James Jowers


James Jowers was an American street photographer. Jowers began receiving training in photography and darkroom techniques while serving in the United States Army. While working the night shift as a porter at St. Luke's Hospital, he would spend his free time during the day roaming the streets of his Lower East Side neighborhood and the rest of Manhattan, capturing a gritty, funny, and idiosyncratic view of the city.
Jowers' photographs were included as illustrations for articles in The New York Times and Forbes in the 1970s. In 2007 and 2008, George Eastman Museum acquired the photographs and negatives he made between 1964 and 1980.

Publications with contributions by Jowers

Collection

Jowers' work is held in the following permanent public collection:

Group exhibitions

What We're Collecting Now: The Family Photographed, September 5, 2009 – July 18, 2010, George Eastman Museum, Rochester, New YorkThe Gender Show, June 15, 2013 – January 10, 2016, George Eastman Museum, Rochester, New York; then toured. Photographs by Jowers, Robert Frank, Mary Ellen Mark, Julia Margaret Cameron, Edward Steichen, Lejaren à Hiller, Nickolas Muray, Mark Goodman, Vincent Cianni, and Elias Goldensky.