William Mortensen

Mortensen was born on January 27, 1897, in Park City, Utah, the son of Danish immigrants Agnes and William Peter Mortensen, who had immigrated from Copenhagen, Denmark in 1883.

Before serving in World War I, Mortensen graduated from East Side High School in Salt Lake City. He then served as Private in Company D of the 13th Regiment of the United States Infantry{{cite journal |title=The life and times of William Herbert Mortensen: United States, 1897-1965 |last=Gillette |first=J Stephen |date=1997 |volume=63 |issue=6 |journal=PSA Journal |publisher=Photographic Society of America |issn=0030-8277 |page=16 |url=https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=f6h&AN=9706275713&site=ehost-live&scope=site |url-access=subscription}} from August 6, 1918, to May 16, 1919. At his enlistment, he recorded his occupation as painting.{{Cite serial |author=Adjutant General's Office of the War Department |author-link=Adjutant general#United States |title=Military service cards, c. 1898 – 1975 |series=Series: 85268, Reel: 27 |location=Salt Lake City, UT |publisher=Utah Department of Administrative Services. Division of Archives and Records Service |oclc=793096427}} See [http://archives.utah.gov/research/inventories/85268.html Inventory of Military service cards from Department of Administrative Services. Division Archives and Records Service, i ca. 1898-1975.]

After his discharge from the army, Mortensen briefly studied illustration at the Art Students League in New York City.

In May 1920 he traveled in Greece, Italy, Egypt and Constantinople to "sketch for educational purposes".{{cite serial |title=Passport Applications |author=National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) |author-link=National Archives and Records Administration |location=Washington, DC |date=January 2, 1906 – March 31, 1925 |id=ARC Identifier 583830 / MLR Number A1 534; NARA Series: M1490; Roll #1159 |oclc=866104303}} He returned to Utah, then traveled to Hollywood as an escort for his friend's sister, Fay Wray.{{cite book |first=Fay |last=Wray |author-link=Fay Wray |title=On The Other Hand: A Life Story |location=New York, NY |publisher=St. Martin's Press |year=1989 |pages=27–98 |isbn=9780312022655 |oclc=17917980}}

After two years at the Art Students League he was declared to have "no talent for drawing". Undeterred by this verdict he borrowed money and took off for Greece, to make etchings of the monuments of ancient Attica.

File:Margaret Livingston.jpg, photographed by Mortensen (1927)]]

Mortensen was a very self-critical man who began his photographic career taking portraits of Hollywood actors and film stills. During the 1920s and 1930s, he was inspired by horror films being adapted in studios, and ended up making portraits about them in his own style. His favorite photographic topics were of witches, dancers, demons, peasants, and Shakespearean actors.

In 1931 he moved to the artist community of Laguna Beach, California, where he opened a studio and the William Mortensen School of Photography.

Working in the Pictorialist style, he manipulated photographs using pens, paints, pumice and razor blades to produce romanticist painting-like effects. Mortensen's style of art consisted of him using a bromoil process. The style brought him criticism from straight photographers of the modern realist movement and, in particular, he carried on a prolonged written debate with Ansel Adams in the pages of Camera Craft magazine.{{cite book |last=Warren |first=Lynne |title=Encyclopedia of Twentieth-Century Photography |year=2006 |orig-year=2005 |chapter=Group F/64 |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=675ZDwAAQBAJ&q=Mortensen |pages=637–642 | publisher=Taylor and Francis |isbn=9780203943380 |oclc=190846013}}

His arguments defending romanticist photography led him to be "ostracized from most authoritative canons of photographic history".{{cite book|title=Focal encyclopedia of photography: digital imaging, theory and applications|first=Michael R.|last=Peres|location=Amsterdam; London|publisher=Focal Press|edition=4th|date=April 25, 2007|isbn=9780240807409|oclc=499055803|page=277}} In an essay, Larry Lytle wrote, "Due to his approach—both technically and philosophically in opposition to straight or purist adherents—he is amongst the most problematic figures in photography in the twentieth-century ... historians and critics have described his images as "... anecdotal, highly sentimental, mildly erotic hand-colored prints ...", "... bowdlerized versions of garage calendar pin-ups and sadomasochist entertainments ...", "... contrived set-ups and sappy facial expressions ...", and Ansel Adams variously referred to Mortensen as the "Devil", and "the anti-Christ".{{cite web |title=THE COMMAND TO LOOK: The Story of William Mortensen, Part I |url=http://www.thescreamonline.com/photo/photo06-01/mortensen/commandtolook1.html |website=thescreamonline.com |first=Larry |last=Lytle |date=April 23, 2010 |access-date=January 29, 2015}} In addition, the more realistic photojournalism emerging from World War II correspondents, and carried in national newsmagazines, caused Mortensen's more posed and contrived photos to fade from the public mind. He was largely forgotten by the time of his death in 1965.{{cite web |url=http://www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/photographer-who-ansel-adams-called-anti-christ-180953525/ |first=Bess |last=Lovejoy |title=The Photographer Who Ansel Adams Called The Anti-Christ |department=Arts & Culture |work=Smithsonian |location=Washington, DC |date=December 4, 2014 |access-date=January 29, 2015}}

