Peter Simon was a nationally acclaimed photographer, photojournalist, author, music historian for over fifty years. Over those years he turned his unique collection of enthusiasms into entertaining and insightful articles, books, CDs, a four hour DVD, fine art prints and an annual Vineyard Calendar.
Peter had covered an eclectic range of subjects documenting including, but not limited to: 1960s free love and protest, the greatest names in rock 'n' roll, reggae and pop music, the scenic beauty of his beloved island Martha's Vineyard, the action of major league baseball, stunning portraits of everyday people in the moment, iconic captures of the most celebrated personalities of our time.
Peter released the ultimate collection of his body of work in the form of a DVD entitled "Through the Lens - Celebrating 50 Years of Personalized Photojournalism." In this very unique product, Peter tells the inside stories behind many of his iconic images, unravels the many twists and turns his life has taken, and teaches a basic "photography 101" class.
Most recently, Peter published a coffee table book entitled, “Martha’s Vineyard - To Everything There Is a Season.." A breathtaking collection of photographs taken over many decades of his life on the Island. An introduction to each season by Pulitzer Prize winning author Geraldine Brooks adds another stunning element.
Peter’s love of reggae and Jamaican culture resulted in the publication of three of his books, Reggae Bloodlines (Doubleday, 1976), Reggae International (R & B, 1983) and Reggae Scrapbook (Insight Editions, 2007). In 2013 the Jamaican Ministry of Tourism honored Peter for being the first photojournalist to bring reggae to the United States.
Peter Simon's work has been in many newspapers and magazines, including Time, Newsweek, People, Village Voice, Atlantic Monthly, Cape Cod Life, Boston Magazine, New York Magazine, The New York Times and Rolling Stone. In 1980, he published On the Vineyard (Doubleday), which was the start of a series including On the Vineyard II (Simon Press, 1990), and On the Vineyard III (Simon Press, 2000). The other six books Peter Simon has published are Moving On, Holding Still (Penguin Press, 1972), Decent Exposures (Wingbow Press, 1973), Carly Simon Complete (Knopf, 1975), Playing in the Band (St. Martin's Press, 1983) and The New York Mets: 25 Years of Baseball Magic (Henry Holt, 1987). In 2001 Little Brown published a comprehensive retrospective of his life work as a handsome coffee table book entitled I and Eye.
His photographs have appeared at various Island galleries, including On the Vineyard gallery, The Field Gallery, The Old Sculpin Gallery, and the Simon Gallery. His photographs have been displayed nationwide at many prestigious galleries, including one-man shows at The Nikon House and Niekrug Gallery in New York, and the Kiva Gallery in Boston. Currently, Peter's well known portraits of folk/rock/reggae masters from the 60's and 70's are on permanent display at the John Varvatos clothing stores throughout the United States and Europe.
Peter lived with his wife Ronni at their home in Chilmark for over thirty years. He and Ronni married on Martha’s Vineyard in 1977. Their son, Willie, was born on the Island in 1986. Peter lived on the Island until his passing in November, 2018.
Contact
ronni@ronnisimon.com
(508)-325-2242