Half Past Autumn - Gordon Parks Pt. 1 & Pt. 2

1. On the day Gordon Parks was born, how did the doctor save Gordon's life? 

The doctor saved Gordon's life by putting him in a tub of water, and rubbed ice on him.

2. Where was Gordon born? (what state?) 

Gordon was born in Fort Scott, Kansas. 

3. What did Gordon's class adviser, Ms. McClintock, tell him about college? 

She told him that very few African Americans make it into college, and that his desire to go to college would be a waste of time and money.

4. How old was Gordon when his mother died? 

Gordon was fourteen when his mother died.

5. Where did Gordon move after his mother died? 

Gordon moved to St. Paul, Minnesota.

6. Did Gordon graduate from college? 

Yes, he graduated from Princeton later in life.

7. How did Gordon begin his fashion photography career? 

He began by going to stores and asked for models so he could take pictures of them.

8. What is a "double exposure?" 

It is too much light.

9. Who was boxer Joe Louis? 

He was boxer whose photograph was taken by Gordon.

10. What instrument did Gordon play? 

He played piano.

11. What was the purpose of the Farm Security Administration?

 It was to show the situation of the Great Depression.

12. When Roy Stryker hired Gordon for the FSA, what was Stryker's first assignment for Gordon in Washington, D.C.? 

It was to go to a store and buy a coat, eat at a restaurant, and watch a movie.

13. Who was Ella Watson? 

Ella Watson was the woman who swept floors, and Gordon took a photograph of her.

14. What was the inspiration for Grant Wood's American Gothic? 

The inspiration for it was to be positive about American values.

15. What did Gordon learn from Stryker about photography? 

Gordon learned about bigotry, and photography.

16. When did the FSA shut down?

The FSA shut down in 1943. 

17. After Gordon moved to New York, what magazine did he shoot for?

He shot for Vogue.

18. Who was the picture editor of Life Magazine when Gordon walked into the Life Magazine office?

The picture editor of Life Magazine was Wilson Hicks.

19. What was the first major story Parks covered for Life Magazine?

The first major story Parks covered was about Harlem Gang Leader, Red Jackson.

20. Who were some of the artists that Gordon Parks mentioned influenced his work after he moved to the Paris Life Magazine bureau? 

Degas, Picasso, Van Gogh, Chagall

21. How did Parks shoot fashion when he lived in France?

He would move with the model in slow motion.

22.Where was Parks' concerto performed?

It was performed in Venice. 23. Who was Parks' second wife? (Who was her father? What did she do?)
24. How old was Flavio de Silva when Parks met him?
25. When did Parks meet Flavio?
26. Where did Flavio live when Parks first met Flavio and his family?
27. How is Gloria Vanderbilt? Who is her famous son? Who are her ancestors?
28. How did Vanderbilt describe their relationship?