Jimmy Hare
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James H. Hare (or Jimmy Hare, as he went by) was a photojournalist active 1898-1931. He was the leading photographer during five major wars, and was the driving force behind Colliers becoming a large circulation paper.
[edit] Biography
Jimmy Hare, born James Henry Hare on October 3, 1856, worked as a camera manufacturer in London before becoming one of the world’s leading war-time photojournalists. The son of a camera manufacturer, he worked with his father until a dispute about hand-held cameras lead him off to carve his own path through life. He moved to the United States to start a career as a photojournalist.
His first major job was the capture images of the Spanish-American War (1898), which Colliers, the newspaper he was currently working for, used to build support up for the controversial conflict. His intimate war-time photography was often cited as the reason Colliers' circulation increased momentously.
After the Spanish-American war, Jimmy Hare worked for Leslie's Weekly photographing four more wars: the Russo-Japanese War in 1904, the Mexican Revolution in 1911, the First Balkan War (which he covered for Colliers again), and World War I for Leslie's Weekly. He became known as the man who made the Russo-Japanese conflict famous, and was adored by his peers and contemporaries.
Other than photographing war, he took many notable photographs of airplane evolution - starting from the Wright Brothers' flight in 1908.
[edit] Time Line
1856 October 3, James Henry Hare is born in London to George Hare, who, after a successful cabinet making business, becomes a successful camera manufacturer. Jimmy Hare attends St. John's College in London. He leaves voluntarily after one year and becomes an apprentice in his fathers camera shop
1879 Jimmy and his father have a disagreement when Jimmy tells his father that they should begin making smaller handheld cameras which were just becoming technologically feasible. Jimmy leaves his father's business to work for another London firm.
1879 August 2, Jimmy marries Ellen Crapper.
1880's (early) Begins to lose interest in camera manufacturing, takes up free-lance photograpy as a hobby, sells work to various London journals.
1889 Becomes technical adviser for E.& H.T. Anthony & Co. in Brooklyn, NY.
1895 Becomes full-time photographer for Illustrated American Magazine.
1898 February 15. One month after a fire destroyed the Illustrated American's headquarters, Jimmy presents himself at the office of Colliers Weekly proposing to photograph the wreckage of the battleship Maine, and life in Spanish Cuba. Robert J. Collier recalled two decades later, "The Maine blew up, and Jimmy blew in." A few days later, Jimmy was in Cuba.
1904 Goes to the Far East to photograph the Russo-Japanese war.
1908 Takes the first photo of a plane in fight.
1911 Goes to Mexico to cover the Mexican Revolution.
1912 Goes to Europe to cover the First Balkan War for Colliers and the Illustrated London Sphere.
1913 Profiled by American Magazine among its "interesting people", citing "the ability to catch the dramatic elements in teh event he is picturing."
1914 Learns that Collier's would not be sending him to Europe to cover World War I, contacts Leslie's Weekly to offer his service. Hired and sent to England.
1931 Retires.
1939 Becomes honorary president of the Overseas Press Club.
1946 June 24, Dies while staying with one of his daughters in Teaneck, NJ.
