PATRICK D. PAGNANO

Patrick D. Pagnano (1947-2018), described as “one of the most preeminent street photographers in New York City in the 1970’s and 1980’s,” became passionate about street photography while earning his Bachelor of Arts in 1972 from Columbia College in Chicago. While a student, Pat began to develop his approach to photography, described as “a stream of consciousness,” most often compared to great photographers of the 20 th century such as Robert Frank, Garry Winogrand and Walker Evans. Pat strived to capture the essence of a moment, yet wanted to leave the viewer with the impression that the moment was a part of a larger story.

Patrick was fortunate to have a successful tenure as a freelance photojournalist during his career in photography. His commercial work often brought him to the sets of popular TV shows such as “The Late Show with David Letterman,” “CBS News,” and “60 Minutes.” He was contracted often to photograph national events, including the Republican and Democratic National Conventions from 1988 through 2000. One of the most important assignments of his commercial career was accompanying Dan Rather and CBS News to Cuba in 1996 to photograph “CBS Reports: The Last Revolutionary.” The CBS crew was given unprecedented access to Cuba and Fidel Castro.

Patrick’s passion, capturing the human condition in photographs, has been featured in two published books. “Shot on the Street,” self-published in 2002, features 60 color photographs of New York City. In his introduction to the book, he states “The street’s influence and energy never ceases. It is not only felt outside, but permeates the interiors of its structures and minds of its inhabitants.” In addition, “Empire Roller Disco,” published by Anthology Editions in 2023, features Pat’s photographs from a single night inside the famed Brooklyn roller dome. Cary Benbow of F-Stop Magazine wrote “Pagnano struck gold with his ability to cross generations and timelessly bridge cultural divides by capturing the joy and expression on display at a certain place at a certain time: It was the 1980s in NYC at the Empire Roller Disco. Thanks to him, we are there and can feel the pulse of the music, and the throb of the hearts of those who went to strut, glide, or cruise around in the music-filled glittery-darkness.”

Patrick’s photographs have been exhibited at the Art Institute of Chicago, Museum of Modern Art, Brooklyn Museum, New York Public Library, Philadelphia Museum of Art, and the New York Cultural Center, among others. Chosen selections from his Empire Roller Disco series currently grace the halls of the United States Embassy to Poland as a part of the “Art in Embassies” program. In 2023, many of Pat’s commercial photographs were donated and will be a part of the permanent collection in the Patrick D. Pagnano Photographic Archive at the Briscoe Center for American History at the University of Texas. 

Patrick D. Pagnano passed away on October 7, 2018 from complications from a heart procedure. He is survived by his wife of 44 years, Kari Pagnano.