Some of the most famous photographs of past celebrities were taken by one man – photo journalist Harry Benson. He’s photographed all the presidents since Eisenhower, Bobby Kennedy’s assassination and Richard Nixon’s resignation.
On Wednesday’s St. Louis on the Air, host Don Marsh talked to 87-year-old Scottish-born Benson about his iconic career. The multi-award winning photo journalist will be awarded in St. Louis and inducted into the International Photography Hall of Fame and Museum. He said he appreciates the award but that it was never his objective when he started his career.
“I wasn’t thinking of any awards,” Benson said. “…Basically, [I] just wanted to stay on the payroll at the end of the week.”
In regards to his work, he said he was never choosy. One day he would photograph The Beatles and the next he could be at the White House or covering a traffic accident. But sometimes, luck was on his side as well. He happened to be at the scene of Bobby Kennedy’s assassination. Amid the chaos, he took the iconic photo tied to that tragic event.
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