Seealso: Documentary Photography; Magnum
Photos; Portraiture
Biography
Born in Philadelphia, 1940. BFA in painting and art history,
University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, 1962; MA in
photojournalism, Annenberg School of Communication,
University of Pennsylvania, 1965. Fulbright Scholarship
to photograph in Turkey, 1965–1966. Freelance photo-
journalist living in New York from 1966. Contributing
photographer toThe New Yorker; has published photo
essays and portraits in many publications, includingLife,
Time, Paris-Match, Ms., New York Times Magazine,
Vanity Fair, andVogue.Published 14 books of her
photographs. Photography workshops taught in Mexico
and throughout the United States since 1974. Elected to
Magnum Photos, 1977; left Magnum to work indepen-
dently, 1982. Numerous honors and awards, including:
three grants from the National Endowment for the Arts,
1977, 1979, and 1990; Leica Medal of Excellence, 1982;
Robert F. Kennedy Journalism Award, 1984; Photogra-
pher of the Year Award from The Friends of Photogra-
phy, 1987; World Press Award for Outstanding Body of
Work Throughout the Years, 1988; George W. Polk
Award for Photojournalism, 1988; John Simon Guggen-
heim Fellowship, 1994; Hasselblad Foundation Grant,
1997; the Cornell Capa Infinity Award from the Interna-
tional Center of Photography, 2001; World Press Photo
Award, 2004; and five honorary doctorate degrees.
Selected Individual Exhibitions
1976 Bars; The Photographers’ Gallery; London
1976 Ward 81; Forum Stadtpark; Graz, Austria; and travel-
ing
1981 Falkland Road; Castelli Graphics; New York, New
York and traveling
Mary Ellen Mark, Lillie with her rag doll, Seattle, Washington, 1983/print ca. 1991 by Sarah
Jenkins, gelatin silver print, 37.255.4 cm, gift of the photographer.
[Photograph courtesy of George Eastman House,#Mary Ellen Mark]
MARK, MARY ELLEN