Reed, Ellis “Eli”
1946-present · Contribution: 1970-present
Photojournalist; educator
Became the first Black photographer admitted as a full member of Magnum Photos, the world’s most prestigious photojournalism cooperative, in 1988, following acclaimed coverage of civil wars in Lebanon and Central America

Portraits are AI-generated interpretations, not photographs.
Quick facts
- Born
- 1946, Linden, New Jersey
- Active since
- 1970
- Category
- Press & Photography
- Best known for
- First Black photographer to become a full member of Magnum Photos
Impact on the world
Reed broke Magnum's four-decade color line and, taking a mentor's advice that 'there's a bigger war here at home,' turned his lens on both foreign conflict and Black American life with equal seriousness.
Sources
- Magnum Photos
1 more sources and references are available to members.
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