Leonard Freed

Leonard Freed (born October 23, 1929, Brooklyn, New York, U.S.—died November 29, 2006, Garrison, New York) was an American photojournalist known for his gripping magazine photo-essays, especially those that documented the lives of African Americans and the injustices they suffered.

As a young freelance photographer, Freed worked in Israel and throughout Europe and the United States. Three of his photographs from that period were purchased by New York City’s Museum of Modern Art. In 1972 he joined Magnum Photos, a cooperative agency formed in 1947 by Henri Cartier-Bresson. Freed produced photo-essays for such magazines as Life and Paris Match, and his riveting images were often accompanied by commentaries and bits of recorded dialogue.

In addition to chronicling the African American experience, Freed also examined Jewish themes and Germany after reconstruction. Black in White America (1967), Made in Germany (1970), and Police Work (1980) were three of his most notable books. He also directed several films that were produced outside the United States, including Dansende Vromen (1962; “The Dance of the Pious”), The Negro in America (1968), and Joey Goes to Wigstock (1992).