Rentmeester was in Asia, where he particularly covered the Vietnam war. One of his pictures showed an M48 tank gunner looking through a gunsight. It was selected as World Press Photo of the Year and notably it was the first color photograph to win the award. He was also in Hong Kong during the extensive civil disturbances in 1967. After Rentmeester was wounded by a Vietcong sniper near Saigon, he returned to the U.S. in 1972. His pictures from a trip through Indonesia were shown in the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam, the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C., and Asia House in New York. In the following years, Rentmeester worked for numerous major publications as a photojournalist and as an advertising photographer.

Ko Rentmeester is recorded as a citizen of Kingdom of the Netherlands. Recorded with the occupation sports photographer. Recorded with the occupation photojournalist. Recorded with the occupation rower.