Ike Altgens (1919 - 1995)
Ike Altgens
Ike Altgens, born James William Altgens, was an American photojournalist, photo editor and reporter for the Associated Press (AP).
After graduating from North Dallas High School, James joined the Associated Press, first as a reporter and in 1940 he was assigned to the photojournalism staff. He served in the U.S. Coast Guard during World War II and returned to the Associated Press in 1945 as a photographer, working as an editor and part-time actor and model.
On November 22, 1963, Altgens was assigned to photograph President John F. Kennedy during his visit to Dallas. And as fate would have it, he was able to take historic photos of the Kennedy assassination, which appeared in newspapers around the world the next day.
Altgens left the Associated Press in 1979, then worked on advertising for Ford Motor Company. On December 12, 1995, James Altgens and his wife were found dead in different rooms of their home in Dallas. According to the investigation, the cause of their deaths was carbon monoxide poisoning due to a faulty furnace.
| Date and place of birt: | 28 april 1919, Dallas, USA |
|---|---|
| Date and place of death: | 12 december 1995, Dallas, USA |
| Period of activity: | XX century |
| Specialization: | Editor, Journalist, Photographer |
| Genre: | Documentary photography, Reportage |
| Art style: | Black & white photo, Photorealism |
