Half Past Autumn - Gordon Parks Part 1 + Part 2

1. On the day Gordon Parks was born, how did the doctor save Gordon's life?
   The doctor put Gordon in a tub of ice water, and when Gordon rubbed against the ice he woke up and began hollering.
2. Where was Gordon born? (what state?)
   Fort Scott, Kansas
3. What did Gordon's college adviser, Ms. McClintock tell him about college?
   She told him to not waste his parents' money to go to college because he would just end up as poor as a maid.
4. How old was Gordon when his mother died?
   According to the film, Gordon's mother died when he was fifteen.
5. Where did Gordon move after his mother died?
   He moved to Minnesota to live with his sister.
6. Did Gordon graduate from college?
   No; he did not even finish high school.
7. How did Gordon begin his fashion photography career?
   He walked into a Frank Murphy store and asked Murphy if he could photograph fashion, and Murphy set him up with a fashion photoshoot with models and formal clothes the next evening.
8. What is a "double exposure?"
   Double exposure is a photographic technique that combines 2 separate images into the same image. It was originally a mistake by Gordon when he photographed the models for Murphy.
9. Who was boxer Joe Louis?
   Joe Louis was the world heavyweight boxing champion from 1937 to 1949. During his time as champion, he symbolized the American hero and American values of freedom.
10. What instrument did Gordon play?
    Piano
11. What was the purpose of the Farm Security Administration?
    The purpose of the FSA was to show to America the living conditions of poverty stricken Americans around the country.
12. When Roy Stryker hired Gordon for the FSA, what was Stryker's first assignment for Gordon in Washington, D.C.?
    Go to a department store to buy a top coat, then eat at the restaurant across the street, and then watch a movie at a nearby theater. Stryker gave Gordon this assignment knowing that it would be impossible for him to complete it due to segregation and racism.
13. Who was Ella Watson?
    Ella Watson was a lady who mopped the floor at the FSA building. Gordon took a photo of her holding a broom and a mop in front of an American flag to imitate Grant Wood's American Gothic.
14. What was the inspiration for Grant Wood's American Gothic?
    Gordon's inspiration was the widespread racism that he encountered wherever he went. Wood's inspiration was the American Gothic House in Eldon, Iowa and his perception of the type of people who he thought would live in that style of home.
15. What did Gordon learn from Stryker about photography?He learned to approach people and that the people he photographed were more important than himself. He also learned he could not photograph bigots and simply call them bigots. His photography had to paint a portrait to support his angle.
    
    
    Part 2
16. When did the FSA shut down?
    The FSA shut down in 1943.
17. After Gordon moved to New York, what magazine did he shoot for?
    When Gordon moved to New York, he shot for Vogue magazine.
18. Who was the picture editor of Life Magazine when Gordon walked into the Life Magazine office?
    Wilson Hicks was the picture editor who gave Gordon his first job at Life magazine.
19. What was the first major story Parks covered for Life Magazine?
    Gordon Parks' first major story for Life magazine was about crime in America. Specifically, he followed around a gang leader called Red Jackson.
20.  Who were some of the artists that Gordon Parks mentioned influenced his work after he moved to the Paris Life Magazine bureau?
    Some of Gordon Parks' influences were Bernard, Picasso, and Van Gogh.
21. How did Parks shoot fashion when he lived in France?
    He focused on the models' movements rather than shooting only stationery photos.
22. Where was Parks' concerto performed?
    Parks' concerto was first performed in Venice by a 102-piece symphony.
23. Who was Parks' second wife? (Who was her father? What did she do?)
    His second wife was Elizabeth Campbell, who was a model. Gordon Parks worked for her father.
24. How old was Flavio de Silva when Parks met him?
    Flavio was 12 when he and Parks first met.
25. When did Parks meet Flavio?
    Parks met Flavio in the early 1960s for a photo assignment on behalf of Life magazine.
26. Where did Flavio live when Parks first met Flavio and his family?
    Flavio lived in Catacumba, one of many favelas (slums) in Rio de Janeiro.
27. How is Gloria Vanderbilt? Who is her famous son? Who are her ancestors?
    Gloria Vanderbilt was an author and an artist. Anderson Cooper is her famous son. Her ancestors were extremely rich owners of a railroad company. .
28. How did Vanderbilt describe their relationship?
    She said that although they had a lot of respect and love towards each other, their relationship remained platonic.