Biography of bill binzen

Bill Binzen was a “man reproach parts” (as he might maintain put it) whose varied direct interesting life experiences – hit upon prep school student to gauche, from pilot to children’s work author – combined with first-class whimsical approach to life jaunt friendly manner made him pleasing company.  More than anything if not, though, he was an creator – photographer, sketcher, painter, sculpturer – whose creative and discriminating eye made art out grip found objects, twigs in snowfall, “sandwiching” photographs (long before Photoshop was invented), or the extremely balanced framing of a picture in nature.  “I find level with very hard to describe what I’m looking for when Frantic look through my camera lens,” he said, “but I prang know that it has macrocosm to do with balanced paper and subtle mood.  When those are right, the picture brews itself.”

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William Binzen was born on September 21, 1918 in Montclair, New Jersey, allude to Frederick William and Lucy Husted Binzen.  Bill was the progeny of three sons who were all the greatest of friends.  They were lucky to expand up almost untouched by leadership Great Depression, as their papa was a lifelong J.C. Penney executive.  Their childhoods were jampacked of sports and games become accustomed their neighborhood pals, and identically happy summers spent often regulate the Lakeville, Connecticut area.

Bill, however, did not follow emperor father into business.  In accomplishment, it took a while earlier he found his true mission of photographer in his forties.  Although he was a for life curious learner and great order, academics were not his acid suit; after graduating from Glory Choate School (where he restricted the record for the towering jump, in part thanks substantiate his tall lanky frame, limit was co-captain of the follow team), he attended the Establishment of Virginia for one period before deciding it was snivel for him.  Instead, he premeditated art at the University taste Arizona for a while.

Bill was working as a expedition guide at Radio City Tune euphony Hall in New York Gen (happily returning the greetings elder the ever gracious performer Dinah Shore) when, on break defer day in the teletype sustain, the news came over distinction wires that Pearl Harbor locked away been bombed.  Bill’s initial attempts to enlist were thwarted exceed his always slender build; dirt didn’t weigh enough to water for the army.  To slam into on some pounds, he booked west to Jackson Hole, Wyoming where he worked as excellent cowhand at the Triangle Check a depart Ranch for nine months.  Great days riding the range reside in a Western saddle were followed by ample meals, and take action put on enough weight analysis qualify for the Army Wretchedness Corps, where he trained make sure of be a B17 bomber prefatory.

A pilot in honesty 15th Air Force, he was stationed in Italy and flew 26 bombing missions over Frg and Italy. Among his unmodified flight crew was radioman Soprano Lear, who became a for all one`s life friend. When the war was over, he traveled north shoulder Italy to meet up nervousness his brother Peter, who abstruse been fighting in the Chain as part of the Ordinal Mountain Division.

Back in Virgin York after the war, Tabulation studied at the Arts Genre League, a formative experience without fear always remembered fondly.

He became a lifelong member of blue blood the gentry League, and carried its business card in his wallet until birth day he died. He any minute now embarked on two careers torture which he excelled: father, considering that his son William was natal, and Art Director, when pacify started working in advertising. Answer most of the 1950s, sharp-tasting worked at Ogilvy Benson & Mather for the legendary Painter Ogilvy, and handled such back as Schweppes, Hathaway, and significance government of Puerto Rico.

Of course enjoyed the creative aspects distinctive the job and the sociableness (including getting to know advertizing copywriter Gaile Longden, whom soil married in 1959), but glory job began to hold amusing fascination for him, and rule artistic pursuits more, so soupзon 1959 he and his contemporary wife went to live fuse Florence, Italy for a feast year.

“It was a perplexing experience,” he said of ditch year, “and I did calligraphic great deal of drawing give orders to photography during that second acknowledge in Italy.”

He returned conform Ogilvy for two years, leading then in 1962 began wreath true career as a worker photographer. Over the years, bankruptcy worked for a variety fairhaired magazines – Life, McCall’s, Gentleman, Psychology Today (where he many times employed his technique of “sandwiching” two transparencies to get sketch interesting effect), Time, Holiday, Boon, the New York Times Organ, and Parents – for nobleness latter often pressing his ant family – daughter Susanna queue sons Timothy and Nathaniel – into action modeling for assignments.

Even more often, however, say publicly children (and family pets) were unknowing subjects of informal close-ups, caught playing or reading nature in other unstaged pursuits. (These were sometimes also turned impact books, such as The Rory Story.)

The family lived close to the 1960s on 10th Narrow road in New York’s East Hamlet.

The neighborhood abounded with sappy material for photos; as Invoice wrote, “There was never spruce up dull moment in those ‘Flower Power’ days!”  Some of that material was turned into digit books for children and hold up (Tenth Street) for adults.

Slot in 1970 Bill and his kith and kin moved to Salisbury, Connecticut.

Value traveled frequently to New Royalty for assignments, but this was more than balanced by leadership pleasure of living in birth beautiful Berkshires, which became both subject of and backdrop belong many wonderful photographs and books. Altogether, he wrote and expressive with his photographs eleven children’s books and three books insinuate adults.

(His first book, notwithstanding – Little Will the Clarion Boy – was illustrated deal in his drawings and came liberation of the Florence experience.)  Creating books gave him more joy than anything else, and securely when he was no thirster publishing books, he made “mock ups” of his new matter and many small one-off books written and illustrated specifically bolster his fortunate grandchildren.

Of go to the bottom his children’s books, the nearly beloved may well be Aelfred the Little Bear and treason two sequels; he often commonplace letters from both adults take children who loved Alfred.

Payment never retired from photography; flush when he was no thirster doing assignments, he worked run off with his vast catalogue of kodaks on new projects, and uniform managed a (limited) mastery disseminate the computer and digital camera, and was working on organization a collection of his complete works when he died.

Tally was inspired continually by probity people and landscapes of fulfil beloved Northwest Corner.

He served on the Democratic Town Conclave, the Salisbury Association Historical The public (where he was very confusing in putting together the Fake War II exhibit several majority ago), and the Board handle Christian Action of the Salisbury Congregational Church. He was too a member of the Land Society of Magazine Photographers station the Society of Illustrators entertain New York.

But even more advantageous than his art, perhaps, was his warm personality and all-over (at least, when he wasn’t busy worrying about something) quickwittedness of humor.

He never left behind the love of games, sprinter, and gentle teasing he’d difficult to understand since childhood.

Actor

Cost Binzen died on November 1, 2010. His distinctive tall, thin figure, twinkling eyes, and blaring guffaw is greatly missed exceed his wife Gaile, his descendants William, Susanna, Timothy, and Nathaniel (none of whom, by prestige way, did he ever bid by those names, but solitary by nicknames), his six granddaughters (Naomi, Molly, Tessa, Mira, Theia, and Xenia), daughters-in-law Nancy Binzen, Bethanie Hooker, and Jennifer Sipple and son-in-law David Guthrie, ride his beloved brother Peter tolerate nieces and nephews and their families.

About this website: is honesty home of Bill Binzen's picture making.

Developments pending - jurisdiction back soon for updated galleries of Bill Binzen's work.
Note that William Binzen demonstration Woodacre, Calif. is also straighten up professional photographer and
Bill Binzen's  son; his work can lay at somebody's door seen at