“Through the Lens of Fame: The Life and Work of Oscar Abolafia”
Oscar Abolafia, the descendant of a Turkish Sephardic Jewish immigrant family was born in 1935 and grew up in New York City. Abolafia and his brother Louis became well known in 1968 when Louis "ran" for President of the United States as "the Naked Candidate", while Oscar provided the advertising for Louis' "campaign".
Oscar resided on Broadway, where his father sold flowers and taught his children about life’s lessons. Oscar’s father was born in Turkey and came to the U.S. with his family when he was a child of 8 years old. He was employed in a tough environment where particularly in the winters there was nowhere to escape from the elements. Oscar emphatically loved and respected his although he did not want to be like him.
Oscar’s mother clung to values and traditions that she was brought up with. Oscar grew up in a 5th floor walkup apartment filled with his artistic and talented siblings who all were struggling to make their mark in life. This made for an exceptionally colorful and challenging environment. "Being an artist" was misunderstood and unfortunately not encouraged in the extended family even though Oscar’s sister was a talented piano player and his youngest brother was a painter and musician
Starting from a young age, Oscar wanted to escape from his sometimes-stifling home life, see new things and experience more of his home town and beyond. One day, Oscar was looking through a newspaper and spied an ad for an industrial photographer named William Vandivert, who was one of the founders of Magnum Photos. Mr. Vandivert hired Oscar as his assistant and showed him the ropes about technical and lighting skills. This job enabled Oscar to travel all over the United States. However, when he wanted to fly when he went off on his own, there was not enough money for purchasing all the equipment. Oscar set up a fashion studio on West 46 street. He began hanging out and mingling with well-known personalities. He hung out with the Andy Warhol group, befriended Ultra Violet and Viva.
After high school Oscar made his decision to attempt to make a living as a photographer. Mr. Abolafia, Senior, may not have understood Oscar’s drive but he supported Oscar nonetheless and even purchased Oscar’s very first camera in a pawn shop. Once Oscar had the camera, he took a bus to Florida and attempt to make it there.
Oscar had worked as a photographer at the Plaza hotel taking pictures of the guests at dinner dances, (which were very popular in those days), as well as large group shots of business gatherings and events. The company who had hired Oscar to work in Florida, had connections in Del Ray Florida resorts. Therefore, Oscar requested a transfer and his request was approved. Unfortunately, after a season in the Florida sun, Oscar’s father passed away unexpectedly and he returned home to help support the family.
"Being an artist" was misunderstood and unfortunately not encouraged in the extended family even though Oscar’s sister was a talented piano player and his youngest brother was a painter and musician
Oscar had worked as a photographer at the Plaza hotel taking pictures of the guests at dinner dances, (which were very popular in those days), large group shots of business gatherings and events.
Oscar spent a full season in Florida when he was notified that his father passed away unexpectedly. Therefore, Oscar had to return home immediately to help support the family.
Oscar decided to change direction from being a resort photographer to being a fashion photographer. He then had to look into studio rental, acquiring and running a darkroom with the ensuing expenses.
Oscar was able to find models from agencies, fashions from young designers and favors and more favors to get a shoot together. Oscar’s dream was to do a photo shoot for Harper’s Bazaar. To try and make this happen, Oscar visited Harper's Bazaar several times always asking to see the photo editor, Ruth Ansel. However, he was never able to get any further than just giving the portfolio to the secretary. Oscar believed that doing the photo shoot would result in many more doors opening. Each time Ruth examined Oscar’s portfolio; he received the same rote response: “Ruth wants to see something different.”
Oscar knew he would have no choice but to change his game plan. He knew that Andy Warhol and his gang had befriended some of the women in the group named Ultra Violet and Viva. Ultra had already posed for Oscar for an iconic 60's poster but not Viva.
Oscar recalled, “Viva was the most outrageous of the girls so I asked her to let me photograph her in the nude. Once in the studio, it took a lot of encouraging and convincing, I pleaded, she paced, I promised anything I could think of, she paced .... but then started to take off her clothes and gave me the photoshoot I wanted and needed.”
After Oscar printed these beautiful but haunting pictures. he returned to Harper's again. Again, the secretary took Oscar’s portfolio. However, after a few minutes, Ruth Ansel herself appeared. However, she exhibited some indignation while demanding to know why Oscar had come to show her these pictures. Oscar could tell by Ruth’s reaction, that the pictures were clearly not something they were going to publish, no matter how unusual or great. Oscar then told Ruth that giving her the photographs accomplished exactly what Oscar sought to accomplish- to get Ruth’s attention in order to be able to speak with her. By leveling with Ruth, Oscar enjoyed the outcome he had been hoping for: to get an assignment to do another Harper’s photo shoot.
