{"id":5369425,"date":"2022-03-25T17:24:04","date_gmt":"2022-03-25T17:24:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.life.com\/?p=5369425"},"modified":"2022-03-25T17:25:30","modified_gmt":"2022-03-25T17:25:30","slug":"west-coast-wonderful-the-photography-of-fred-lyon","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.life.com\/arts-entertainment\/west-coast-wonderful-the-photography-of-fred-lyon\/","title":{"rendered":"West Coast Wonderful: The Photography of Fred Lyon"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>If you look at the breadth and variety in the photographs that Fred Lyon shot for LIFE magazine, you get a sense of the particular adventure of working for a general interest magazine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;Every time the phone rang it would start me off in a different direction, usually some place I had never been or someone I had never known,&#8221; Lyon recalled in a recent phone interview.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Lyon, now as he was then, is based in San Francisco, and his assignments usually had a West Coast setting. From that perch he shot such varied subjects as news, fashion, food, and architecture. If there is any through-line that connects his work, it is that he managed to find joy and beauty in so many disparate situations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Lyon, 97 years old, remains remarkably sharp. He is a lively storyteller who enjoys an amusing turn of phrase. Though he doesn&#8217;t go out on shoots anymore, he still makes and contributes to books, drawing on a vast archive of photos\u2014he worked not only for LIFE, but for Vogue and numerous other clients. His most recent book, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.rizzoliusa.com\/book\/9780847871520\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Inventing the California Look<\/a>, out March 22, is about interior design. He has several other projects in the works.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Lyon recalls his LIFE association, which began in 1948, with great fondness. As a young photographer his agent had pushed for him to shoot for LIFE, he says, because once you are in that magazine, &#8220;no matter how bad the picture is, after that no one will ever question whether you are a good photographer.&#8221; <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>An early job that turned out to be surprisingly memorable involved riding around with a fledgling California politician as he introduced himself to the local population in his first bid for the U.S. Senate in 1950. Lyon sat in the front seat with <a href=\"https:\/\/www.life.com\/history\/kennedy-nixon-debates-1960-the-tv-landmark-that-changed-the-game\/\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"26035\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Richard Nixon<\/a> as he drove his station wagon from one small California town to another. As they reached the town center Nixon would starting playing march music on a phonograph in the front seat that connected to a loudspeaker on the car&#8217;s roof. As people gathered Nixon would introduce himself to voters and take their questions. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;He would confuse old people by doing the old high school debating gimmick of answering questions with other questions,&#8221; Lyon recalled. After they were back in the car, Nixon would loosen his tie, take the needle off the record and say to Lyon as they drove out of town, \u201cWell, that\u2019s all that shit.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>At that point Lyon sized up the future President thusly: \u201cHe has no style, and he has no future in politics.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Some assignments were more fun, like a shoot Lyon did at the beach with two bikini-clad models. Here&#8217;s how Lyon recounts that adventure:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote\"><p>&#8220;When bikinis first became popular, of course LIFE was enthusiastic. Models were booked for the beach at Malibu.&nbsp;There was some sort of celebration the night before the shoot (there always was).&nbsp;In the morning, I sensed that I had done something unwise in the middle of the night.