Adger Cowans

Page 1

IMAGES ©ADGER COWANS

BEING THERE ©MARK LEE BLACKSHEAR

Veteran photographer Adger Cowans remains poised for revealing moments

Sitting in his packed-to-the-gills apartment/studio in Bridgeport, Connecticut, photographer Adger Cowans smiles as he launches into a story from what he calls his distant past. Legendary Vogue editor Diana Vreeland had summoned him to her office for an assignment. Cowans, who is 81 but looks a decade younger, punctuates his story with spirited hand gestures, darting eyebrows, and the occasional high-octane chuckle. “This was in the 1960s, and she had seen an exhibit of my photographs at a gallery on Fifth Avenue in New York City. She thought I’d be perfect for a fashion shoot, so she called me in,” says Cowans with a twinkle in his eyes. “But when I walked into her office, she did a double take ... like this.” Cowans snaps his head up and down sharply, and laughs. “I had a big, out-to-here Afro back then and always wore dark shades and a Levi’s denim suit. I was cool.” He loves telling this story, nearly doubling over in giggles before he comes to the punch line:

BY ROBERT KIENER

58

59


Turn static files into dynamic content formats.

Create a flipbook
Issuu converts static files into: digital portfolios, online yearbooks, online catalogs, digital photo albums and more. Sign up and create your flipbook.