File talk:JP Morgan.jpg

Reflection of light as a "knife"

The current description states:

"photo known for use of lighting to make chair's arm appear to be a knife. This information can be verified in Chernow, Ron (1990), The House of Morgan: An American Banking Dynasty and the Rise of Modern Finance, New York: Grove Press, ISBN 0802138292 p. 86, and probably other places as well."

This is phrased to imply Steichen "used" the lighting to deliberately create the illusion of a knife. Unfortunately, Chernow makes no such claim. Here's the relevant passage, on page 86 as cited:

"In 1903, Pierpont sat for two minutes as Edward Steichen snapped the famous photograph of him: from deep shadow and gripping the blade-like chair, Pierpont stares out, a tense crease between his brows, his collar stiff, his eyes pitiless points of lights, the gaze legendary in its terror. Steichen tried to make him turn, but Pierpont, self-conscious about his nose, stared straight ahead. The photographer snapped him bristling with anger. Pierpont hated the photo and tore up the first prints. Yet there was sadness as well as fire in the eyes--volcanic energy and despair. The photograph captured the man whole. When Pierpont later relented and offered to pay a stratospheric $5,000 for the photo, the wounded Steichen took two years to deliver copies."

It makes passing note of the illusion, but does not make the claim.

Here's what Penelope Niven says in Steichen (1997, New York: Clarkson N. Potter, ISBN 0-517-59373-4), pg. 166:

"The light catches (Morgan's) gold chain and watch, the white sheen of his hair and his starched collar, and the warm gloss of the arm of the chair, looking for all the world like a knife poised in his hand for attack. That was pure accident, not intention, Steichen claimed afterward of the stunning illusion of the tycoon armed with the deadly knife."

I've led with Niven because I know Wikipedia prefers secondary sources over primary. However, for the record, here's what Steichen himself says, in section 3 of the unpaginated A Life In Photography, (1984 reprint, New York: Bonanza Books, ISBN 0-517-46805-0) following plate 28.

"Over the years people have referred to the insight into Morgan's real character that I showed by photographing him with a dagger in his hand. But this was their own fanciful interpretation of Morgan's hand firmly grasping the arm of the chair. It is not only photographers who read meaning into their photographs."

Pending evidence to the contrary, I'm editing the description to match these reports. Hal (talk) 20:58, 25 October 2009 (UTC)