&nbsp;When I crept over to the telephone my scribbles revealed that I had booked elephants to meet the models at the beach.&nbsp;There were visions of the pachyderms holding each other&#8217;s tails and plodding out on Sunset Boulevard.&nbsp; My throbbing head could barely face bikinis, let alone elephants. The cancellation caught them in the nick of time, and even the models were grateful.&#8221;<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>Lyon staged another fashion shoot at a very different West Coast location\u2014Alcatraz. The shoot starred two actresses from <a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Point_Blank_(1967_film)\" target=\"_blank\">Point Blank<\/a>, a cult classic crime movie that featured <a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.imdb.com\/name\/nm0001141\/\" target=\"_blank\">Angie Dickinson<\/a> and <a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.imdb.com\/name\/nm0009943\/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0\" target=\"_blank\">Sharon Acker<\/a>. The government had stopped using Alcatraz as a federal prison in 1962 and it had yet to make its transition to a historic monument. Lyon recalls Alcatraz as being cold and filthy, with papers strewn everywhere. He and the crew made it through the shoot with the help of thermoses of coffee and brandy. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;We managed the laugh a lot,&#8221; he recalls. &#8220;Maybe it was the brandy. My shoots were always happy shoots.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Maybe not always. Lyon&#8217;s portfolio includes photos of a dark but fascinating piece of California history known as Synanon. At its outset Synanon, founded by Charles Dederich, was a pioneer in treatment of narcotics addiction, and Dederich is credited as <a href=\"https:\/\/www.goodreads.com\/quotes\/615810-today-is-the-first-day-of-the-rest-of-your\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">the source<\/a> of the expression &#8220;Today is the first day of the rest of your life.&#8221; But in its later years Synanon morphed from a treatment program into a cult and a criminal enterprise. This fascinating <a href=\"https:\/\/www.lamag.com\/citythinkblog\/synanon-cult\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">deep dive into Synanon by L.A. Magazine<\/a> opens with a chilling scene of a lawyer\/journalist who dared to challenge Synanon being bit by a rattlesnake that had been shoved through the mail slot of his home.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Lyon shot <a href=\"https:\/\/books.google.com\/books?id=ZVIEAAAAMBAJ&amp;pg=PA38&amp;dq=synanon&amp;hl=en&amp;sa=X&amp;ved=2ahUKEwi-h4Ots5v2AhWyl-AKHZQUC5IQ6AF6BAgGEAI#v=onepage&amp;q=synanon&amp;f=false\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">his story on Synanon<\/a> in 1969, before the movement&#8217;s darker impulses has taken over. Still, Lyon recalls not personally caring for Dederich. &#8220;He was an unpleasant man doing work that I realized was beneficial,&#8221; Lyon says. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>And encountering characters such as Dederich was all part of the big adventure of shooting for LIFE. One upside of his association with the magazine was coming into New York and having occasional meetings the legendary <a href=\"https:\/\/www.life.com\/photographer\/alfred-eisenstaedt\/\" data-type=\"URL\" data-id=\"https:\/\/www.life.com\/photographer\/alfred-eisenstaedt\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Alfred Eisenstaedt<\/a>, who stands as a giant on the roster of staff LIFE photographers. &#8220;He was to my way of thinking the perfect photojournalist,&#8221; Lyon says. &#8220;Everyone he met, he would try to extract everything from their brain right here and now.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Some assignments resulted in valuable life lessons when Lyon least expected them. Once he was out on a more humdrum assignment, shooting the director of an opera company. Lyon said to him, &#8220;I hear you&#8217;re a hell of a fundraiser, whats your secret?&#8221; The director answered, &#8220;I tell people, <em>Don\u2019t die rich. Live rich<\/em>.