NEWS FLASH!
100 Years of Press Photography
from the Watson Family
One Family, Four Generations, Ten Men, and a Ton of Film
In less than a century, Los Angeles grew from a
coastal enclave to one of the world’s most influential cities. The
Watson Family of photographers recorded it all – big disasters, small
everyday triumphs, world leaders, petty con men, sports legends and
infamous trials. Across four generations, a Watson photographer
(or two) has been present at most of the significant events in Southern
California, and on occasion through-out the world.
Spanning the entire 20th Century, the exhibition presents more than a
historical chronology. It also illustrates how advances in
photo-technology changed the texture of news photography. The
Watson family’s tradition of technical innovations (dating to the early
1910’s in both the motion picture and still photography) are
highlighted throughout the exhibition.
The Watson’s vintage cameras and historical memorabilia (such as press
passes,event programs, etc,) are also available for exhibition by
special arrangement.
Publications & Museum Collections
The Watson’s Photographs have been published world-wide for close to a
century in newspapers, magazines and books. Watson photograph are
held in the permanent collections of The Getty Museum and The Hollywood
Heritage Museum, and one of George Watson’s original 4X5 cameras is in
the permanent collection of the Newseum in Washington D.C.
Selections from the Family Archive have also been exhibited at Los
Angeles County Museum of Science and Industry (1972), Los Angeles
County Public Library, Getty Gallery (2003), and The Forrest Lawn Los
Angeles Museum (2007). In 1999, the Watson Family received a star
on Hollywood’s Walk of Fame honoring their contributions to the film
industry.
Installation Images
Watson Family Photographers Exhibition
Museum of Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX 07/09
Dates Available: 2009-2011
Contents:
50 framed
photographs, text panels, labels
vintage cameras and historical memorabilia (such as press
passes,event
programs, etc,) are also available for exhibition by
special
arrangement.
Space Req: 200 running feet
approx.
Loan Fee:
Price
on request
Insurance:
Exhibitor responsible
Shipping:
Exhibitor responsible
Req:
Appropriate security
Contact:
Jeffrey
Landau -310-397-3098 - jlandau@a-r-t.com
Watson Biographies
James
Watson (1863-1925)
Born in
England
,
James immigrated to the
US
in 1885 as a Salvation Army minister and made his way to Los Angels in
1901. Having acquired a
US
government
photography manual published during the Civil War, James became the
first of
the ten Watson photographers. As a hobbyist he photographed Buffalo
Bill in
Los Angeles
in 1903, Beach goers at
Santa Monica
and four
masted ships in
San
Pedro
Harbor
on 5X7 glass plate negatives. In 1910 he
photographed the bombing of the Los Angeles Times building. James’ passion for photography would lead 3
more generations of Watsons into life long careers as professional news
and
commercial photographers into the 21st century.
Three of James’ sons lived and worked in
Hollywood
. William H. Watson started as a film editor for Christies
and worked as a director on action scenes in motion pictures through out his career
in
Hollywood
. George Watson was a news still photographer
covering the Hollywood scene as part of his daily assignments as
photographer
and manager of ACME News Pictures –
L.A.
division. Coy Watson Sr. worked just
about every job available in the early rough and tumble days of the
silent
movie business.
The
Hollywood
Watsons
Coy
Watson Sr. was a pioneer in
front of as well as, behind the
camera. Even his wife Golda played bit
parts with her babies in her arms in the early silent movies The nine Watson children, Coy Jr., Vivian,
Gloria, Louise, Harry, Billy, Delmar, Garry and Bobs – worked in motion
pictures from the time they were babies through adolescence. Coy Sr. allowed his three girls to work
in
family groups in movies such as “TAXI 13, and LIFE BEGINS AT FORTY” but
didn’t want his daughters to work in the business after the age of 12
or
13. The boys worked continuously through
the 1930’s and 40s with family members credited in over 1000 movies,
earning
them the title of “The First Family of Hollywood”. The Watson family received a star on
Hollywood Blvd.
in 1999 for their accomplishments in motion
pictures.
Coy Watson Sr. (1890-1968)
Coy worked as
actor, stunt rider, prop man, special effects man, and
became Assistant Director for Mack
Sennett in 1915. He was head of casting
at Fox Studios in the 1920s. Due to his
reputation for “making things fly” in the movies, he worked as special effects man for Douglas
Fairbanks in “THE THIEF OF BAGHDAD” (1924), “THE BLACK PIRATE” (1926), and
“AROUND
THE WORLD IN 80 MINUTES”(1931). Through
the 1940’s Coy Sr. worked as an agent for his nine children who all
acted in
motion pictures.
