John Engstead

John Engstead Born 1912 died 1984

Was an American Photographer

He bagn his career in 1926 when he was hired by Paramount Pictures as an office boy to the head of studio publicity. In 1927 he arranged a photograph session for actress Clara Bow. The photographs were considered to be the actresses best sitting. From 1929 through 1941 he was art supervisor, in charge of all photograph promotional stills. This recognition was based on his creative direction of photographs of Louise Brooks in The Canary Murder Case (1929). In 1932 due to a photographers strike he assumed position of studio portrait photographer despite never having actually photographed anyone before and actor Cary Grant posed for his practice shots.

In 1941 he was fired from Paramount and began freelance advertising and portrait photography assignments "on spec" for Harper’s Bazaar. From 1941 through 1949 he continued fashion photography on assignment for Harper’s Bazaar along with assignments from Collier’s, Esquire, House Beautiful, Ladies Home Journal, Life, Look, Mademoiselle, McCall’s, Vogue, and Women’s Home Companion. During this period he photographed many celebrity clients outdoors and at home, including: Joan Crawford, Bette Davis, Maureen O'Hara, Shirley Temple and his photographs of a young Judy Garland in Carmel, California were particularly successful and became an innovation in fashion photography taking the subject into real outdoor settings. He also .photographed annual spring and fall fashion collections for studio designer Adrian. His Los Angles studio became a gathering place for celebrities through the 1950s.

In the 1950s through 1970 Engstead continued to photograph celebrities that now in addition to ‘movie stars’ also included promotional work for television personalities of the era including Pat Boone, Carmel Quinn, Donna Reed, Ozzie and Harriet, Eve Arden, Lucille Ball and others as well as expanding into more commercial work and society portraiture. He closed the studio in 1970 and continued to accept special portraiture and television assignments until his death in 1984 at age 72.