digital archive

BERT ANDREWS

BERT ANDREWS (1929-1993), a preeminent photographer, made his name as house photographer for the Negro Ensemble Company, New York. Born in Chicago, Andrews moved to Harlem at a young age. A songwriter, dancer, and singer before studying photography and becoming an apprentice to jazz photographer Chuck Stewart, Andrews eventually made more than 40,000 negatives capturing the early stage careers of such performers as Morgan Freeman, Denzel Washington, Gloria Foster, Alfre Woodard, Alvin Aliey, and Samuel L. Jackson. His photographs have appeared in Time, Newsweek, the New York Times, and Playbill programs.