Meet Robert Flora

Read About the Photographer Robert Flora

Robert Flora began studying photography while in high school in Lynnwood, California. After graduation, Flora was hired as a darkroom technician for the Acme News Picture Service. During the Korean War, he served as a photographer in the Army. His duties included the production of training films. When he returned from military service, Flora resumed work for Acme, and became a news photographer for them in 1957. Acme was eventually acquired by United Press, which later merged with International News Service and became United Press International (UPI).

Most of Flora’s work was made in Los Angeles, California between the 1960s and 1980s. He covered several major news events during his photographic career, including the Watts Riots of August 1965, the Apollo recovery missions from 1969–1972, and the murder trials of Sirhan Sirhan for the assassination of Senator Robert F. Kennedy and the murder of Charles Manson. Flora also photographed numerous Olympic Games between the 1960s and 1984.

Flora’s photographs were produced as news items, and prints were made and captioned expressly for the purpose of wire transmission to the newspapers, magazines, and other media outlets that subscribed to UPI’s news service.

Questions

Write or discuss your responses.

• What major historical events did Robert Flora photograph during his career? Name at least three specific events mentioned in the text.
• How did Flora’s photographs reach newspapers and magazines across the country? Explain the process described in the text.