&#8221; <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;You know what,&#8221; says Lyon, &#8220;I learned something.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n<blockquote id=\"single-block_6213b22f194e3\" class=\"single-image \">\n    <section>\n                        <img decoding=\"async\" data=\"block-image\" data-id=5369429 desc=\"\" caption=\"Fred Lyon\/LIFE Pictures\/Shutterstock\" title=\"Actress Sharon Acker posed for a fashion shoot in Alcatraz, 1968.\" src=\"https:\/\/static.life.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/21154023\/112272689-661x1024.jpeg\" alt=\"\" \/>\n                <div class=\"image-info\">\n            <p class=\"image-caption\">Actress Sharon Acker posed for a fashion shoot in Alcatraz, 1968.<\/p>\n            <p class=\"image-caption\">Fred Lyon\/LIFE Pictures\/Shutterstock<\/p>\n        <\/div>\n    <\/section>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n<blockquote id=\"single-block_6213b27b194e4\" class=\"single-image \">\n    <section>\n                        <img decoding=\"async\" data=\"block-image\" data-id=5369431 desc=\"\" caption=\"Fred Lyon\/LIFE Pictures\/Shutterstock\" title=\"Angie Dickinson modeled for an Alcatraz fashion shoot, 1968\" src=\"https:\/\/static.life.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/21154029\/112272691-661x1024.jpeg\" alt=\"\" \/>\n                <div class=\"image-info\">\n            <p class=\"image-caption\">Angie Dickinson modeled for an Alcatraz fashion shoot, 1968<\/p>\n            <p class=\"image-caption\">Fred Lyon\/LIFE Pictures\/Shutterstock<\/p>\n        <\/div>\n    <\/section>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n<blockquote id=\"single-block_6213b43a194e8\" class=\"single-image \">\n    <section>\n                        <img decoding=\"async\" data=\"block-image\" data-id=5369444 desc=\"\" caption=\"Fred Lyon\/LIFE photos\/Shutterstock\" title=\"Actress Sharon Acker posed for a fashion shoot in Alcatraz, 1968.\" src=\"https:\/\/static.life.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/21154653\/112272686-661x1024.jpeg\" alt=\"\" \/>\n                <div class=\"image-info\">\n            <p class=\"image-caption\">Actress Sharon Acker posed for a fashion shoot in Alcatraz, 1968.<\/p>\n            <p class=\"image-caption\">Fred Lyon\/LIFE photos\/Shutterstock<\/p>\n        <\/div>\n    <\/section>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n<blockquote id=\"single-block_6218f886cae57\" class=\"single-image \">\n    <section>\n                        <img decoding=\"async\" data=\"block-image\" data-id=5369499 desc=\"\" caption=\"Fred Lyon\/LIFE Pictures\/Shutterstock\" title=\"An opera performer was helped into his costume, 1948.\" src=\"https:\/\/static.life.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/25154147\/00693603-819x1024.jpeg\" alt=\"\" \/>\n                <div class=\"image-info\">\n            <p class=\"image-caption\">An opera performer was helped into his costume, 1948.<\/p>\n            <p class=\"image-caption\">Fred Lyon\/LIFE Pictures\/Shutterstock<\/p>\n        <\/div>\n    <\/section>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n<blockquote id=\"single-block_6217a14c16097\" class=\"single-image \">\n    <section>\n                        <img decoding=\"async\" data=\"block-image\" data-id=5369480 desc=\"\" caption=\"Fred Lyon\/LIFE Pictures\/Shutterstock\" title=\"Opening night of the Denver Symphony at the Tabor Theater, 1955.\" src=\"https:\/\/static.life.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/24151519\/01013977-664x1024.jpeg\" alt=\"\" \/>\n                <div class=\"image-info\">\n            <p class=\"image-caption\">Opening night of the Denver Symphony at the Tabor Theater, 1955.<\/p>\n            <p class=\"image-caption\">Fred Lyon\/LIFE Pictures\/Shutterstock<\/p>\n        <\/div>\n    <\/section>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n<blockquote id=\"single-block_6217a0ec16095\" class=\"single-image \">\n    <section>\n                        <img decoding=\"async\" data=\"block-image\" data-id=5369484 desc=\"\" caption=\"Fred Lyon\/LIFE Pictures\/Shutterstock\" title=\"Richard Nixon as he was running for U.S. Senate in California, 1950.\" src=\"https:\/\/static.life.