Esmond Edwards

Esmond Edwards (October 29, 1927 – January 20, 2007) was an American photographer, record producer, and recording engineer. He worked for jazz label Prestige Records during the 1950s and early-1960s. He was originally hired by founder as a photographer for the record label. He was a trail-blazing African-American, as very few recording industry executives were from minorities. He took over the supervision of recording sessions as the Prestige label's success grew.

His parents, Lucille and Moses Edwards were natives of Kingston, Jamaica. Edwards was born in Nassau, Bahamas while his father was on a work assignment there. Living for a short time in New York City, they returned to Kingston where they resided until eventually leaving their two sons in the care of a family member. After the death of his brother, Noel, Edwards joined his parents in New York City where they lived in Harlem and Washington Heights for many years.

Edwards was educated in New York City schools, including Frederick Douglass (J.H.S.139), Stuyvesant High School and City College of New York. He studied radiography at the Jersey City Medical Center, and while working there pursued an avid interest in photography and music. Using his years of piano lessons as a background, he began creating jazz compositions in his teen years, and ultimately combined his creativity in music and photography into a very prolific and successful career.

Edwards' photographic work has been displayed in New York's Lincoln Center Jazz Archives, in galleries abroad, as well as The New York Times Magazine and Photography.

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