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James Mitchell Obituary
September 22, 1933 - January 21, 2021
James Oliver Mitchell, great Beat Photographer of the 1950's, died on January 21, 2021, at 87. He passed peacefully at his home in Oakland, CA.
Jim was born in Norfolk, VA on September 22, 1933 to Gladys and James Mitchell. The oldest of 5 children, he was raised by his mother in New York City. His father was a merchant seaman.
Jim studied Photography at the High School of Art & Design in NYC. Following his 1952 graduation, he traveled to Europe, photographing in England, France, Italy, Germany, Switzerland, Denmark and Sweden. He served in the U.S. Air Force 1953-1957, then in the U.S. Army Reserves.
Jim earned his B.F.A. in Photography from the San Francisco Art Institute in 1964 and his M.F.A. from Lone Mountain College in 1974. He studied under renowned photographers including Ansel Adams, Imogen Cunningham, Wynn Bullock and Dorothea Lange.
Alfred Stieglitz was Jim's "champion photographer."
For Jim, photography was very personal. He took his first photograph at 10 years old, and his career spanned 7 decades. An intricate study of the world around him, Jim's work was insightful, intimate, fascinating. His photographs captured moments from the 1950's Beat Era & 1960's Counter Culture, through current day. They've been shown in museums and galleries throughout the U.S. and Europe.
Jim taught Photography at several colleges including the S.F. Art Institute, Stanford University, S.F. State and Chabot College. Jim also enjoyed 16 years working at Adolph Gasser Cameras, where he made life-long friends.
Aside from his many accomplishments, Jim was a good man. He was soft-spoken yet blunt, curious and intelligent. He loved his family and friends. His was a life well-lived.
Jim is predeceased by his parents, two of his siblings and his first wife, Bernice. He is survived by his children, David (Wendy), Jonathan, Robin and Hilary; grandson Hiroshi; sisters Marlene and Dolores; and former wife, Susan.
A private burial service with Military Honors will be held April 30th at Calverton National Cemetery, NY.
To plant trees in memory, please visit the Sympathy Store.
Memories and Condolences
for James Mitchell
4 Entries
Malcolm Campbell
June 3, 2021
6/3/2021
I first met Jim Mitchell in the Spring of 1984 at the home of my longtime friends, filmmaker Allen Willis and his wife Lillian on Dowling Place in Berkeley. He and Allen were close coleagues. I learned very quickly that here was a photographer who was not into it to make money or to achieve fame, though he would have merited these things, but as a cause, and as a way of knowing, not just for him, but for others, that people might know each other, and to give a sense of history, human development, and social context. Humanist photographers (that’s what I would call him) are rare, but he was one, and one who devoted his life to bringing light to the human condition.
After meeting him, I would see him occasionally at Adolph Gasser’s, the camera store in San Francisco, and later, in 1996 had the pleasure of working with him there for nine years. He was a treasure house of knowledge – there was scarcely anything about photography or motion picture that he didn’t understand in depth. He also had a very broad knowledge of history, of cultural matters, and of philosophy, and of how all of these related to each other. We spent a lot of time talking about those and other things. We shared similar political views, and his were not narrowly political, but reflected a very broad world view.
Later, after the “dot-com” fiasco and other events, he became concerned at the increasing trivialization in photography and the arts, and that young people were being pushed into commercialization and careerism rather than the discipline itself, and we talked about that. He had so much insight into things. After we both left Gasser’s, we talked on the phone a number of times, and had planned to meet at a nearby coffee shop, but then the pandemic and other things got in the way. I will miss him and the good times we had.
I have seen a some of his photos but would like to see many more. I hope to be able to meet with some of his family members to commemorate his life and learn more about his exceptional work.
Jim Mitchell was an extraordinary man and a rare and original personality. I miss him greatly and send my deepest condolences to his family, and to the many others whose lives he touched.
Thank you, Jim!
Malcolm Campbell
Channing Way
Berkeley
Gene Groppetti
April 30, 2021
I taught with Jim for years at Chabot College. He was a valued colleague and wonderful person. Condolences to his friends and family. His passing is a loss to us all.
Susan
April 29, 2021
Peace be to his memory.
Ernie Luppi
April 25, 2021
I am saddened by the news that my
friend and co-worker, Jim Mitchell,
passed away on 1/21/2021......
We worked together for many years
in the basement of Adolph Gasser Inc.
Always a prolific shooter, I remember him returning from lunch many a time and exclaiming, “The light
men, the light!”
I credit him with getting me started on
my photography book collection and
I enjoyed his critiques of my photography-
he pulled no punches.
He even called me to critique my Covid-19
Pandemic Postcards that I sent him!!!
RIP Jim Mitchell, a wonderful photographer and friend...
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