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/24151544\/00721739-1024x678.jpeg\" alt=\"\" \/>\n                <div class=\"image-info\">\n            <p class=\"image-caption\">Richard Nixon as he was running for U.S. Senate in California, 1950.<\/p>\n            <p class=\"image-caption\">Fred Lyon\/LIFE Pictures\/Shutterstock<\/p>\n        <\/div>\n    <\/section>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n<blockquote id=\"single-block_6217a13916096\" class=\"single-image \">\n    <section>\n                        <img decoding=\"async\" data=\"block-image\" data-id=5369482 desc=\"\" caption=\"Fred Lyon\/LIFE Pictures\/Shutterstock\" title=\"A patient received radiation treatment for cancer at the University of California Medical Center, 1958.\" src=\"https:\/\/static.life.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/24151527\/01011212-743x1024.jpeg\" alt=\"\" \/>\n                <div class=\"image-info\">\n            <p class=\"image-caption\">A patient received radiation treatment for cancer at the University of California Medical Center, 1958.<\/p>\n            <p class=\"image-caption\">Fred Lyon\/LIFE Pictures\/Shutterstock<\/p>\n        <\/div>\n    <\/section>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n<blockquote id=\"single-block_6217a15d16098\" class=\"single-image \">\n    <section>\n                        <img decoding=\"async\" data=\"block-image\" data-id=5369481 desc=\"\" caption=\"Fred Lyon\/LIFE Pictures\/Shutterstock\" title=\"At the I. Magnin Co. department store in San Francisco, the photographer&#039;s son, Michael, tested a car during a pre-Christmas  shoot, 1955.\" src=\"https:\/\/static.life.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/24151523\/01013935-1024x763.jpeg\" alt=\"\" \/>\n                <div class=\"image-info\">\n            <p class=\"image-caption\">At the I. Magnin Co. department store in San Francisco, the photographer&#8217;s son, Michael, tested a car during a pre-Christmas  shoot, 1955.<\/p>\n            <p class=\"image-caption\">Fred Lyon\/LIFE Pictures\/Shutterstock<\/p>\n        <\/div>\n    <\/section>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n<blockquote id=\"single-block_621937ebcae59\" class=\"single-image \">\n    <section>\n                        <img decoding=\"async\" data=\"block-image\" data-id=5369512 desc=\"\" caption=\"Fred Lyon\/LIFE Pictures\/Shutterstock\" title=\"A scene from the construction of an underground tunnel by the Pacific Gas &amp;amp; Electric ulitity company on the Feather River in Northern California, 1949.\" src=\"https:\/\/static.life.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/25201151\/00717682-803x1024.jpeg\" alt=\"\" \/>\n                <div class=\"image-info\">\n            <p class=\"image-caption\">A scene from the construction of an underground tunnel by the Pacific Gas &amp; Electric ulitity company on the Feather River in Northern California, 1949.<\/p>\n            <p class=\"image-caption\">Fred Lyon\/LIFE Pictures\/Shutterstock<\/p>\n        <\/div>\n    <\/section>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n<blockquote id=\"single-block_621938cecae5a\" class=\"single-image \">\n    <section>\n                        <img decoding=\"async\" data=\"block-image\" data-id=5369513 desc=\"\" caption=\"Fred Lyon\/LIFE Pictures\/Shutterstock\" title=\"A scene from work on the construction of a tunnel by the Pacific Gas &amp;amp; Electric utility company near the Feather River, 1949.\" src=\"https:\/\/static.life.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/25201231\/00717680-792x1024.jpeg\" alt=\"\" \/>\n                <div class=\"image-info\">\n            <p class=\"image-caption\">A scene from work on the construction of a tunnel by the Pacific Gas &amp; Electric utility company near the Feather River, 1949.<\/p>\n            <p class=\"image-caption\">Fred Lyon\/LIFE Pictures\/Shutterstock<\/p>\n        <\/div>\n    <\/section>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n<blockquote id=\"single-block_6217a16b16099\" class=\"single-image \">\n    <section>\n                        <img decoding=\"async\" data=\"block-image\" data-id=5369479 desc=\"\" caption=\"Fred Lyon\/LIFE Pictures\/Shutterstock\" title=\"Students enjoyed recess at Sassarini Elementary School in Sonoma, Calif. in 1959; the school was designed by architect Mario J. Ciampi.