Martha Joan Swope

photographer

American^[1,4] b. 22 February 1928, Waco, Texas, U.S.^[1,3,4] d. 12 January 2017^[1,4] active 1957–2002

Martha Joan Swope (1928–2017) was an acclaimed American photographer who specialized in theater and dance. Born in Waco, Texas, she attended Baylor University and later moved to New York City to study at the School of American Ballet. Her prolific career as a performance photographer began in 1957 when Jerome Robbins commissioned her to photograph rehearsals for 'West Side Story.' She became the house photographer for the New York City Ballet and the Martha Graham Dance Company, capturing over 1.5 million images of performances, rehearsals, and behind-the-scenes moments on Broadway and in dance studios.^[1,2,3,4]

• Broadway
• Dance
• New York City Ballet
• Martha Graham
• Photography

Works by Martha Joan Swope

• 1964 Mourka: The Autobiography of a Cat book Photographs by Martha Swope
• 1957 West Side Story other Performance photography

Works about Martha Joan Swope

• 1975 Behind the Camera: Martha Swope New York Magazine · journal

Exhibitions

• 2012 Martha Swope: In Rehearsal The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts, New York · solo

References

1. Martha Swope link
2. Meet Martha Swope, the Legendary Broadway Photographer Who Captured Iconic Moments. Smithsonian Magazine. Smithsonian link
3. Martha Swope photographs. New York Public Library Digital Collections. NYPL link
4. Dance photographer Martha Swope 1928-2017. CBS News link