Not much is known about Alvin Wyckoff, ASC, but every cinematographer owes him a debt of gratitude.
Born in New York City, Wyckoff began his career in motion pictures as an actor in 1909. By 1914 he was photographing silent films in Hollywood and soon began a long collaboration with legendary director Cecil B. DeMille. Their thriving relationship gave way to such silent classics as The Virginian (1914), Trail of the Lonesome Pine (1916) and The Squaw Man (1918); in 1923, Wyckoff also made uncredited contributions to DeMille’s The Ten Commandments. During that period, he popularized the ‘Lasky-lighting’ effect, by which arresting pictorial results were realized by the use of low-key, single-source and contrasty lighting. In all, he shot eighty-eight major productions in addition to an unknown number of industrial, sponsored and educational films. He also served for a time as the head of the Paramount camera department.
Additionally, Wyckoff participated in early experiments with color. Working with engraver Max Handschiegl (for whom the process was named) and his assistant, Loren Taylor, it rendered prints in which color was artificially added to selected parts of the image. This was achieved by applying aniline dyes to a black and white print using gelatin imbibition matrices and was first presented to the public in DeMille’s Joan the Woman (1916).
But Wyckoff’s most lasting achievement was his effort on behalf of his fellow cinematographers. At considerable personal cost, he played a major role in organizing one of Hollywood’s first trade unions – the International Photographers of the Motion Picture Industry, serving as its first president in 1928. Today, we know it as the International Cinematographers Guild, Local 600. I doubt that any of our thousands of members have an idea who Wyckoff was or the significant role he still plays in our lives.
It’s also a sad commentary that his July 1957 passing warranted such minimal notice in American Cinematographer magazine.
A classified ad in American Cinematographer, November 1927.
Thank you for this post, Richard! By coincidence, I recent ran across an editorial in the March 1921 issue of AC where Wyckoff talks about the new fad of soft focus: “Are the men in the photographic end of the industry going mad, using the soft focus lens indiscriminately? It seems as though they are; it is a failing the men should correct and do so quickly. I have witnessed productions that would have been very interesting had it not been for the fact that the interest was intruded upon by the wrong use of the soft focus effects. / The soft focus lens and the vignette are indispensable to the modern photographic equipment, but the use of them should be proceeded with extreme caution and judgment. / The greatest offenders seem to be photographers who disregard the interest of the story to that of their photography. “
David – That’s very funny! Wyckoff would probably have a stroke if he saw the extremes some of our colleagues go to today…
Thanks, Richard.
I’m assuming he’s a direct decedent of the
Dutch settler Wyckoff family., prominent in Canarsie.
https://wyckoffmuseum.org/
Richard, once again, thank you for this evocative post that calls needed attention to another one of the cinematography greats who profoundly carved the path which we proudly tread upon today and into the future. As a proud union member since 1981 I certainly am eager to acknowledge those who fought the good fight to make a better lot for the art and craft of cinematographers. Thanks for these terrific and thoughtful posts on all of your chosen subjects. Happy Holidays!
Gary – that thought occurred to me…wouldn’t that be something!
Thank you, David! As much as I try to appeal to students, I’m the one who’s learning a lot through this blog…