Raymond Mirra was born in Harlem, New York City. His life was full of achievements and success. He attended the alike grammar school, Stuyvesant High School and studied art at the University of Pennsylvania. The highlight of his life was winning a scholarship to study at the prestigious University of Michigan College of Art. There he earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts and his master’s degree in Photography from the University of Illinois at Champaign.
After graduation, Raymond Mirra began traveling the world and working in many places. But perhaps his most important early work was photographing civil rights marches and demonstrations for the BET rights campaign in 1960s. That’s when he realized his calling and that would be his path to success.
During the early years he worked as a staff photographer for Time Magazine covering the Freedom Movement, Martin Luther King’s march to Selma, the Olympics and the Peace March. Though he didn’t get to cover the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, the iconic photograph of King posed with several of his family members is one of the most famous photographs in the history of Time Magazine. Though not directly related, the story behind that photograph has become a part of the legacy of the civil rights movement. In fact, that photograph became a book, Ansel Adams’ album, which sold millions.
United States Department of Education
As time went by, Raymond became more successful and traveled to Washington, D.C. to become the media spokesperson for Congress, Presidential candidates and other dignitaries. He was also an adviser to the United States Department of Education. It was there that his career really began to take off. That’s when he realized that his vision and talent could be used in a bigger way. So he began to travel the world and photograph people and institutions that are important to American Citizens.
One of those photos is an image of Robert Kennedy as a child. In this image, you can see that he had blond hair back then and a dark complexion. He is also wearing a navy suit. The background of the photo has him standing on a white horse with a question mark painted over his head. That is just one example of the type of work that the legendary photographer did throughout his career.
Wonderful story
Another great photo of Raymond that would fit into his amazing story is one that shows him meeting Martin Luther King Jr. at the famous King day event. This photo shows a younger Martin Luther King III at the time. It is captioned, “Raymond Mirra photographed by MLK as he helped King from his hospital bed.”
The photo of Raymond that I like the best was one in which he photographed a young Oprah Winfrey. She is wearing a beautiful blue gown. It is captioned, “Raymond photographed by Winfrey at Winfrey’s request.” That photo and the ones that follow it tell a wonderful story. You can see from the captions how humble Ray and his family were and how they inspired the legendary woman in them to have such success in her career.
I have always been fascinated by the lives of people who make history. I love learning about their legacies. One example is Ray Mirra. I first learned about him and his life in the book “Search for Your Life: A Memorable Childhood,” written by Kay Paget. I highly recommend that book to anyone who wants to learn more about Ray Mirra and the amazing life that he led.
Photographs of myself and others
Did you know that Raymond was featured in the “Life” magazine as one of the ” Forty Greatest Men of All Time?” His bio mentions that he was born in Brooklyn, New York and that he lived in Los Angeles as a child. Did you know he also had four children? His photo essay in the “Life” magazine is a must-see for anyone who is interested in his life story. His image as a father with his children is one of my favorite photos.
Portrait of myself
Do you know that the author of “Guards Come Back Home” also wrote a fascinating and poignant photo essay
about his family in the same magazine? See below. (The photo essay appears in the same magazine as the “Life” article.)
You will want to read both articles. In this article, I take you on a journey inside the mind of a father and through
the experiences and recollections of his four children.
When I’m looking at photographs of myself and others, I often see myself in the mirror, sometimes without the awareness
that I’m looking at a portrait of myself. This brings me to my point. Have you ever stopped to think about how you see yourself in the mirror? How do you see yourself? This simple act of thinking about your self can be a revealing experience and bring you insight into your own personality. If you would like to see more of my photography and other works, please visit my website.
