Untitled by Ken Heyman

Born in New York City in 1930, Ken Heyman first became interested in photography in high school, and later became a student of the distinguished anthropologist Margaret Mead. To fullfill a term paper requirement in one of her courses, Heyman submitted a photographic essay that interested the famous professor. Out of this began a friendship and collaboration that continued for more than twenty years.

Their first collaboration began shortly after his graduation from Columbia in 1956. Since then, Heyman has photographed in more than sixty countries. These photographs have appeared in major exhibits and in two books co-authored with Margaret Mead: Family (1965) and World Enough (1976).

Shows of Heyman’s work have been held at the Museum of Modern Art (1963), the Hallmark Gallery (1965), The International Center for Photography in New York City (1976), The Zabriskie Gallery in Paris (1995). Heyman’s work has brought him a number of awards including “The World Understanding award,” considered to be one of the top awards in photography. It is given “to honor the photographer whose work has contributed most to a better understanding among the world’s people.”