100 years ago Oliver Gagliani was born in Placerville, California. He died 15 years ago at the age of eighty five. In my opinion he was one of the true
" Masters" of 20th century photography.
I will never forget the first time I saw his photographs at the Focus Gallery on Union Street in San Francisco in 1968. I returned a few times to study
the prints and saw Oliver himself there looking at his work. Unfortunately I was too much in awe and too timid to approach him. Fast forward 10 years
and I was taking his Virginia City Workshop.I got to know him and his work and was friendly with him for many years.
Recently my daughter moved into a new house and asked me for some of my photographs to decorate her bare walls. I framed and hung some of my
work and decided to give her one of Olivers photographs that I had recently reframed but had not yet hung in my house.
After hanging his photograph and seeing it again in a new light ,so to speak, I was so impressed with the beauty and power of his work that it rekindled my interest in the things he had taught me.