About

John Cohen (1932–2019) was an American photographer, filmmaker, and musician known for his documentary work capturing the folk music revival and countercultural movements of the 1950s and 1960s. His photographs of Bob Dylan in the early years of the singer’s career provide an intimate look at a pivotal moment in American music history, documenting Dylan’s transformation from a Greenwich Village folk singer to a cultural icon. Cohen’s lens also turned toward other key figures of the era, including Woody Guthrie, Pete Seeger, and Allen Ginsberg, as well as lesser-known musicians who embodied the traditions of American folk music.

Beyond music, Cohen’s photography chronicled rural communities in Appalachia, the American West, and indigenous cultures in Peru, capturing disappearing traditions with a raw and unembellished authenticity. His films, such as The High Lonesome Sound (1963), documented the lives and music of Appalachian musicians, preserving their contributions for future generations. A founding member of the New Lost City Ramblers, Cohen was not only a documentarian but also an active participant in the folk music scene he recorded.

His photography is held in major collections, including The Getty Museum, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and the Museum of Modern Art. Cohen’s work, spanning music, photography, and film, remains an essential record of mid-century American cultural history.