George R. Watson
(1892-1977)
George received his
first camera from his father at age 8, and built a darkroom out of an
old
shipping crate. His first
newspaper
photos were published in
Oregon
by the Grants Pass Courier in the early teens where he scratched out a
meager
living as a photographer. George was
hired as one of the first staff photographer of the Los Angeles Times
in 1917
and covered the big news stories of the roaring 1020’s; such as, the Parker - Hickman kidnapping(1927) , the
first around the world flight(1924) and is credited with the first
published
news photos taken from the air of Los Angeles in 1919. He left the Times in 1929 to manage Pacific+Atlantic
News photos, which became
ACME News Pictures, (and later UPI) where he and his staff covered the
1932
Olympics, transmitted
L.A.
’s first wire photo, and documented the major achievements of the golden years of aviation. George
stayed at ACME until 1940 when he
retired. As an inventive young man George
created many products and techniques to improve the photographic
equipment and
processes of his time. In 1913, he
patented a process that was the forerunner of microfilm, but due to
financial
difficulties sold the patent right
Coy Watson Jr. – (born Nov
16,
1912 -
Coy Jr. apperard in his first
movie “THE PRICE OF SILENCE”(1913), at the age of 9 months for Selig Studios. Coy
worked so much in the Keystone Comedies of the teens and 1920’s that he
was
dubbed “The Keystone Kid”. Coy acted
with all the major Sennett Studio stars of the era, Gloria Swanson and Mabel Norman, The Keystone
Kops, and Fatty Arbuckle. Photography
was always a large part of Coy’s life. At the age of 4 years, Coy
remembers watching his grandfather, James developing film in their pantry and how
magical it seemed to him. When Coy’s
uncle George Watson discovered that
young Coy Jr. was interested in photography he gave him a job sweeping
the floors
at Pacific + Atlantic Photos, and with
it, an opportunity to learn photography. Coy’s first news picture was published at age
16 and soon after he was hired as a photographer at Pacific+
Atlantic
. In
the following years he worked at the
newspapers of the day including, The Post Record , the LA Herald , the
L.A.Times and back to Pacific+Atlantic(ACME)News Pictures. Coy covered the big news stories of the 1930s
including Thelma Todd’s mysterious death, Franklin D. Roosevelt’s visit to Los Angeles in 1932, and
the 1932
Olympics, During this time he
invented a light beam focuser that was
the first application of a battery mounted on a camera to assist in focusing. Coy
headed a Coast Guard photography unit
during WWll, and started his own commercial photo business after the war where he began to shoot 16mm movies for the fledgling
television
industry. Coy’s “HOLLYWOOD REEL”(1949)
were the first “made for T.V.” syndicated episodes to air featuring the
Hollywood
stars of the era. Coy continued in television news at KTLA,
CBS, ABC, and
KCRA Sacramento . Coy is now retired in
San Diego
.
Harry Watson – (Aug. 31, 1921 –
June 8, 2001)
Harry played WC Fields’ son
Ronald in “THE BARBER SHOP”(1933), with Wallace Berry in OLD HUTCH
(1936) and
with Fred Astaire and Joan Fontaine in “A DAMSEL IN DISTRESS” directed
by
George Stevens (1937). He rode Shirley Temple on his handlebars in
“LITTLE MISS BROADWAY(1938), and worked with Mickey Rooney in “ADVENTURES
OF HUCK FINN (1939) Harry’s first job
was at ACME News Pictures and then joined his brother Coy as a Coast
Guard
photographer during WWll. He was stationed in the
Washington
DC
photo lab, on submarine
chasers in the
Caribbean, and then assigned to the
South Pacific as a combat photographer where he photographed three
major
landing invasions and the 1944 return of Gen. Douglas MacArthur to
Leyte
Island
in the
Philippines
. Harry worked in commercial photography
with his brother Coy after the
war until he joined the Los Angeles
Daily News in the 1950’s. When the paper folded he worked as a KTTV
television newsreel cameraman through the 1960’s and 70’s leaving to man
his own commercial photography business
until he retired in the 1980’s
Bill Watson – (Dec. 25, 1923
- )
In 1934, Billy played Alan Hale’s son
Micah Dow in
“THE LITTLE MINISTER”, starring Katherine Hepburn. He
worked twice with director, John Ford, in “THE PLOUGH AND THE STARS”(1936), and in “YOUNG MR. LINCOLN”(1939) staring
Henry Fonda. He played Bobby MacDonald
for directors Otto Preminger and Alfred L. Werker in “KIDNAPPED”(1938). During WWll, Bill joined his brother Coy at
Long Beach Naval Station as a Coast
Guard photographer. After the war he
worked as an artist at the Los Angeles Daily News, and then as one of the “6 Watson
brothers”, in their
Los Angeles
commercial photography business. Bill
worked on his own commercially through
the 1970s, and into the 1990s. Bill
continued to act in local theater and in character parts in television
on shows
like “HILL STREET BLUES” and “
GENERAL
HOSPITAL
”. He is retired and lives in Washington Sate.
