Henry Leutwyler: Hi there!

Description

So as we peer into Frank Sinatra's (1915-98) private pocket phone book from what today seems like the quaintness of the analogue 1970s, we can reliably know Sinatra's circle and speculate on the meaning of those relationships. The over 100 names and numbers here include direct lines to Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford, Spiro Agnew, Barry Goldwater and other important governmental figures. With connections to American businessmen Walter Annenberg, Laurance Rockefeller, Marvin Davis and John Kluge (at the time reputedly the richest person in the country), Sinatra knew just how to tap into capital. And among his fellow artists who were just a phone call away were Dean Martin, Gregory Peck, Roger Moore, Jerry Lewis and Buddy Rich. We even learn the names of Sinatra's doctors and dentists-no doubt the best in their profession for Ol' Blue Eyes.

Henry Leutwyler was born in Switzerland in 1961. In 1985 Leutwyler moved to Paris, where he established himself as an editorial photographer; in 1995 he moved to New York City, where he lives and works today. His photos have been seen in the New York Times Magazine, National Geographic, Vanity Fair and The Wall Street Journal, among others. Leutwyler's books with Steidl are Neverland Lost: A Portrait of Michael Jackson (2010), Ballet. Photographs of the New Your City Ballet (2012), Document (2016) and Hi there! (2019).

While he was photographing the book, Leutwyler discovered something that even the collector who owned it had never noticed: A slender pencil with a white top that been inconspicuously inserted in the book's spine. This sort of discovery is part of what appeals to Leutwyler about his photographer-slash-archeologist work. But the deeper attraction is the intimate connection an object like the phone book provides, a small bridge, made of leather and paper and ink, stretching back to Sinatra himself.--Bill Shapiro "Esquire" Henry Leutwyler photographs every page in an address book said to be Sinatra's, which includes presidents, mogus, showbiz legends and many of the musicians and confidantes who were close to him.--Will Friedwald "Wall Street Journal: WSJ."