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Rondal Partridge
Ron Partridge (1917 – 2015)
Rondal Partridge was born in San Francisco, California, on 4 September 1917. He was the son of the photographer Imogen Cunningham (1883-1976) and the etcher Roi Partridge. As a child he often assisted his mother in her work. In the 1930s, he worked for the photographers Dorothea Lange and Ansel Adams. In 1940 he was recruited by the National Youth Administration to document the lives of America’s youth. He then worked as a photojournalist for the Black Star Agency in New York City, before serving as a photographer with U.S. Navy Intelligence. Following the war Partridge worked as a freelance photographer, specializing in advertising, architectural and environmental subjects. He contributed work to numerous magazines including ‘Look’, ‘Life’, ‘Scientific American’, ‘Fortune’, ‘Audubon’, ‘Collier’s’, and others.
Partridge lectured at the University of California in Santa Barbara, California State University in Hayward, the Academy of the Arts in San Francisco and at San Francisco Art Institute. In 1965 he made the documentary film, ‘Pave It and Paint It Green’, about Yosemite National Park. Partridge has lived for many years in Berkeley, California. In 2002, Partridge had two one-man shows in California; at the California Historical Society in San Francisco and at the Oakland Museum. Accompanying these shows were a limited edition portfolio of platinum and silver prints, and a book by his daughter Elizabeth, Partridge and co-writer Sally Stein, titled Quizzical Eye: The Photography of Rondal Partridge. (Berkeley, California: California Heyday Books, 2002)
The work of Ron Partridge is featured in these exhibitions.
(Select the image to view the exhibition page)
Dorothea Lange and Her Impact
Viewpoints
Politics and the Utopian Dream
The work of Ron Partridge is featured in these Theme Collections.
(Select the image to view the theme page)
Abstraction – B&W
American West
Animals
Artists
Environment – B&W
Landscape – B&W
Portraiture – Male
Signage
Still Life – B&W
Ron Partridge - A Unique Vantage Point
Photographer Rondal Partridge had more than a front seat view to the golden age of West Coast photography, he drove the car – literally. Partridge, who was the son of Imogen Cunningham, often assisted Dorothea Lange as she photographed in California during the Great Depression. One of his duties was motoring Lange through the countryside as she hunted for images. READ ENTIRE ARTICLE
Asparagus Worker, Sacramento River Delta, 1940
Pave It and Paint It Green, Yosemite National Park, 1965
Rondal Partridge (1917 - 2015)
With sadness we announce the passing of Rondal Partridge on June 19, 2015. Ron was truly a unique individual and will be missed by all who had the good fortune to know him. Additional bio information, a selection of his images, and a clip from the film: “Outta My Light” can be found on his artist page. Links to several obituaries can be found below.
Film Screening: Outta My Light, Rondal Partridge
December 5, 2009
Lumière
Spend a little time with Ron, as he explained his photographic process, from shooting to darkroom work. Working with 2 1/4 to 8×10 cameras, we see Rondal in his environment; shooting, developing, and finding photographic inspiration in the most ordinary objects. We were joined by the filmmaker Meg Partridge, via phone from Seattle. Meg introduced the film, and was available for Q&A following the screening.
