# Don Ornitz

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American photographer

Don Ornitz Born (1920-02-29)February 29, 1920 New York City, U.S. Died January 14, 1972(1972-01-14) (aged 51) Los Angeles County, California, U.S. Occupation Photographer Parent Samuel Ornitz (father) Relatives Arthur J. Ornitz (brother)

**Don Ornitz** (February 29, 1920 – January 14, 1972) was an American photographer.

## Life and career

Ornitz was born in [New York City](/source/New_York_City), to parents Sadie (née Lesser) and screenwriter [Samuel Ornitz](/source/Samuel_Ornitz), one of the [Hollywood Ten](/source/Hollywood_Ten) accused of Communism.[1] As were many members of the entertainment community including Don's father, Samuel Ornitz was called before the [House Un-American Activities Committee](/source/House_Un-American_Activities_Committee),[2] but refused to testify and was fined $1,000. Don's brother was a cinematographer [Arthur J. Ornitz](/source/Arthur_J._Ornitz). In 1928, the family moved to [California](/source/California), where he spent most of his life.[3]

## Career

Ornitz photographed many celebrities,[4] including [Raquel Welch](/source/Raquel_Welch), [Inger Stevens](/source/Inger_Stevens), [Frank Sinatra](/source/Frank_Sinatra), [Walt Disney](/source/Walt_Disney), and [Audrey Hepburn](/source/Audrey_Hepburn).[5] His obituary in *[Popular Photography](/source/Popular_Photography)* magazine called him "the Titan of the Hollywood photographers".[6]

He was also a photographer for several magazines, including *[Playboy](/source/Playboy)*,[7] *Travel and Camera*,[8] *[The Saturday Evening Post](/source/The_Saturday_Evening_Post)*, *[Look](/source/Look_(American_magazine))*, *[Pageant](/source/Pageant_(magazine))*, *[Globe](/source/Globe_International)*, *[Sports Illustrated](/source/Sports_Illustrated)*[9] and [Life](/source/Life_(magazine)).[10][11][12]

His photograph of boys catching insects on a windowpane was selected by [Edward Steichen](/source/Edward_Steichen) for the 1955 [Museum of Modern Art](/source/Museum_of_Modern_Art) world-touring exhibition *[The Family of Man](/source/The_Family_of_Man)* that was seen by 9 million visitors.[13][14]

Ornitz died January 14, 1972, in Los Angeles County, California.

## Books by Don Ornitz

Wikimedia Commons has media related to [Don Ornitz](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Don_Ornitz).

- Ornitz, D. (1962) *Living Photography*, Maco.

- Basch, P., Gowland, P., & Ornitz, D. (1958). *Candid Photography*. Fawcett Publications: Greenwich, Conn.

## References

1. **[^](#cite_ref-1)** Ryskind, Allan H (2015), *Hollywood traitors : blacklisted screenwriters : agents of Stalin, allies of Hitler*, Washington, DC Regnery History, [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-1-62157-206-0](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-1-62157-206-0)

1. **[^](#cite_ref-2)** United States Congress House Committee on Un-American Activities (1950), [*Hearings regarding communism in the United States Government. Hearings before the Committee on Un-American Activities, House of Representatives, Eighty-first Congress, second session*](https://trove.nla.gov.au/work/1475037), U.S. Govt. Printing Office, pp. 1221–1223

1. **[^](#cite_ref-3)** Ornitz, D. (1962). Living photography. New York: Maco.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-4)** Paglia, Camille. (1995). The Lives They Lived: Elizabeth Montgomery;The Good Witch.(Magazine Desk). The New York Times Magazine, The New York Times Magazine, Dec 31, 1995.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-5)** [Don Ornitz (photographs) Oh What Sights-Water Sprites! In Life, 26 Apr 1963, Vol. 54, No. 17, ISSN 0024-3019, Published by Time Inc.](https://books.google.com/books?id=RkkEAAAAMBAJ&q=Ornitz&pg=PA3)

1. **[^](#cite_ref-6)** 'Tribute to Don Ornitz 1920-1972'. In Popular Photography, Volume 71, page 4

1. **[^](#cite_ref-7)** Goldsmith, Arthur A; Goldsmith, Arthur (1975), *The nude in photography* (1st ed.), Playboy Press, [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-0-87223-445-1](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0-87223-445-1)

1. **[^](#cite_ref-8)** Travel and Camera, Volume 29, p.10, 42, 61, U.S. Camera Publishing Corporation, 1966

1. **[^](#cite_ref-9)** The Photographers: The best shooters are as competitive as the athletes they cover, so SI helps them keep score (and, yes, this list includes Joe DiMaggio, but, no, it's not the Yankee Clipper).(50th Anniversary/The Covers) Sports Illustrated, Nov 10, 2003, Vol.99(18), p.153

1. **[^](#cite_ref-10)** 'Elements of a New Trend'. In Life, 27 Jan 1958, Vol. 44, No. 4, p.61-64, ISSN 0024-3019

1. **[^](#cite_ref-11)** ['Everything's on the block'. In Life, 22 May 1970, Vol. 68, No. 19, p.46, 47, ISSN 0024-3019](https://books.google.com/books?id=g1UEAAAAMBAJ&q=Ornitz&pg=PA3)

1. **[^](#cite_ref-12)** 'Mirage-style Lingerie'. In Life, Volume 63, Issues 1-4, p.44-51, Time Incorporated, 1967

1. **[^](#cite_ref-13)** Steichen, Edward; Norman, Dorothy (1955). Mason, Jerry (ed.). [*The family of man : the photographic exhibition*](https://trove.nla.gov.au/work/10809600). Sandburg, Carl, (writer of foreword), Lionni, Leo, (book designer), Stoller, Ezra, (photographer). New York, N.Y.: Museum of Modern Art / Maco Magazine Corporation.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-14)** Sandeen, Eric J (1995), *Picturing an exhibition : the family of man and 1950s America* (1st ed.), University of New Mexico Press, [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-0-8263-1558-8](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0-8263-1558-8)

Authority control databases International VIAF Artists ULAN Museum of Modern Art Photographers' Identities

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