Delmar Watson– (July 1, 1926
– )
Delmar started acting in movies
at age 6 months in early westerns with Tom Mix and George O’Brien, and
in the
Hal Roach “OUR GANG COMEDIES”. He played
Tad Stanley with Randolph Scott and Shirley Temple in her first feature
film,
“TO THE LAST MAN”(1933) and again with
Temple
as Peter the Goat General in “HEIDI”(1937). Delmar shot a glass ball out of the hand of WC Fields’
with a slingshot
in the classic comedy “YOU CANT CHEAT AN HONEST MAN”(1939) Delmar learned photography from his father,
brothers and worked at ACME news
Pictures before the war. He entered the
Coast Guard on his 18th birthday and 6 months later joined
his
brother Coy’s photography unit at Long Beach Naval Station until his
discharge. He worked in his
brothers’commercial studio and then was
hired as a staff photographer by the Mirror-News, in
1948 . He left the Mirror ten years later to join the “6 Watson
Borthers “
phtography studio until he opened his own studio in 1967. Delmar has stored the Watson’s historic
collection of photographs, negatives and memorabilia at his Hollywood
office
until moving the archive to
Glendale
in 2007.
Garry Watson (Sept. 27, 1928
– )
At age 11, Garry worked with
brothers, Delmar, Harry
and Billy in ,”MR SMITH GOES TO
WASHINGTON”(1939) staring James Stewart , and with six Watson family members in “LIFE BEGINS AT
FORTY”(1935) with
Will Rogers. He worked again with
brothers Delmar and Billy in WILD GIRL(1932) with Joan Bennett, and with Douglas Fairbanks Jr. in “THE
EXILE”(1947). He sang on his
own ABC
radio show in the 1950’s and became know as the “singing photographer”. Garry learned photography from his father and
brothers during the 1940’s earning his first dollars as the official
school photographer
during his high school years. His
first
photographic job came in 1948 as he
manned the wirephoto machine at ACME news pictures. One of Garry’s first photo assignments at
ACME was to photograph test pilot, Chuck Yeager who had just broken the sound barrier. He moved from ACME to the Los Angeles Daily News until
1954 when he went
on to the L.A. Times. Garry left
newspapers in 1957 to join “The 6 Watson Brothers” commercial
photography
business through the 1960’s. He worked
as a commercial photographer until 1977 when he joined the Valley News
and
Green Sheet which became the Daily News of L.A. Garry retired in 1986s.
Bob Watson – (Nov. 16, 1931
– June 27, 1999)
Bobs, who became known as “The Crybaby of
Hollywood
”, played Pee Wee in “
BOYS
TOWN
”(1938)
and “MEN OF BOYS TOWN”(1941) starring Spencer Tracy and Mickey Rooney. In 1939 Bobs played in three major
movies -
as Pud in “ON BORROWED TIME” with Lionel Barrymore, as Harry Cole in “
DODGE
CITY
”
with Errol Flynn, and as George Sanders
in “THE STORY OF ALEXANDER GRAHAM BELL’ starring Don Ameche and Henry
Fonda. Bobs was drafted into the army
during the Korean war, but continued acting through the 1950s and 60’s
on
television shows such as “BONANZA”, “THE
TWILIGHT ZONE”, “THE BEVERLY HILLBILLIES”, and “GREEN
ACRES”. He became a Methodist Minister
but still did occasional rolls in movies like “FIRST TO FIGHT”(1967)
with Chad
Everett and TV shows such as “LOU GRANT”
and “M.A.S.H”. His last feature film
credit was as a minister in Ron Howard’s “GRAND THEFT AUTO”(1977). Bobs worked with is brothers in the
commercial photography business between acting jobs in the 1960’s, and
used his
photographic knowledge to enhance his acting career . In 1959, Bobs photographed an up and coming actor, Burt Reynolds doing stunts on horseback, on
motorcycles and in cars to build Burt’s acting portfolio. Photography was even a large part of Bobs’
Methodist ministry as he used movies and photography in his sermons.
