Jay Maisel

Jay Maisel was born on January 18, 1931, in Brooklyn, New York, and grew into one of the most influential American photographers of the 20th and 21st centuries — a man whose restless eye transformed the ordinary into the extraordinary for more than seven decades. Drawn early to art, Maisel studied graphic design and painting at Cooper Union and Yale University, where he came under the influence of Bauhaus master Josef Albers and developed the lifelong obsession with color that would define his work. His paintings were described by his teacher as "emotional outbursts," a phrase that captured something true: Maisel's energy was too kinetic for a studio. He began sneaking away to roam the streets with a camera, and by 1954 he had committed himself fully to photography. The following year, at just 24, he mounted his first solo exhibition at Photographers' Gallery in New York. The decades that followed brought both celebrated commercial work and deeply personal photography. In 1959, he produced the iconic photograph of Miles Davis used on the cover of Kind of Blue — the best-selling jazz album of all time. He shot five Sports Illustrated swimsuit covers, the first two covers of New York Magazine, and ran twelve years of advertising campaigns for United Technologies. Yet Maisel refused to draw a line between art and commerce; every assignment was approached with the same searching eye. In 1966, he purchased the historic Germania Bank Building at 190 Bowery for $102,000 and made it his home, studio, and creative laboratory for the next 49 years. The building became legendary — a gathering place for photographers and artists, and the setting for workshops that shaped over 640 students between 2008 and 2015. Known for his direct, acerbic New York humor and demanding critiques, he did not suffer fools gladly, but those who earned his respect found a generous and transformative mentor. Maisel received the Infinity Award from the International Center of Photography in 1987, was inducted into the Art Directors Club Hall of Fame in 1995, and was named to the International Photography Hall of Fame in 2020. He held a black belt in Gojuru karate and carried his camera every single day, well into his nineties. He passed away on August 23, 2026, at the age of 95 — leaving behind a body of work that continues to teach the world how to see.