Recent years have brought praise for Mortensen's development of manipulation techniques and a renewed interest in his work. In 2013, one of Mortensen's students, portrait photographer Robert Balcomb, published a book—Me and Mortensen—about his time studying with Mortensen in Laguna Beach.

He wrote nine books about technique in photography in conjunction with George Dunham.{{cite web |title=THE COMMAND TO LOOK: The Story of William Mortensen, Part III |url=http://www.thescreamonline.com/photo/photo2-2/mortensen/index.html |website=thescreamonline.com |first=Larry |last=Lytle |date=April 15, 2010 |access-date=January 29, 2015}}

Mortensen was awarded the Hood medal from the Royal Photographic Society in 1949.{{cite web |title=Hood Medal |url=http://www.rps.org/annual-awards/Hood-Medal |website=rps.org |publisher=Royal Photographic Society |location=Bath, UK |access-date=January 29, 2015}}

In order of original publication date except where noted. Mortensen's name is omitted when he was the sole author.

{{refbegin}}

• {{cite book |last=Mortensen |first=William|author-mask1=0 |year=1934 |title=Projection Control |url=https://archive.org/details/projectioncontro00mort|publisher=Camera Craft Pub. Co |location=San Francisco, CA, USA |hdl=2027/mdp.39015033402630|oclc=567991261 |via=Internet Archive |ref=none}}
• {{cite book |last=Mortensen |first=William |author-mask1=0 |year=1973 |orig-year=1934 |title=Monsters and Madonnas |url=https://archive.org/details/monstersmadonnas00mort |isbn=9780405049279 |id={{OCLC|643549864|643549864}} |publisher=Camera Craft Pub. Co |location=San Francisco, CA, USA |via=Internet Archive |ref=none}}
• {{cite book |last=Mortensen |first=William |title=Pictorial Lighting |author-mask1=0 |url=https://archive.org/details/pictoriallightin00mort |url-access=registration |via=Internet Archive |year=1935 |publisher=San Francisco, Calif., Camera craft publishing company |oclc=42857350 |ref=none}}
• {{cite book |last=Mortensen |first=William |author-mask1=0 |year=1937 |title=The Command to Look: A Formula for Picture Success |oclc=872528013 |publisher=Camera Craft Pub. Co |location=San Francisco, CA, USA |ref=none}}
• Revised {{cite book |last1=Mortensen |first1=William |first2=George |last2=Dunham |first3=Larry |last3=Lytle |first4=Michael |last4=Moynihan |author-link4=Michael Moynihan (journalist) |year=1937 |title=The Command to Look: A Formula for Picture Success |oclc=889674580 |isbn=9781627310017 |publisher=Feral House |location=Port Townsend, WA |ref=none}}
• {{cite book |last=Mortensen |first=William |author-mask1=0 |year=1937 |title=The Model: a Book on the Problems of Posing |oclc=833593606 |url=https://archive.org/details/TheModelByWilliamMortensen |publisher=Camera Craft Pub. Co |location=San Francisco, CA, USA |via=Internet Archive |ref=none}}
• {{cite book |last=Mortensen |first=William |author-mask1=0 |year=1938 |title=Print Finishing |url=https://archive.org/details/printfinishing00mort |oclc= 763128067 |publisher=Camera Craft Pub. Co |location=San Francisco, CA, USA |ref=none}}
• Republished {{cite book |last=Mortensen |first=William |author-mask1=0 |year=2012 |title=Print Finishing |isbn=9781258401436 |publisher=Literary Licensing, LLC |ref=none}}
• {{cite book |last=Mortensen |first=William |author-mask1=0 |year=1940 |title=Outdoor Portraiture: Problems of Face and Figure in Natural Environment |url=https://archive.org/details/outdoorportraitu00mort |url-access=registration |oclc=768060028 |publisher=Camera Craft Pub. Co |location=San Francisco, CA, USA |via=Internet Archive |ref=none}}
• {{cite book |last=Mortensen |first=William |author-mask1=0 |year=1940 |title=Mortensen on the Negative |oclc=568026105 |publisher=Simon & Schuster |location=New York, NY |ref=none}}
• {{cite book |last1=Mortensen |first1=William |first2=Don M |last2=Paul |year=1941 |title=Flash in Modern Photography |url=https://archive.org/details/flashinmodernpho00mort |oclc=567982784 |publisher=Camera Craft Pub. Co |location=San Francisco, CA, US |via=Internet ArchiveA |ref=none}}
• {{cite book |last1=Mortensen |first1=William |author-mask1=0 |year=1942 |title=The New Projection Control |url=https://archive.org/details/newprojectioncon000727mbp |oclc=567991275 |publisher=Camera Craft Pub. Co |location=San Francisco, CA, USA |via=Internet Archive|ref=none}}
• {{cite book |last=Mortensen |first=William |author-mask1=0 |year=1954 |title=The Texture Screen |oclc=70854143 |publisher=Jay Curtis Publications |location=Newport Beach, CA, USA |ref=none}}
• {{cite book |last1=Mortensen |first1=William |author-mask1=0 |year=1954 |title=The Female Figure: Flesh and Symbol |oclc=70853997 |series=Mortensen series |publisher=Jay Curtis Publications |location=Newport Beach, CA, USA |ref=none}}
• {{cite book |last=Mortensen |first=William |author-mask1=0 |year=1954 |title=The Paper Negative |oclc=70853857 |series=Mortensen series |publisher=Jay Curtis Publications |location=Newport Beach, CA, USA |ref=none}}
• {{cite book |last1=Mortensen |first1=William |author-mask1=0 |year=1954 |title=Know Your Negative |oclc=70900120 |series=Mortensen series |publisher=Jay Curtis Publications |location=Newport Beach, CA, USA |ref=none}}
• {{cite book |last1=Mortensen |first1=William |first2=George |last2=Dunham |year=1956 |title=How to Pose the Model |oclc=500685587 |publisher=Camera Craft Pub. Co |location=San Francisco, CA, USA |ref=none}}

