Civil rights photographer Matt Herron has died
Matt Herron, whose powerful images of the civil rights movement from within the heart of Mississippi in the 1960s helped push for change, has died in a glider crash at the age of 89.
Matt was the pilot. In keeping with his endless adventurous spirit, he took up gliding at the age of 70 – and played double bass in a local orchestra until the pandemic put a stop to it (and even then, he continued with his tutor via zoom).
Matt was the first USA photographer to sign up directly with TopFoto last year, when we took over the business continuity of The Image Works, Woodstock, and during the past 9 months we have had a lively and inspiring correspondence with him, working through his extraordinary history and the photographs which made his name. Matt had a lifelong commitment to social justice, to be part of the solution and never part of the problem. His Take Stock collection therefore is on our site but with restrictions so that we can check all usage requests before confirmation. It is an honour to represent him and his stable of photographers for world rights (exclusive), and if you are not familiar with the work, we can promise that you will be fascinated, personally and/or professionally.
From the New York Times: Matt Herron, Whose Camera Chronicled a Movement, Dies at 89
TopFoto newsletter – 17 August 2020.