Biographical Note
Peter Angelo Simon was born near Philadelphia in 1936. He first gained an interest in photography in high school by taking photographs of items through a microscope. While working as a reporter for a small newspaper in Vermont, he began taking photographs for the newspaper’s editor. In the early 1960s, Simon worked as a documentary writer for the weekly public affairs television program Concept for WRCV-TV in Philadelphia. Again, he incorporated photography in his work by taking photographs of locations, which he included in the documentaries.
Simon attended photography workshops in Philadelphia led by Brooklyn-born photographer Harold Feinstein. In 1968, Simon transitioned to working as a professional photographer. He became aware of the work of the pioneers of direct cinema in the United States, such as documentary filmmakers Robert Drew, D. A. Pennebaker, and Richard Leacock, and he was influenced by their style. Simon’s works have been exhibited internationally at galleries and museums. He provided image curation for the Smithsonian Magazine in the 1970s, and his photographs have been featured in books, magazines, and advertising campaigns. In addition to the subjects in the Peter Angelo Simon Performing Arts Images collection, Simon photographed painter George Deem, New York City’s Big Apple Circus, the Chelsea Hotel artist community, and Muhammed Ali.
Simon has been recognized with awards from the Clio and Andy awards in advertising, The Art Director's Club of New York, Art Direction Magazine, Communication Arts, and the Eastman Kodak Epcot Center Professional Photographer's Awards. He has issued the books Muhammad Ali: Fighter’s Heaven 1974 (Reel Art Press, 2016) and Big Apple Circus (Penguin, 1978), as well as the film 48 Hours with Muhammad Ali (Dan Glynn, director, Adhoc Films). Simon is married to lighting designer Beverly Emmons; their daughter Annie Simon is a costume designer for film, theater, and opera. Simon teaches photography in his studio in Brooklyn, New York.