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John Collier (1913 - 1992)
Born in a suburb of New York City in 1913, John Collier, Jr., spent most of his childhood and early adulthood in the California bay area and Taos, New Mexico. After a brief stint at the California School of Fine Arts, Collier shifted focus to photography. He moved in 1939 to Taos, and used Paul Strand’s old darkroom as his studio. While he was economically unsuccessful, the year in Taos allowed him time to develop his skill.

Returning to San Francisco in 1940, he worked commercial jobs and submitted his portfolio to Stryker and the Historical Section. He was hired in 1941 and remained with the organization until it ended. When Stryker left for Standard Oil, John Collier, Jr., went too, along with Esther Bubley, Russell Lee, Gordon Parks, Louise and Edwin Rosskam, and John Vachon. Following his time at Standard Oil, Collier and his wife Mary E. T. Collier became pioneers of visual anthropology. In 1959, they moved to San Francisco where Collier returned to California School of Fine Arts as a teacher. In 1961, he would also join the Anthropology faculty at San Francisco State University. His lasting impact is exemplified by the John Collier Jr. Award for Still Photography from the Society of Visual Anthropology.