Artist

Ben Martin was a renowned American photographer, best known for his work as TIME Magazine's first New York Bureau staff photographer. He captured some of the most significant events of the 1960s and defined the era with his iconic images, including Richard M. Nixon's haggard 5 o'clock shadow, the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s march to Montgomery, Alabama, and John F. Kennedy's grieving widow and children. Martin's ability to capture candid and intimate moments in his photography made his images particularly impactful. He was also an active member of the photographic community and received numerous awards and honors throughout his career.

Born in Salisbury, North Carolina in 1930, Martin attended Ohio University, where he majored in journalism and photography. He co-founded Pomegranate Press, a book publishing company, with his wife, actress Kathryn Leigh Scott, whom he was married to from 1971 to 1990. Martin's passion for photography continued throughout his life, and he remained a prominent figure in the field until his death in 2017 at the age of 86. His legacy as a pioneering photographer and photojournalist lives on.