Allan Porter
author · designer
Allan Porter (1934–2022) was a prominent American Swiss photographer, journalist, editor, and designer. He is best known for his tenure as the editor-in-chief of 'Camera' magazine from 1966 to 1981, where he significantly influenced the landscape of contemporary photography by discovering and promoting the work of artists such as Josef Koudelka, Stephen Shore, and Sarah Moon. Porter was educated at the Philadelphia Museum College of Art, where he studied graphic design and photography. His career spanned various roles, including art direction for 'Holiday' magazine, tapestry design, and authoring several books and monographs on photography history and theory. He was recognized with numerous awards, including the David Octavius Hill Medal from the German Society for Photography in 1970. His work is characterized by a deep intellectual engagement with the history of the medium, blending artistic practice with rigorous bibliographic and editorial research.[1,2,3]
- Photography history
- Art direction
- Graphic design
- Editorial theory
Books
Works by Allan Porter
- 1972 Camera Internationale Monatsschrift für Photographie und Film. Jahrgang: 1972 Edited by Allan Porter.
- 1969 Sagittarius and the mermaid
- 1979 A child's garden of photography
- 1984 Remembrance of Things Present
- 1982 Camera: die 50er Jahre
Works about Allan Porter
- 2007 Allan Porter und Camera—eine Biografie
Exhibitions
- 1955 Allan Porter
- 1984 Allan Porter and friends in photography
- 1997 Private View. Collection Allan Porter (with Lisette Model)
Awards
- 1970 David Octavius Hill Medal
- 1979 Culture Prize