\" src=\"https:\/\/static.life.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/24151514\/1218480-1024x688.jpeg\" alt=\"\" \/>\n                <div class=\"image-info\">\n            <p class=\"image-caption\">Students enjoyed recess at Sassarini Elementary School in Sonoma, Calif. in 1959; the school was designed by architect Mario J. Ciampi.<\/p>\n            <p class=\"image-caption\">Fred Lyon\/LIFE Pictures\/Shutterstock<\/p>\n        <\/div>\n    <\/section>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n<blockquote id=\"single-block_62191b50cae58\" class=\"single-image \">\n    <section>\n                        <img decoding=\"async\" data=\"block-image\" data-id=5369507 desc=\"\" caption=\"Fred Lyon\/LIFE Pictures\/Shutterstock\" title=\"Students at the modernistic Westmoor High School,  designed by architect Mario J. Ciampi, in Daly City, Calif.\" src=\"https:\/\/static.life.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/25180933\/00914561-1-715x1024.jpeg\" alt=\"\" \/>\n                <div class=\"image-info\">\n            <p class=\"image-caption\">Students at the modernistic Westmoor High School,  designed by architect Mario J. Ciampi, in Daly City, Calif.<\/p>\n            <p class=\"image-caption\">Fred Lyon\/LIFE Pictures\/Shutterstock<\/p>\n        <\/div>\n    <\/section>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n<blockquote id=\"single-block_6217a1781609a\" class=\"single-image \">\n    <section>\n                        <img decoding=\"async\" data=\"block-image\" data-id=5369483 desc=\"\" caption=\"Fred Lyon\/LIFE Pictures\/Shutterstock\" title=\"Women modeling knit bikini bathing suits on the California shore, 1959\" src=\"https:\/\/static.life.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/24151535\/00909123-1024x758.jpeg\" alt=\"\" \/>\n                <div class=\"image-info\">\n            <p class=\"image-caption\">Women modeling knit bikini bathing suits on the California shore, 1959<\/p>\n            <p class=\"image-caption\">Fred Lyon\/LIFE Pictures\/Shutterstock<\/p>\n        <\/div>\n    <\/section>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n<blockquote id=\"single-block_6213b4fd194ef\" class=\"single-image \">\n    <section>\n                        <img decoding=\"async\" data=\"block-image\" data-id=5369445 desc=\"\" caption=\"Fred Lyon\/LIFE Pictures\/Shutterstock\" title=\"Vicky Drake, who worked as a topless dancer, ran a provocative but unsuccessful campaign for student body president at Stanford, 1968.\" src=\"https:\/\/static.life.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/21154658\/117266704-661x1024.jpeg\" alt=\"\" \/>\n                <div class=\"image-info\">\n            <p class=\"image-caption\">Vicky Drake, who worked as a topless dancer, ran a provocative but unsuccessful campaign for student body president at Stanford, 1968.<\/p>\n            <p class=\"image-caption\">Fred Lyon\/LIFE Pictures\/Shutterstock<\/p>\n        <\/div>\n    <\/section>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n<blockquote id=\"single-block_62193c20cae5b\" class=\"single-image \">\n    <section>\n                        <img decoding=\"async\" data=\"block-image\" data-id=5369426 desc=\"\" caption=\"Fred Lyon\/LIFE Pictures\/Shutterstock\" title=\"Vicky Drake, who worked as a topless dancer, campaigned (unsuccessfully) for student body president at Stanford, 1968.\" src=\"https:\/\/static.life.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/21153508\/117266913-1024x661.jpeg\" alt=\"\" \/>\n                <div class=\"image-info\">\n            <p class=\"image-caption\">Vicky Drake, who worked as a topless dancer, campaigned (unsuccessfully) for student body president at Stanford, 1968.<\/p>\n            <p class=\"image-caption\">Fred Lyon\/LIFE Pictures\/Shutterstock<\/p>\n        <\/div>\n    <\/section>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n<blockquote id=\"single-block_6213b420194e7\" class=\"single-image \">\n    <section>\n                        <img decoding=\"async\" data=\"block-image\" data-id=5369436 desc=\"\" caption=\"Fred Lyon\/LIFE Pictures\/Shutterstock\" title=\"Nancy Reagan, wife of Ronald Reagan, who was then the governor of California, posed at home, 1967.