Edgar de Evia | |
|---|---|
 De Evia circa 2002 | |
| Born | Edgar Domingo Evia y Joutard July 30, 1910 Mérida, Yucatán, Mexico |
| Died | February 10, 2003 (aged 92) New York City, U.S. |
Edgar Domingo Evia y Joutard, known professionally as Edgar de Evia (July 30, 1910 – February 10, 2003), was a Mexican-born American interiors photographer.
In a career that spanned the 1940s through the 1990s, his photography appeared in magazines and newspapers such as ' House & Garden, Look and The New York Times Magazine and advertising campaigns for Borden Ice Cream and Jell-O.
In 1942, homeopathic physician Guy Beckley Stearns and de Evia contributed an essay called "The New Synthesis", For the Laurie's Domestic Medicine medical guide.[1]
In a review of the book, The New York Times stated that "Black and white [photography] is frequently interspersed through the book and serves as a reminder that black and white still has a useful place, even in a world of color, often more convincingly as well. This is pointed up rather persuasively in the portfolio on Edgar de Evia as a 'master of still life' and in the one devoted to the work of Réne Groebli."[2] "Editorial high-key food photography was introduced by Edgar D'Evia in 1953 for the pages of Good Housekeeping."[3]
Melvin Sokolsky, a fashion photographer who has created images for Harpers Bazaar and Vogue, considered Edgar de Evia one of his earliest influences, saying, "I discovered that Edgar was paid $4,000 for a Jell-O ad, and the idea of escaping from my tenement dwelling became an incredible dream and inspiration."[4]
De Evia also produced commissioned photographic portraits of individuals, including Polish-American violinist Roman Totenberg[5] and the American fashion designer Ralph Lauren.[6]
De Evia's work appeared on Applied Photography,[7][8] Architectural Digest,[9] Good Housekeeping,[10] Shaggy Lamb Fashion,[11] and New York Magazine.[12]
Books that have been illustrated with de Evia's photography include:
De Evia worked for Borden Ice Cream (Lady Borden campaign 1956–1960),[13] Celanese Corporation,[14] Gorham Silver,[15] hats by Mr. John of John-Frederics,[16] Leather Industries of America,[17] Maximilian Furs (1950s, all ads had the credit "DeEvia"), McCall's patterns (all ads had the credit "Photograph by Edgar de Evia"),.[18]
In the 1950s, de Evia's companion and business partner was Robert Denning, who worked in his studio and who would become a leading American interior designer and partner in the firm Denning & Fourcade.[19]