{{refend}}

{{refbegin}}

• {{cite book |last=Mortensen |first=William |author-mask1=0 |year=1927 |title=The King of Kings: as portrayed by photographic reproductions of scenes and characters from the motion picture |others=Based on the gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John; produced by Cecil B. DeMille |oclc=12033875 |ref=none}}
• {{cite book |last1=Mortensen |first1=William |first2=Myrdith |last2=Mortensen |year=1971 |title=The Mortensen Collection of the Photographic Society of America |oclc=70861915 |publisher=Camera Craft Pub. Co |location=San Francisco, CA, USA |ref=none}}
• {{cite book |last1=Mortensen |first1=William |author-mask1=0 |last2=Los Angeles Center for Photographic Studies |year=1971 |title=The Photographic Magic of William Mortensen |oclc=6014461 |publisher=Los Angeles Center for Photographic Studies |location=Los Angeles, CA, USA |ref=none}}
• {{cite book |first1=Michael |last1=Dawson |first2=Diane |last2=Dillon |first3=A. D. |last3=Coleman |author-link3=A. D. Coleman |first4=Larry |last4=Lytle |first5=Amy |last5=Rule |year=1998 |title=William Mortensen : A Revival |oclc=39818931 |isbn=9780938262336 |series=The Archive (University of Arizona. Center for Creative Photography) |issue=33 |publisher=University of Arizona Center for Creative Photography |location=Tucson, AZ |ref=none}}
• {{cite book |last1=Mortensen |first1=William |first2=Larry |last2=Lytle |first3=Michael |last3=Moynihan |author-link3=Michael Moynihan (journalist) |first4=A. D. |last4=Coleman |author-link4=A. D. Coleman |year=2014 |title=American Grotesque: The Life and Art of William Mortensen |oclc=875240443 |isbn=9781936239979 |publisher=Feral House |location=Port Townsend, WA |ref=none}}

{{refend}}

{{refbegin}}

• {{cite AV media |first1=Richard J. |last1=Soltys |first2=Earl |last2=Stone |others=Narrated by Vincent Price |year=c. 1963 |title=Monsters and Madonnas: the World of William Mortensen |medium=documentary film |ref=none}}

