March 6, 1923 – August 14, 2010
As some of you may know, Herman Leonard passed away on Saturday, August 14, in Los Angeles, at the age of 87. I first met Herman and showed his work in 1990, as part of his traveling exhibition “The Eye of Jazz.” Over the past twenty years we have shared many laughs and countless stories. While Herman was a fantastic photographer whose images of the golden age of jazz are permanently seared into the public’s conscious, he was also an amazing person, who smiled easily and always saw the good in people. My last visit with Herman was in April. I wanted him to know how much I loved him and how important he was to the gallery. I have been very fortunate to know Herman and can still hear his amazing voice. He will be greatly missed by people throughout the world who came to know him through his photographs and by those of us who had the good fortune to call him a friend.
There have been many beautiful pieces written about Herman. I hope you will take the time to read the following two. My heartfelt condolences go out to Herman’s family and friends. We lost a great photographer and a beautiful man whose joy for life was infectious. May we all learn from his example – Catherine (or Cathy baby, as Herman would say)
Catherine Edelman Gallery 