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About the Artist Bruce MurrayPhotographer 1893-1969 |
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Born in Portsmouth, Ohio, a young boy Bruce Murray moved with his family to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He began his fascination with the art of photography at the age of twelve with a "dollar Brownie" and a developing kit.
After finishing school, the young man was employed as a driver for the old Philadelphia newspaper, The Public Ledger. He always made time to read the headlines about the bitter fighting of the conflagration that had become known as World War I.
He felt he would like to be closer to the news side of his paper but his daily duties consisted of rushing photo negatives and news copy from photographers to the newsroom. It gave young Bruce an idea of newspaper speed that he never forgot.
One day he observed another vehicle that had over-turned, trapping its occupant inside. Along with other bystanders, he lifted the vehicle and extricated the injured driver, but the physical effort was so great that Murray was sidelined for a long period.
Rather than bide his time while
recovering, the young driver began to haunt the picture room of The Ledger. It
was an era when the newspapers were making far greater use of the
ever-improving art and technology of photography and before long Murray was
accepted as a full-fledged photographer.
For nearly four decades his work with The Ledger, and later The Evening Bulletin, earned him recognition as one of the best in his field. In the years between the two World Wars, he photographed hundreds of stirring events and world-famous figures. Nicknamed "The Old Master," he won many awards for his work. His subjects varied from presidents and generals to children and flappers, as well as judges and composers to landscapes and everyday people.
The sports world, though, always had a certain fascination for Murray. He particularly loved baseball and enjoyed spending time at Philadelphia A's Shibe Park or Phillies' Baker Bowl. He was also part of the spring training camp scene every year in Florida.
Besides his ingenious photography, Murray had a wry sense of humor and a great facility for making friends. The late Connie Mack was one of them. Mr. Mack, the famous manager of the Athletics for over half a century, was a retiring man, given to social formalities. Mr. Mack bestowed upon Mr. Murray a rare Mack accolade of addressing him by his first name, "Bruce." Seldom was anything that "Bruce" asked, denied him by Mr. Mack.
Murray was there to capture the legends of the game, including the immortals of the 1927 Yankees: Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig. He was there when Mack had his magnificent 1929-31 team that featured Hall-of-Famers: Lefty Grove, Jimmie Foxx, Mickey Cochrane, Al Simmons and Eddie Collins. Another favorite of Murray's was the infamous Ty Cobb. Cobb had a reputation for being difficult to interview or photograph, but Murray always found him receptive. All time greats like Honus Wagner, Johnny Evers and Tris Speaker also found themselves in Murray's sites.
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After 39 years as a professional
photographer, Bruce Murray retired to Florida in 1958, and passed away in 1969
at the age of 76.
Mr. Murray's family has taken every measure to preserve his works so that we may all enjoy them today. We hope you enjoy these photographs through the years as much as Mr. Murray enjoyed taking them.
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