Daniel W. Watson (1957
- )
The fourth generation, and the tenth
Watson to become a
photographer, Daniel learned photography
from his father, Garry. During Jr. high, and high school summer
vacations he spent time at his father’s and uncle’s commercial photo
studios
hearing stories of the golden years of news photography. In 1976 Dan rented a small office from his
Uncle Harry and started his own photo business. In the 1970s and 80’s He worked as a contract photographer
at Hollywood
Park, and Santa Anita Race tracks as one of the official track
photographers. The seasonal work allowed
him to work on staff at small community news papers such as The Valley
News and
Green Sheet, Burbank Daily Review, and
The Glendale News-Press. In the 1980s
and 90’s he began working in the television industry, printing in the
photo lab
at CBS and shooting episodic television for ABC TV, covering shows like
“Rosanne” and “Home Improvement”. In
1994 he was hired as a staff photographer at the L.A. Museum of Natural
History
until the position was eliminated in 1996. In 1997 he joined The Signal Newspaper as Chief
Photographer, and then went back to the
Glendale News-Press
in 2003. In 2007 he left to manage the
Watson Family Photographic Archive.
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WM01.jpg
Brown Bomber by Coy Watson Jr., 1935,
Joe Lewis training at the Main Street Gym in downtown Los Angeles for
his fight with Lee Ramage at Wrigley Field in Los Angeles. Louis
won by TKO 2:11 into the second round. |
WM02.jpg
The Big Itch by Garry Watson, 19XX |
WM03.jpg
Challenger
Fly-back by Dan Watson |
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WM04.jpg
Los
Angeles Civic Center by George Watson, 1927
The first Los Angeles Sky-Scrapper, the 13-story Civic Center under
construction. |
WM05.jpg
Cohen
Gets Cuffed by Delmar Watson, 1951
Mobster Mickey Cohen is convicted of income tax evasion in
Federal Court House in Los Angeles. |
WM06.jpg
Nixon
& Graham by Garry Watson, 1962
VP Richard Nixon and Reverend Billy Graham golfing at the Bel Air
Country Club. |
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WM07.jpg
Hula
Hoop Queen by Garry Watson, 1979
Junior High student works 28 Hula Hoops in the San fernando Valley. |
WM08.jpg
Iranian
Protest by Garry Watson, 1979
Pro Ayatollah Khomeini marchers are greeted with distain by Los Angeles
pedestrian. |
WM09.jpg
Jack
Johnson Surrenders by George Watson, 1920
Former Heavy Weight Champ Jack Johnson surrenders to US Marshals in
Tijuana, Mexico. |
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WM10.jpg
Watson
Photographers by Dan Watson, 2007
Photo Montage of Watson Photographers |
WM11.jpg
MacArthur
Returns by Harry Watson, 1944
General MacArthur stands on the beach of Leyte Island. |
WM12.jpg
Magic
Castle by Delmar Watson, 1954
The famous Magic Castle under-construction at Disneyland. |
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WM13.jpg
Jane
Mansfield by Garry Watson, 19XX
Blonde Bombshell and family friend Jane Mansfield helps promote the
Watson Bros. Business |
WM14.jpg
Last
of His Kind by George Watson, 195X
Funeral procession of Santio Jaucis, the last San Gabriel Indian. |
WM15.jpg
President
Wilson by George Watson, 1919
President Woodrow Wilson arrives in Los Angeles to build support for
his League of Nation. He is accompanied by presidential physician
Admiral Gary Grayson. Photo was shot on the platform of the Santa
Fe Station. |
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WM16.jpg
President
Roosevelt by Coy Jr. Watson, 1936
Incumbent Franklin D. Roosevelt stumps on the campaign trail in Los
Angeles. |
WM17.jpg
Television
by Garry Watson, 1949
The new television technology captures viewers on the street in
Hollywood. |
WM18.jpg
Watts
Tower by Garry Watson, 19XX
Sabato Rodia poses proudly with his creation. |
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WM19.jpg
Flight
Into Eternity by George Watson, 1937
Amelia Earhart at Lockheed Airport just prior to starting her
