Notable people · Art · Music · Writer · Photographer
Max Ewing
Born in Pioneer, Ohio, Ewing was a pianist, writer, sculptor and photographer who became part of New York's avant-garde in the 1920s. His papers are at Yale.
At a glance
- Born
- 1903-04-07
- Died
- 1934-06-16
- Education
- University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, from 1920
- Juilliard, New York, piano study
- Known as
- Art, Music, Writer, Photographer
- Organizations
- Beinecke Library, Yale
Life story
Max Ewing was born April 7, 1903, in Pioneer, Ohio, the son of John and Clara Ewing, who kept a dry-goods store. He studied music, psychology and literature at the University of Michigan and piano at Juilliard.
In 1923 he moved to New York City. He traveled in Europe in 1926 and 1927 and was hurt in a performance of George Antheil's Ballet Mecanique, a permanent finger injury. From 1928 to 1933 he kept adding to his Gallery of Extraordinary Portraits, made sculptures of Muriel Draper, and in 1932-33 produced more than a hundred portrait photographs, the Carnival of Venice series.
He published his novel Going Somewhere in 1933, moved briefly to Hollywood, then went home to Ohio to look after his sick mother. He drowned in the Susquehanna River on June 16, 1934, at age 31. His collection was given to Yale's Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library.
Timeline
- 1903-04-07: Born (Pioneer, OH) source
- 1923: Moves to New York City (New York) source
- 1927: Injures his fingers during Antheil's Ballet Mecanique source
- 1928: Begins the Gallery of Extraordinary Portraits source
- 1932: Starts the Carnival of Venice photographs source
- 1933: Publishes Going Somewhere; moves to Hollywood, then returns to Ohio source
- 1934-06-16: Drowns in the Susquehanna River source
What Max is known for
- Gallery of Extraordinary Portraits (1928)
- Carnival of Venice photographs (1932-1933)
- Novel Going Somewhere (1933)
- Going Somewhere (novel, 1933)
- Gallery of Extraordinary Portraits (1928)
- Carnival of Venice photographs (1932-1933)
Honors and things named for them
- Max Ewing Collection, Yale Beinecke Library
Family
- father: John Ewing
- mother: Clara Ewing
Ohio places
Where Max Ewing was born, lived, worked and is remembered, with the ZIP code, town and county pages for each.
- Born: Pioneer, Williams County ZIP 43554 · Pioneer · Williams County
- Lived: Pioneer, Williams County ZIP 43554 · Pioneer · Williams County
Further reading
Sources
Confidence. High: the main facts were confirmed in sources we opened.
- Wikipedia: Max Ewing birth in Pioneer, education, New York career, works, collection at Yale, death 1934