Three Lions Inc.

Three Lions Inc. was an American photo agency founded in 1937 by its president Max Georg Löwenherz (May 28, 1909 – September 13, 2003), and which by the 1980s held offices in Fifth Avenue,[1][2] then at East 32nd St. New York.[3] It also operated a London outlet.

Founding

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Son of German Jews David and Clara Löwenherz, Löwenherz created the business name as a play on his own, which means 'lion-heart' in German, and in honour of three brothers; himself, Heinz and Walter, who were the sons of the Coburg businessman. In 1933 Max was one of few who were released from mass arrests of Coburg Jews by the Nazis, and he fled with brother Walter to join Heinz in a picture agency in Amsterdam. Max set up a similar business after migrating to Manhattan in 1937, and was later joined by Walter. After the Nazi takeover of the Netherlands, Heinz and his family were transported to Germany where they were killed in the Holocaust.[4] Löwenherz became a donor-member of The Warburg Society.

Max Löwenherz also made a notable collection of letters and autographs,[5][6] Lion Heart Autographs, an interest inherited by his son David (b.1951)[7][8]

Photographers

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The agency commissioned international photographers, including Kurt Severin, Stefan Lorant, Orlando Suero and George Pickow,[9] marketing their illustrations and photojournalism for books, calendars, advertisements and magazine, newspaper articles[10] and covers for diverse recording companies, ranging from Tops and Crown to Atlantic and RCA, under the slogan "our cover pictures are known everywhere'.[11]

Subjects

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Celebrities portrayed for the agency include John F. Kennedy, actors Brigitte Bardot, Sharon Tate, Diana Ross, Julie Andrews, Paul Newman, Robert Redford, Steve McQueen, Jack Nicholson, musicians Louis Armstrong, Little Richard, Theodore Bikel, Pete Seeger, Judy Collins and Lee Marvin, artists Eugen Spiro[12] whose portrait of Löwenherz is in the Leo Baeck Institute,[13] Ivan Meštrović,[14] Edward Hopper, and model Pamela Green. [15]

Closure

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The agency was sold in 1983 and Löwenherz donated 600 of the company's archive of Kennedy photographs and negatives, most taken by Suero in May 1954,[16][17] to the Peabody Institute of Johns Hopkins University.[18][19][20]

References

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  1. ^ Ahlers, Arvel W. (1974). Where & how to Sell Your Photographs. Amphoto. ISBN 9780817405830.
  2. ^ Bradshaw, David N.; Hahn, Catherine (1982). World photography sources. Directories. ISBN 9780960799213.
  3. ^ Magazine Industry Market Place: The Directory of American Periodical Publishing. R.R. Bowker Company. 1987. ISBN 9780835222693.
  4. ^ Suero, Orlando; Garside, Anne (2001), Camelot at dawn : Jacqueline and John Kennedy in Georgetown, May 1954, Johns Hopkins University Press, ISBN 978-0-8018-6856-6
  5. ^ "Full text of "Howard H. Baker Outgoing Correspondence"". archive.org. Retrieved 2019-07-30.
  6. ^ "DWIGHT D. EISENHOWER LIBRARY ABILENE, KANSAS: Small Manuscript Collections (Composite Collection), FY 1964-2016" (PDF).
  7. ^ "Lowenherz, David H. 1951- | Encyclopedia.com". www.encyclopedia.com. Retrieved 2019-07-30.
  8. ^ David H. Lowenherz; Lowenherz, David H (2002), 50 greatest love letters of all time (1st ed.), New York Crown, ISBN 978-0-8129-3277-5
  9. ^ Delatiner, Barbara (1999-04-25). "Stepping Out From Behind the Camera". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2019-07-30.
  10. ^ Morgan, Willard Detering, 1900-1967 (1974), The Encyclopedia of photography the complete photographer : the comprehensive guide and reference for all photographers, New York Greystone Press{{citation}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  11. ^ Art Direction. Advertising Trade Publications. 1966.
  12. ^ "Eugen Spiro Papers, 1940-1972. M.E. Grenander Department of Special Collections and Archives, University Libraries, University at Albany, State University of New York" (PDF).
  13. ^ "Spiro, Eugen, 1874-1972: [Portrait of Max G. Lowenherz.], Leo Baeck Institute Art and Objects Collection, 2017.21". www.lbi.org. Retrieved 2019-07-30.
  14. ^ "Ivan Mestrovic Papers (MST), University of Notre Dame Archives (UNDA), Notre Dame, IN 46556". archives.nd.edu. Retrieved 2019-07-30.
  15. ^ Also, record producer Phil Spector contracted with Three Lions studios in 1964 to take the front and rear album cover photos of the 1964-released album, The Ronettes featuring Veronica, as well as cover shots of the Ronettes used on the Ronettes' Philles Records released hit singles, Born to Be Together and Is This What I Get for Loving You?
  16. ^ "The Max Lowenherz Collection". rrauction.com. Retrieved 2019-07-30.
  17. ^ Tribune, Michael Kilian, Chicago. "For many, the name of John F..." chicagotribune.com. Retrieved 2019-07-30.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  18. ^ "Bonhams : KENNEDY, JOHN FITZGERALD, AND JACQUELINE KENNEDY. SUERO, ORLANDO, Photographer. 31 Photographs, "Senator John F. and Mrs. Kennedy at home," various sizes, gelatin silver prints, Georgetown, May 1954 (but printed later?)". www.bonhams.com. Retrieved 2019-07-30.
  19. ^ "The Johns Hopkins Gazette: November 12, 2001". pages.jh.edu. Retrieved 2019-07-30.
  20. ^ Corey, Mary. "REMEMBERING KENNEDY Reception at Peabody recalls happy times for family, admirers". baltimoresun.com. Retrieved 2019-07-30.
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