John L. Gaunt | |
|---|---|
 John L. Gaunt | |
| Born | John Lyndon Gaunt June 4, 1924 Syracuse, New York, U.S. |
| Died | October 26, 2007(2007-10-26) (aged 83) |
| Other names | Jack |
| Education | University of Southern California |
| Occupation | Photographer |
| Employer | Los Angeles Times |
| Known for | Winning the 1955Pulitzer Prize for Photography |
| Spouse | Mary Elise Gaunt |
| Children | 2 |
John Lyndon Gaunt (June 4, 1924 – October 26, 2007) also known asJack was an American photographer who worked for theLos Angeles Times. He won the 1955Pulitzer Prize for Photography for his photograph titled "Tragedy by the Sea". The image showed a man and a woman standing on a beach after their 19-month-old son disappeared.
Gaunt was born on June 4, 1924 and was the only child. His father was a stockbroker and he moved the family toSouthern California in the late 1920s. Gaunt grew up inHermosa Beach, California. He grew up with his future wife, Mary Elise, and he graduated fromRedondo Union High School. In high school he contributed to the school's newspaper and provided images to the Hermosa Beach newspaper,Daily Breeze. He served in theUnited States Army Air Forces as a pilot duringWorld War II. He studied atCompton College and graduated fromUniversity of Southern California with a degree in zoology.[1]
Gaunt was aLos Angeles Times photographer and his nickname was Jack.[2] He worked at the Times as a second shift photographer: he worked from late afternoon until early morning each day. After his death, his daughter said that he enjoyed the challenges of covering fires.[1]
On April 2, 1954 he captured an image which won him the1955 award-winning photo entitled "Tragedy by the Sea". The image showed a man and a woman standing on a beach. The man and woman were aHermosa Beach, California couple named John and Lillian McDonald. In the image they stood together beside the ocean that had just taken their 19-month-old son Michael away. The photo was on the front page of theLos Angeles Times the following morning.[3] As well as the Pulitzer, the photograph won anAssociated Press Managing Editor's Award, and a prize from the California-Nevada Associated Press.[1] The Pulitzer prize earned Gaunt a$1,000 (equivalent to $11,738 in 2024) monetary award.[4]
Gaunt married Mary Elise in the late 1940s, and the two had two daughters: Jane and Abigail. He worked for theLos Angeles Times from October 1950 to 1988.[1][5][6] After Gaunt retired in 1988 he moved to the Pacific coast of Oregon.[1] He died of congestive heart failure October 26, 2007. He had been inhospice at Desert Hot Springs.[7]
