A Great Day in Harlem ~ Portrait of 57 Jazz Greats

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A Great Day in Harlem – Art Kane, 1958
57 jazz musicians on a street in Harlem

A Great Day in Harlem black and white group portrait of 57 notable jazz musicians photographed on a street in Harlem, New York City. This photo has remained an important object in the study of the history of jazz.

Art Kane, a freelance photographer working for Esquire magazine, took the picture around 10 a.m. on August 12 in the summer of 1958. The musicians had gathered on 126th Street, between Fifth and Madison Avenues in Harlem. Esquire published the photo in its January 1959 issue. Kane calls it "the greatest picture of that era of musicians ever taken."


1995 Academy Award Nominee for Best Documentary A Great  Day in Harlem ~The story behind the iconic image

















A Great Day in Harlem Survivors – Gordon Parks*, 1996