globe-circling flight which ended with her unexplained disappearance
over the Pacific. |
WM20.jpg
Lucky
Lindy and Anne by George Watson, 1930
Colonel and Mrs. Charles A. Lindbergh in heated suits before take-off
on their record setting transcontinental flight of 14 hours and 45
minutes. Note: Anne is carry their first child who was kidnapped
and killed in 1932. |
WM21.jpg
Downtime
by Delmar Watson, 1952
US Submariners entertain themselves during maneuvers off the coats of
Southern California. |
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WM22.jpg"
Bert Reynolds by Bobs Watson, 1936
Struggling actor bert reynolds works the phone from his bedroom, the
photographer was his roommate at the time. |
WM23.jpg
Carl
Sagen by Daniel Watson, 1980
Scientist , Carl Sagan speaks at JPL as Voyager 1 Passes Saturn. |
WM24.jpg
John
Williams by Daniel Watson, 1985
Composer John Williams concentrates during concert rehearsals in 1985. |
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WM25.jpg
Iron
Lady by Daniel Watson, 19XX
Polio victim XX was the last iron lung patient in Los Angeles |
WM26.jpg
4th
of July by Coy Jr. Watson, 1932
Watson
Brothers playing watching “House Afire” firewoks. (l.-r. Garry, Bobs,
Delmar, & Billy) |
WM27.jpg
Pressroom
Burnout by Coy Jr. Watson, 1936
Weege plays taps as the 1932 Olympics end for the Acme News team.
In the foreground is George Watson. |
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WM28.jpg
Steve’s
Ride by Garry Watson, circa 1966
Steve McQueen poses with his at his home in Malibu. |
WM29.jpg
Santa
Barbara Quake, 1925Brother Michael stands on the
steps of the Santa Barbara Mission. |
WM30.jpg
Holdup
Man’s Defeat by Delmar Watson, circa 1955
Detective Christopher (who shot the holdup man) and police officer
examine the body on Santa Monica Blvd. near Western Ave, Herald
Express reporter Niessen Himmel is in the background. |
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WM31.jpg
Wet Kiss by Coy Jr. Watson, circa 1930. Swimming and diving champions
Harold “Dutch” Smith and Marjorie Gestrint kiss for the camera in the
El Mirador Hotel pool in Palm Springs, California. Photo was used
to promote Catalina Swimwear. |
WM32.jpg
Destroyer
Hit Rocks by George Watson, 1928
Storm and radio confusion cause seven US Destroyers to run aground at
Point Arguello, California, 22 lives and 10.5 million lost in the
accident north of Santa Barbara. |
WM33.jpg
Another
Day’s Work by George Watson, circa 1933
LAPD Detective Earl O’Day surveys a murder-suicide scene. |
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WM34.jpgUnited Artists by George
Watson, 1936
Mary Pickford, Douglas Fairbanks and Charles Chaplin waiting with
theirarms around each other for a train. |
WM35.jpg
Windjammers
by James. Watson, 1901
Four-masted Windjammers call on the Port of San Pedro prior to massive
dredging project, which created one of nations largest harbors. |
WM36.jpg
LA Times
Bombed by James Watson, 1910
The Los Angeles Times Building was destroyed in a labor war on October
1, 1910. Within a few hours the paper published a four-page
editorial, from another building, accusing unionizers of the crime
which killed 20 and injured scores of the papers employees. |
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WM37.jpg
Folkker
F-32 by George Watson, 1929
Dancing girls and Hollywood Starlets add to the hoopla at the
dedication flight of the short lived Folkker F-32 at the Alhambra
Airport. |
WM38.jpg
Beverly
Blvd. Oil by Coy Jr. Watson, 1936
Oil Wells on famed Beverly Blvd. |
WM39.jpg
Heisman
Trophy Winners by Garry Watson, 1965
OJ Simpson and Michael Garrett both from USC pose with their Heisman
Memorial Trophies. |
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WM40.jpg
The
Babe by Coy Watson Jr., 1932
Mildred “Babe” Didrikson, the 19-year-old track star, poses for the
press at the 1932 Los Angeles Olympics. |
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