Arthur M Seitz III

Arthur "Art" Seitz, a prolific sports photographer best known for chronicling the sport of tennis over more than 50 years, from the dawn of the Open era to the present day, passed away on August 23rd at the age of 82, just shy of an upcoming birthday on October 7th. The cause of his death was heart and kidney failure and he had been battling a variety of health ailments in the last few years.

A tenacious documentarian of what might best be described as "the family of tennis" Art trained his lens on the sports best and brightest, often away from the court, and often before they become household names. Chris Evert, Bjorn Borg, Arthur Ashe, Jimmy Connors, Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Venus and Serena Williams. Vitas Gerulaitis, Fred Stolle, Martina Hingis, Gardner Mulloy, whose 100th birthday party he photographed and helped to organize, Billie Jean King, John McEnroe, John Newcombe. Ilie Nastase, Guillermo Vilas are but some of the notables in tennis who passed before his lens, often in spontaneous, unscripted and unguarded moments, which gave his images an intimacy and familiarity uncommon in the world of professional sports. Additionally he captured the many supporting personalities in the sport, whether they be journalists and publishers, fellow photographers, designers, agents or managers. Art had a relationship with all of them, and a love for the tennis community which is reflected in his images.

He covered 50 Wimbledons, 50 United States Opens and more than 50 French Opens, 20th Lipton/Sony Miami Championships, and countless other events around the world. He is the only photographer invited as a guest to the 40th WTA's Anniversary Wimbledon Celebration, and commemorative books often carried more photos of his than most of his contemporaries. During the 2018 US Open he was recognized by the USTA as the only photographer to cover all 50 U.S. Open's since the first "Open" Championship in 1968. His work is routinely included in dozens of players books including the autobiographies of Jimmy Connors, Arthur Ashe, Chris Evert, and Billie Jean King. They have graced the screens of HBO, ESPN, Tennis Channel and thousands of magazine features and many covers including Time, Newsweek Vogue, Vanity Fair, Hola, Hello, Sports Illustrated, LIFE, and Paris Match. His work has also appeared in People, Ebony, all of South Florida's publications, top U.S. Spanish magazine Selective and every major British Daily and Sunday Magazine. His work was routinely distributed around the globe to up to 40 countries at a time via the famous Gamma Press Images photo agency in Paris, where Art was a prolific contract photographer for over 20 years.

One of his most remarkable qualities was his ability to transcend standard sports photography norms, and connect with players in their own environments, beyond the courts and locker rooms. He documented Chris Evert and her family from her shy and whimsical young teenage years to dominating women's tennis to her current role as mother of three boys, skilled Evert Pro-Celebrity and Charity organizer, and famed TV broadcaster. He was even on hand to capture her surveying the damage in Homestead, Florida after Hurricane Andrew in 1992. Art photographed over 30 players at their home and weddings of many, including Chris Evert, Stan Smith, Harold Solomon, Mary Joe Fernandez, Ilie Nastase and more. Other intimate and well known images include Arthur Ashe displaying his scar after heart surgery, Bjorn Borg and first wife Mariana Simonescu strolling, holding hands and embracing in the streets of Paris, or carrying a block of ice given his nickname at the time of "iceman", Vitas Gerulaits with a glass of champagne while in his hot tub, with his Rolls Royce, and with John McEnroe at a Santana concert, Andre Agassi blow drying his hair, Steffi Graf and Andre Agassi soon after news of their romance became public, and years, later patting son Jaden on the head as he played on a bench at the US Open, Pete Sampras celebrating in front of the Rocky statue in Philadelphia. and the Williams' sisters as teenagers dressed as firemen in Los Angeles.

He also chronicled the big moments on the court, including the joyful embrace of Yannick Noah by his father after Noah won the 1983 French Open, Andre Agassi dropping to his knees after winning his first grand slam and only Wimbledon title in 1992, the battle of the Sexes between Billie Jean King and Bobby Riggs at the Houston Astrodome in 1973, Bjorn Borg's Wimbledon dominance form 1976 to 1980, Chris Evert tossing her racquet skyward after winning her first Wimbledon title, Guillermo Vilas being carried on the shoulders of supporters after his 1977 US Open victory.

He was the first Virginia Slims photographer, the first staff photographer for Gladys Heldman's then fledgling World Tennis Magazine, photographed for Gene Scott's Tennis Week for 30 years and was the first official photographer of World Team Tennis and of the Tennis Industry Buying show. Art's interest in tennis began early in life, He played on the Florida junior tennis circuit, at the University of Florida, while in the United States Air Force, where he was a Captain and served for four years at Ramstein air base in Germany and Dreuz-Louvilliers Air Base in France, and on Suffolk County AFB on Long Island. He also played while at home adjacent to famed Holiday Park Tennis Center, where legendary Jimmy Evert brought up and taught daughter Chris Evert and her siblings of that public park. Others who honed their skills there included Floridian standouts Eddie Dibbs, Harold Solomon, Brian Gottfried and more, in the earliest days of pro tennis.

His unique experience and place in tennis allowed Art to give back and his work with some of the leading charities and foundations in tennis is also well known, covering charity events to promote vital causes, including nearly all Chris Evert Pro-Celebrities, the Vitas Gerulaitis Foundation, Arthur Ashe Day and the Arthur Ashe Foundation, Mardy Fish Foundation, Andy Roddick Charity Weekends, The Little Star Foundation, Rosie Casals' Charity, Tim and Tom Gullikson Foundation for 15 years, Michael Milken's Cancer Research Foundation, Donald J. Trump ProAm Tennis, Harold Solomon's Family Hunger Fund, Oracene Williams Learning (OWL) Foundation, Barry Gibb and Greater Miami charity events, and hurricane relief.

Jeanne Ashe, widow of the late Arthur Ashe, and herself a photographer said of Art, "in my almost 50 year relationship with the tennis community and family, I remember Art Seitz as a fixture. As a photographer, his keen instincts for the "shot" were always in motion. His dedication to recording the important moments that tell a story in a single image; focused. When possible, Art's ability to engage his subject made him known to all. Art's archive of tennis; yesterday, today and tomorrow is of importance and value to the history of the sport and all who knew him in the tennis community."

Peachy Kellmeyer, who helped change the face of women's tennis and was a long time friend, said of Art: "A very brilliant man with a gift of using the camera to reflect his creative talent to get the PERFECT PICTURE! A legend for over many decades becoming an intricate part of the tennis family. To this day he is the one who the tennis family look to for that perfect shot. I along with so many others have been a friend and a fan of his work. Always generous to share his precious photos in times of need and always there to help remind the tennis family of the many historic moments snapped on so many worldwide occasions."

In his final years, though often bed ridden, and in poor health while in assisted living in Florida, Art kept a steady stream of images flowing to his tennis community family and friends as a way of maintaining the long threads of connection and reminding all of their shared history.

Outside of tennis Art also covered some of the world's biggest sporting events. He had been at 20 + Super Bowls, numerous Kentucky Derbys, the Master's Golf Championship, and the UK's prestigious Henley Regatta. His assignment work was not restricted to sports, having photographed former President Jimmy Carter at his home in Georgia, President Ronald Reagan and first lady Nancy Reagan and Marines training at the famous Parris Island in South Carolina.

Presently an installation of some of his US Open photographs while the Open was at Forest Hills is on display at the West Side Tennis Club.

Art is survived by his sister. Pauline "Polly", and brother Russell.