© H. Montgomery-Drysdale. Zsa Zsa Gabor - Into Longevity. Gelatin Silver Print.Meet artist H. Montgomery-Drysdale during the San Diego Artists: A Cause for P.A.W.S. opening reception on August 21, 2010 from 4pm to 6pm. Helen is one of six talented artists featured in the current exhibit. Her photographic works will be on display through September 25, 2010.
Born on the East Coast, H. Montgomery-Drysdale received her education bi-coastally. In her late teens she apprenticed at the famous Brattle Theatre in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Following college, she was employed at IMPACT PHOTOS as a 'Captionist' and Press Release Writer. There she mastered the use of cameras and the art of printing Black and White negatives.
Her photographic career began on the Bowery streets of New York City. Documentary photographs cover multitude subjects: AIDS; Alcoholism; Battered Women; the Homeless and Severely Handicapped Children.
Arriving in San Diego, she became Director of Public Relations, as well as Photographer for the renowned La Jolla Playhouse from 1961-1966. She became close friends and photographer for numerous celebrities, including the legendary Ginger Rogers, Dorothy McGuire, Burt Lancaster, Marge & Gower Champion and famed Jazz Legend Louis Armstrong. Other portraits include a poignant study of young John-John Kennedy.
Before the turn of the Century, she found herself on assignment in China and Inner Mongolia, covering aspects of a 30-hour series for CCTV, on the life of Genghis Khan.
Exhibitions of her myriad portfolio have been featured in Europe, China, Inner Mongolia, The National Museum of Women in the Arts (Washington, D.C.), Huntington Hartford Gallery of Modern Art (New York City) and numerous College and University Galleries on both coasts.
Her photographs are in public and private collections and various publications. Her latest book was published in 2009 entitled Backside. It is an intimate look at life behind the scenes at the famous Del Mar Race Track.
