Bowling Green, Ky. - George Tames. The name may not be recognized by
those outside Washington's corridors of power, but his
photographs--particularly the one of John F. Kennedy, titled "The
Lonliest Job in the World"--are known far and wide, even without
Tames's credit line. On February 25, an exhibit of about 100
photographs and a dozen "New York Times Magazine" covers by the
renowned photojournalist will open at Western Kentucky University's
Kentucky Museum and be on exhibit through June 23, 1996.

The exhibit, "Politics and Presidents: George Tames - Four Decades of
Washington Photojournalism," is a cooperative venture by the museum,
Western Kentucky University's Photojournalism Department, and the
Photojouralism Foundation, Inc. Mike Morse, coordinator of Western's
photojournalism programs and a personal friend of Tames and his
family, was instrumental in the Tames collection's being donated to
the Photojournalism Foundation, Inc. The collection of photographs and
magazine covers will be housed in the Kentucky Museum, where, once
processed and catalogued, will be accessible to faculty, students and
the public for research.

Tames began his career with the New York Times in 1945 and remained
there until he retired in 1985. During his long and extraordinary
career, Tames not only photographed all the presidents from Franklin
Delano Roosevelt to George Bush, but developed great friendships with
them. According to James Reston, the New York Times Washington Bureau
Chief, Tames was particularly close to John Kennedy, Lyndon Johnson,
and Hubert Humphrey. Tames said he also knew every United States
Senator, was acquainted with many House leaders and committee chairs,
and met and photographed world leaders, such as Winston Churchill and
Nikita Khrushchev. Tames's long and illustrious career as a
photojournalist is amazing in and of itself, but it is even more
amazing knowing that his photograhy skills were self-taught.

George Tames was born January 21, 1919 in Washington DC only a few
blocks from the United States Capitol. Son of GreekAlbanian immigrant
parents, Tames, as eldest son, was forced to leave shocol when he was
in the tenth grade to earn money to help provide for the family. Life
was hard, but Tames's humble beginnings taught him a great deal about
daily survival.

One of his early jobs was "gohper" for Time-Life magazine in
Washington. Tames began simply assisting professional photojournalists
by carrying their cameras and equipment. Access to cameras allowed
Tames to experiment, and he began to take pictures, learing by trial
and error. In the late 30s, many seasoned photographers were sent to
cover World War II, so with little or no formal training, Tames was
allowed to shoot the proceedings of a Senate committee investigating
the national defense program. The chairman of the Senate War
Investigating Committee was Harry S. Truman, one of Tames's all-time
favorite people. Tames's first real assignment was photographer for
the Washington Bureau of Time magazine, a position he held from
1939-1945. Then he became a photographer for the Washington Bureau of
the New York Times and remained there until his retirement in 1985.

Tames, know as the dean of White House photographers, won numerous
awards and honors, including awards for action shots of farmers'
protests and civil rights marches, and he also won an award for a
still photo of the Washington Monument. Two Tames photos were selected
as the official portrait of Dwight Eisenhower, and another was the
basis for the six-cent postages stamp. He is perhaps best known for
his silhouette of John F. Kennedy leaning over a table in the Oval
Office, appearing to have the weight of the world on his shoulders. The
photo, shot during the Cuban missile crisis, was appropriately title
"The Lonliest Job in the World."

When Tames retired, fourteen parties were held to honor him and pay
tribute to his work. But even in retirement, Tames continued to do
freelance photography and volunteered to take pictures for friends and
colleagues. Tames died in February, 1994, while undergoing heart
surgery. In a tribut to Tames, Wally Bennett, a long-time Washington
photographer for the Times said, "He [Tames] knew all the players in
the political games. He did his background work. He had a marvelous
eye. He used his knowledge the make marvelous photographs that will be
in the history books."

For more information, contact Earlene Chelf, 502/745-5263.


Donna Parker
The Kentucky Museum
Western Kentucky University
Bowling Green, Kentucky
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