It worked and Oscar got the assignment. The new photo shoot appeared in Harper's Magazine. However, the time and energy it took Oscar to organize the shoot was just too taxing and expensive for Oscar to continue in that direction. However, Oscar did not view this experience as a total loss since he had gained a lot of " know how" and met some great people.
In the 60’s, Oscar started hang around with the Warhol crowd and they partied at Electric Circus in the Village and the Cheetah club uptown. As a professional photographer, Oscar always had his camera in his jacket pocket and he snapped pictures of everything he experienced. This included nudity, drugs, gay marriages, love making, nothing was tabu. All of Oscar’s experiences were there to be documented without a second thought. Oscar had a great time during these years, and he recalled “It was an astonishing visual assault and I loved it!”
When these explicit photographs started circulating, it generated a lot of hype. Oscar began getting calls from magazines looking for these exact images of the party-scenes. Oscar was offered attractive sums to release his photos to the magazines. Oscar had an ah-ha moment when he suddenly realized that he had now found his direction.
However, this was not the direction Oscar had wanted in order to make a living. Therefore, he set his standards high and he agreed to take photographs to document events, personalities and celebrities. However, he would do so for only the most prestigious magazines such as Time, Life and Newsweek.
During the summer of 1965, when Beatlemania was peaking, the Beatles had arrived for yet another appearance on the Ed Sullivan show. Oscar became obsessed with getting a fantastic layout of the Fab Four. He was prepared to name his price and contacted the Magazines for assignments. Oscar was disappointed when the answer was always the same: “Get the picture, then we talk.” However, Oscar was not discouraged. Instead, the answers he got pushed him to take the Beatles shots to prove that he was ready.
Oscar did some sleuthing and discovered that the Beatles were staying in the Warwick Hotel. At the time, the Warwick was very famous as a home away from home for many celebrities. The guest list included Liza Minnelli, Elizabeth Taylor and James Dean. Oscar knew the "ins and outs" of the Warwick very well from all his trips there. Even the doormen and bellboys recognized Oscar. When Oscar entered the hotel lobby on his way to the auditorium where the press conference was being held, he felt confident knowing who he is and where he was going. Not one person stopped Oscar to ask his destination.
Oscar went to work getting amazing pictures of the Beatles. When Oscar looked at the photographs after the event, he decided that these were some of the best photographs in his portfolio! However, Oscar realized this was not good enough to impress his editors. Therefore, Oscar had to continue taking photos.
The Beatles were performing at the Ed Sullivan show. Oscar tried speaking to the security guard at the show but the man would not allow Oscar in. Oscar kept taking to the man and trying to convince him but he kept refusing. Then Oscar’s luck changed. The Beatles set-up crew arrived with security, backstage hands from the theatre as well as crates and tripods. Suddenly, pandemonium ensued. Oscar though he could sneak in by offering to carry some equipment. It worked and he got in. It was a very early hour and the Beatles rehearsals wouldn’t start for some time. But Oscar was fully prepared since he knew this theatre in and out. He decided to make himself invisible for a while. When rehearsals began, Oscar found his way to the stage and got one of his best shoots ever.
Oscar still had more work to do. The Beatles were making an appearance at Shea Stadium, and I had to try to get in. Oscar had not been in this stadium and did not know it’s set up. When Oscar attempted to speak to the security agent, he initially did not get anywhere. Oscar eventually broke the agent down and he agreed to allow Oscar in only with the promise that he would take no pictures.
Before entering the stadium, Oscar decided that it was crucial to capture the "feeling" of this historic moment. He began to photograph the thousands of people, mostly young girls, crying, screaming and fainting. Oscar felt that these images would tell the story of the Beatles, the music and that time period. The sales of Oscar’s Fab Four photographs at Shea Stadium were truly overwhelming. Oscar was able to purchase his first Leica Camera as well as several designer suits. His career was off and running!
Oscar continued to photograph the rich and famous including the Kennedy family, Jim Morrison, Andy Warhol, Michael Jackson, Elizabeth Taylor, Jack Nicholson, Linda Blair, Audrey Hepburn, and Elvis Presley. Oscar continued working for People Magazine, Vanity Fair and Harper’s Bazaar. He took pictures backstage at The Tonight Show and worked as a still photographer for over twenty movies including John and Mary, A Bridge Too Far, Moonraker, The Seduction of Joe Tynan, Cuba, Eyewitness, Private Lessons, For Your Eyes Only, Shock Treatment, So Fine, Annie, Octopussy, Against All Odds, The Last Dragon, A View to a Kill, Death Wish 3, Barnum (1986), Keeping Track (1986), Forever, Lulu (1986), 3 Men and a Baby, The Girl in a Swing, and Slaves of New York.
Oscar married Joanna and they lived together in New York City. He died March 30, 2020 and was buried at Mount Hebron Cemetery in Queens, NY.
~Blog by Renee Meyers
