Gjon Mili (1904-1984, Albanian-American)

Carl Mydans Gjon Mili and his cat Blackie, 1944 From Gjon Mili Photographs and Recollections

Gjon Mili (1904-1984) was an Albanian-American photographer best known for his contributions to LIFE magazine which spanned for over four decades. Mili arrived in the United States in 1923 to study engineering at MIT where he graduated in 1927. Using his engineering background, Mili began his career as a photographer in 1939 after pioneering the use of stroboscopic light and electric flash, a technique which captures a subject’s movement through time and shows multiple images on a single film frame. Consequently, many of his photographs reveal the graceful movement of his subjects. Mili’s photograph of Picasso drawing with light drew attention to this innovative method, and this technique can especially be seen in his photographs of his black cat Blackie in the 1940’s. An assistant to Edward Weston, they seem to have shared a love of cats. The French photographer Henri Cartier-Bresson (another cat-lover), commenting on Mr. Mili’s work, said, ”I admire his sense of economy, his respect for craftsmanship and his distaste for pretensions.”

Blackie
1940’s

Blackie
1943

Blackie
1943

Blackie
1943

Blackie Playing with a Toy Mouse

Blackie

Blackie

Artist Saul Steinberg with Gjon Mili’s cat Blackie in front of mural he is painting.

Mili’s cat Blackie looking at himself in a Steinberg mural.

Author Betty Smith with Blackie

Blackie Sitting with Opera Singer Jennie Tourel

Dancer Katherine Dunhan Playing with Blackie
1943

Gjon Mili’s cat Blackie nibbling young acrobat’s foot as she does a handstand 1943.

Blackie Being Hugged by Nightclub Entertainer Maune de Revel

Blackie with Bride

Blackie sitting atop table held in unidentified man’s teeth.
1943

Blackie steps gingerly amoung empty glasses left on top of the piano after an all night jam session.

Blackie, one more cool cat in Gjon Mili’s studio

Anatomy Of A Murder, 1959. Source LIFE Photo Archive, Otto Preminger looking at stray cats on Venice street

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