James Abbe (July 17, 1883 – November 11, 1973)[1] was an American photographer.
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James Abbe was born in 1883 in Alfred, Maine. He traveled throughout Europe as a young photojournalist recording the unstable power struggles of the early 20th century. However, he first made a name for himself photographing movie stars in New York, Paris, and London throughout the 1920s and 1930s. His unusual technique of working outside the studio set him apart from other photographers of the period. To make money, Abbe sold his photographs to magazines such as Vogue and Vanity Fair, which brought his subjects greater fame.[2]
After gaining some public attention, Abbe began submitting his work to major publications, including The London Magazine and the Berliner Illustrirte Zeitung. He also took photographs during the Spanish Civil War [3]and the Nazis' rise in Germany. He also took a portrait of Joseph Stalin that was famously used to stop rumors that the Soviet leader was dead. [4]
Abbe’s book I Photograph Russia was published in 1934. This work includes eighty photographs taken by Abbe.
His son, also named James Abbe, became a photographer who worked for Harper's Bazaar.[5]