Hy Peskin

Hy Peskin (1915–2005) was an American photographer whose dynamic sports imagery helped define mid‑20th‑century athletics on film. Born and raised in the Bronx, New York, he taught himself photography as a teenager before landing his first assignment covering high‑school football for the New York Daily News. His talent for capturing split‑second action quickly earned him work with Life and Sports Illustrated, where he became one of the magazine’s earliest contributors.

Peskin’s breakthrough came at the 1936 Berlin Olympics, where his dramatic compositions of Jesse Owens racing to victory brought global attention to both the athlete and the power of sports photography. Over a career spanning more than six decades, he shot every major sporting event—from World Series baseball and heavyweight boxing matches to the Kentucky Derby and the Pan American Games—always seeking the decisive moment that revealed both motion and emotion.

Known for innovative techniques such as low‑angle framing and panning to convey speed, Peskin also produced award‑winning portraits of icons like Jackie Robinson and Muhammad Ali. His images appeared on hundreds of magazine covers and in seminal photo collections, earning him the National Press Photographers Association’s highest honors. Even in later years, he continued shooting local youth leagues and community events, believing that great athletic stories could be found at every level of competition.