William Claxton
William James Claxton (October 12, 1927 – October 11, 2008) was an American photographer and author.
Also recorded as Clax · Clax Claxton · William James Claxton
William Claxton
- Name
- William Claxton
- Birth Name
- William James Claxton
- Born
- 12 October 1927
- Birthplace
- Pasadena, California, U.S.
- Died
- 11 October 2008
- Place of death
- Los Angeles, California, U.S.
- Education
- University of California, Los Angeles
- Nationality
- United States.
- Occupation
- photographer.
- Honours
- Lucie Award.
- Languages
- English.
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William James Claxton (October 12, 1927 – October 11, 2008) was an American photographer and author.
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Documentary evidence
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Authority files
gnd · 4703053-7 · wikidata · Q658064
In this article
Key facts
Key facts
• Name — William Claxton • Birth Name — William James Claxton • Born — 12 October 1927 • Birthplace — Pasadena, California, U.S. • Died — 11 October 2008 • Place of death — Los Angeles, California, U.S. • Education — University of California, Los Angeles • Children — 1
Biography
Biography
Born in Pasadena, California, Claxton's works included a book of photographs of Steve McQueen, and Jazzlife, a book of photographs depicting jazz artists in the 1960s. He was best known for his photography of jazz musicians including Chet Baker. Claxton also photographed celebrities and models. In 1967, he created the film Basic Black, a work that is credited as the first "fashion video" and is in the collection of the Museum of Modern Art in New York. The music for the film, using a Moog synthesizer, was composed by award-winning artist David Lucas. He married model Peggy Moffitt in 1960 and had one son, Christopher M. Claxton, born in 1973. Claxton died on October 11, 2008, of complications from congestive heart failure, one day before his 81st birthday.
Identity
Identity
William Claxton is recorded as photographer.
Life and career
Dated record
Life and career
Explore 1927–2008
The full dated record · 12 entries
1927
William Claxton born at Pasadena.
1955
Jazz West Coast is dated 1955.
1991
Creative Christmas Gifts is dated 1991.
1998
Young Chet is dated 1998.
1999
William Claxton: Jazz Seen is dated 1999.
1999
Jazz (Postcardbooks) is dated 1999.
1999
Laugh is dated 1999.
2000
Jazz (Blankbooks) is dated 2000.
2002
Photographic Memory is dated 2002.
2006
Jazzlife is dated 2006.
2007
The Mastery of the Air is dated 2007.
2008
William Claxton died at Los Angeles.
Places
Named by the record
Places
Only places the record itself states, plotted where the house gazetteer settles their coordinates. Nothing is inferred from a name or a nationality.
Pasadena.
Birth place
Los Angeles.
Death place
Primary material
Documents and archives
authority file
- Gemeinsame Normdatei 4703053-7, Jazz seen - The life and times of William Claxton.
General reference · Deutsche Nationalbibliothek
reference work
- Wikidata, structured authority record Q658064: William Claxton
Reputable secondary · Wikidata
Notes from the source article
Cited by Wikipedia
Notes from the source article
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References
Citations
References
Each reference names the institution holding it, so a reader may go to the document itself.
authority file
Gemeinsame Normdatei 4703053-7, Jazz seen - The life and times of William Claxton.Deutsche Nationalbibliothek
Secondary witnessreference work
Secondary witness
Further particulars
Held on the record
Further particulars
Open the remaining particulars
The authorities additionally record the headings Clax, Clax Claxton and William James Claxton. His recorded language was English. He married Peggy Moffitt. Claxton received Lucie Award.
Identity and origins
Recognition and collections
Work by William Claxton is
Photography Collection and J. Paul Getty Museum
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 16 August 2026.
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