Martha Joan Swope
photographer
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]
Themes
- Broadway
- Dance
- New York City Ballet
- Martha Graham
- Photography
Books
-
Mourka: the Autobiography of a Catphotographer
Works by Martha Joan Swope
- Mourka: The Autobiography of a Cat 1964 · book Photographs by Martha Swope
- West Side Story 1957 · other Performance photography
Works about Martha Joan Swope
- Behind the Camera: Martha Swope 1975 · New York Magazine · journal
Exhibitions
- 2012 Martha Swope: In Rehearsal The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts, New York solo