{{refend}}

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{{Portal|Biography}}

• {{cite web |url=https://www.shishigami.com/williammortensencom/timeline/biocom.html |title=William Mortensen: Chronology and Timeline |author=Stephen Romano Gallery |access-date=2022-03-18 |ref=none |website=shishigami.com}}
• {{cite web |url=http://www.whmcxxv.net |title=WHMCXXV WILLIAM MORTENSEN AT 125 A multi venue celebration of the 125th birthday of America's greatest visionary photographic artist. |author=Stephen Romano Gallery |access-date=2022-03-18 |ref=none |website=shishigami.com}}
• {{cite web |url=http://www.williammortensen.com| title=William Mortensen (January 27, 1897 – August 12, 1965)|author=Stephen Romano Gallery |year=2014 |access-date=January 31, 2015 |ref=none}}
• {{cite press release|url=http://www.shishigami.com/srfa/artw/artists/hall/index.html |title='William Mortensen: American Grotesque' exhibition |website=Shishigami.com |year=2014 |author=Stephen Romano Gallery |access-date=January 31, 2015 |ref=none}} Includes links to reviews, essays, a documentary, and a PDF of Monsters & Madonnas.
• {{cite web |url=http://www.whmcxxv.com |title=William Mortensen at 125 |website=WHM CXXV |author=Stephen Romano Gallery |date=December 31, 2021 |ref=none |quote=A Multi-Venue Celebration of the 125th Birthday of America's Greatest Visionary Photographic Artist.}}
• {{cite web |url=http://www.shishigami.com/srfa/MORT_Jan_10.pdf |title=William Mortensen: A Pictorial Compendium of Witchcraft catalog |author=Stephen Romano Gallery |access-date=2022-03-18 |ref=none |website=shishigami.com}}

• {{cite web |url=http://shishigami.com/lexicon/content/witches/cat/buckland/witchescat.pdf |title=WILLIAM MORTENSEN'S WITCHES catalog |author=Stephen Romano Gallery |access-date=2022-03-18 |ref=none |website=shishigami.com}}

• {{cite web |url=https://www.gallevery.com/artists/william-mortensen=|title=William Mortensen, 1897-1965, America |website=The Gallery of Everything |access-date=2022-03-18|ref=none}}
• {{cite web |last=Parfrey |first=Adam |title=William Mortensen – The Antichrist of American Photography in the House of the Devil |date=July 2016 |website=LexiconMag |url=https://www.shishigami.com/lexicon/content/whm.html |ref=none}}
• {{cite web |last=Chidester |first=Brian |title=Celluloid Babylon|date=March 2019 |website=LexiconMag |url=http://www.shishigami.com/lexicon/content/resized/celluloidbabylon.htm |ref=none}}
• {{cite web |title=William Mortensen (The Photography Page) |website=TheScreamOnline |url=http://www.thescreamonline.com:80/photo/photo06-01/mortensen/index.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170104041439/http://www.thescreamonline.com:80/photo/photo06-01/mortensen/index.html |archive-date=2017-01-04 |url-status=dead |ref=none}}
• {{Find a Grave|8914}}
• {{cite web |url=http://www.geh.org/ar/strip35/htmlsrc2/mortensen_sld00001.html |title=George Eastman House William Mortensen Series |year=2002 |website=geh.org |publisher=George Eastman House |location=Rochester, NY |access-date=January 31, 2015 |ref=none}}
• {{cite book |chapter-url=http://www.amphoraeditions.com/RBch2.html |chapter=CHAPTER II • AND MORTENSEN •|first=Robert |last=Balcomb |title=Me and Mortensen: Photography with the Master |year=2013 |oclc=852432429 |isbn=9780983655008 |publisher=Amphora Editions |location=Venice, CA, USA |access-date=January 31, 2015 |ref=none}}
• {{cite thesis |title=The Command to Look: The Nudes of William Mortensen |url=https://catalogue.library.ryerson.ca/record=b2023100 |type=MA |year=2010 |last=Pridemore |first=Heather |publisher=Ryerson University |oclc=697300610 |ref=none}} This contains discussion and examples of his nude photography.

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Category:1897 births

Category:1965 deaths

Category:20th-century American photographers

Category:American portrait photographers

Category:American people of Danish descent

Category:People from Park City, Utah

Category:Pictorialists

Category:Photographers from California