Edward Harvey

Obituary of Edward John Harvey

Ned Harvey, photographer, (4/6/53 – 7/19/24) died peacefully at Yale New Haven Hospital on July 19th, of heart failure. 

 

Edward John Harvey (Ned) was born in Princeton, NJ to Jack and Medora Harvey and grew up in New Canaan, CT, spending his summers on the family farm in Hopewell Valley, NJ and winter vacations on Captiva Island, FL. 

 

While a high school student in New Canaan, Ned secured his first job in the design field, working for architect and Columbia professor Victor Christ-Janer. 

 

Graduating from The Philadelphia College of Art in 1975, Ned thrived in New York advertising’s golden age, opening a Manhattan photography studio on West 22nd Street. His clients were the world’s premier advertising agencies (Campbell Mithun Esty, Compton Advertising, Grey Advertising, Saatchi and Saatchi, A.J. Rodrigues Group, Zimmerman Advertising, Cotton & Company) and for them he created images promoting Wella shampoo, Heineken beer, Perrier Jouet Champagne and many other products.  Other work included a picnic layout for Life magazine and recurring catalog shoots for retailer JCPenny. 

 

By night the studio was the scene of legendary parties thrown for clients, creative partners, and friends.

 

Ned began mentoring others at an early age.  When he was twelve, he taught American painter Nicole White Kennedy how to draw, and she credits him with launching her career as an artist.  Later, amid the demands of his work in New York, he was known for taking time to help models, designers, and art directors build their professional lives. 

 

In 2002 Ned was hired to photograph Sears Tower in Chicago and discovered a new talent and interest.  By the end of his life, Ned worked principally in architectural photography, capturing iconic homes and landscapes for Teddy and Peter Berg, architects Hiland Hall Turner, Wadia Associates, and others. 

 

A gifted and successful professional, Ned was also an empathetic and faithful companion who became the care person during his father’s final illness. 

 

In 2019, Ned married his longtime love, Rene Gatling, in an oceanside ceremony in Maine, and they settled in Wilton, CT, where they gardened and cooked, raised puppies, sheltered homeless cats, and entertained many friends. 

 

Ned is survived by his wife Rene, his sister Heather Ivey, his brothers Todd and Blake, five nieces and nephews and numerous cousins, all of whom he loved. 

 

A passionate reader of history and historical fiction, Ned had a particular appreciation for the work of Isabel Allende and Patrick O’Brien.  Contributions in his name can be made to The World Literacy Foundation (https://worldliteracyfoundation.org/.)

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