Del Ankers, Photographer, Part 3

Today’s the birthday of my uncle Del Ankers, born 1916, died May 2008. You can find previous posts on Del via the tag index, or start with this date last year, and check out Part 1, the predawn view of the Iwo Jima Memorial, and Part 2.

During this past year I was lucky enough to have in my possession for a while Del’s amazing travel bag, or kit bag I guess you could call it, before it goes off, along with most of his prints, films, negatives and notes, to the University of Maryland Library archives.

Laura Owen SutherlandThe baggage tags tied to the top of the bag are just the start – the bag itself is filled with many more. Many carry notations like this one:

Laura Owen SutherlandAs noted elsewhere, Del was the first film maker and photographer to work with Jim Henson, and here he was off for a shoot starring the Muppet character Rowlf.

There is so much crazy variety, with so many suggestions of history and stories, in Del’s bag, like Del himself they seem almost impossible to sum up and properly describe. However, we did find one tag that almost does the job all by itself.

Laura Owen SutherlandDel went directly from photographing the launch of Apollo 11 to a job involving something summarized as “Atlanta Chicken.” It’s certain that he handled both assignments with the same creative professionalism – and the same wide-open joy in living. Happy Birthday, Del.