\" src=\"https:\/\/static.life.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/21154620\/00986727-1024x701.jpeg\" alt=\"\" \/>\n                <div class=\"image-info\">\n            <p class=\"image-caption\">Nancy Reagan, wife of Ronald Reagan, who was then the governor of California, posed at home, 1967.<\/p>\n            <p class=\"image-caption\">Fred Lyon\/LIFE Pictures\/Shutterstock<\/p>\n        <\/div>\n    <\/section>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n<blockquote id=\"single-block_6213b39e194e6\" class=\"single-image \">\n    <section>\n                        <img decoding=\"async\" data=\"block-image\" data-id=5369448 desc=\"\" caption=\"Fred Lyon\/LIFE Pictures\/Shutterstock\" title=\"Nancy Reagan, the wife of then-Governor Ronald Reagan, posed in the California State capital, 1967.\" src=\"https:\/\/static.life.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/21154726\/1152956-683x1024.jpeg\" alt=\"\" \/>\n                <div class=\"image-info\">\n            <p class=\"image-caption\">Nancy Reagan, the wife of then-Governor Ronald Reagan, posed in the California State capital, 1967.<\/p>\n            <p class=\"image-caption\">Fred Lyon\/LIFE Pictures\/Shutterstock<\/p>\n        <\/div>\n    <\/section>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n<blockquote id=\"single-block_6213b678194f5\" class=\"single-image \">\n    <section>\n                        <img decoding=\"async\" data=\"block-image\" data-id=5369451 desc=\"\" caption=\"Fred Lyon\/LIFE Pictures\/Shutterstock\" title=\"Charles E. Dederich, founder and leader of Synanon, 1969.\" src=\"https:\/\/static.life.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/21155757\/00985263-1024x674.jpeg\" alt=\"\" \/>\n                <div class=\"image-info\">\n            <p class=\"image-caption\">Charles E. Dederich, founder and leader of Synanon, 1969.<\/p>\n            <p class=\"image-caption\">Fred Lyon\/LIFE Pictures\/Shutterstock<\/p>\n        <\/div>\n    <\/section>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n<blockquote id=\"single-block_6213b56d194f4\" class=\"single-image \">\n    <section>\n                        <img decoding=\"async\" data=\"block-image\" data-id=5369434 desc=\"\" caption=\"Fred Lyon\/LIFE Pictures\/Shutterstock\" title=\"Charles E. Dederich, founder and leader of Synanon, wore a hat with a moving tetrahedron as he wrote on a blackboard, 1969.\" src=\"https:\/\/static.life.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/21154610\/00985255-1024x687.jpeg\" alt=\"\" \/>\n                <div class=\"image-info\">\n            <p class=\"image-caption\">Charles E. Dederich, founder and leader of Synanon, wore a hat with a moving tetrahedron as he wrote on a blackboard, 1969.<\/p>\n            <p class=\"image-caption\">Fred Lyon\/LIFE Pictures\/Shutterstock<\/p>\n        <\/div>\n    <\/section>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n<blockquote id=\"single-block_6213b468194ea\" class=\"single-image \">\n    <section>\n                        <img decoding=\"async\" data=\"block-image\" data-id=5369438 desc=\"\" caption=\"Fred Lyon\/LIFE Pictures\/Shutterstock\" title=\"Poached pears, photographed for LIFE&#039;s &quot;Great Dinner&quot; series, 1968.\" src=\"https:\/\/static.life.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/21154630\/110704415-1024x720.jpeg\" alt=\"\" \/>\n                <div class=\"image-info\">\n            <p class=\"image-caption\">Poached pears, photographed for LIFE&#8217;s &#8220;Great Dinner&#8221; series, 1968.<\/p>\n            <p class=\"image-caption\">Fred Lyon\/LIFE Pictures\/Shutterstock<\/p>\n        <\/div>\n    <\/section>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n<blockquote id=\"single-block_6213b494194eb\" class=\"single-image \">\n    <section>\n                        <img decoding=\"async\" data=\"block-image\" data-id=5369439 desc=\"\" caption=\"Fred Lyon\/LIFE Pictures\/Shutterstock\" title=\"A Brazilian feijoda, featuring black beans, rice, sausages, baked bananas, onions and roast pork loin, photographed for LIFE&#039;s &quot;Great Dinner&quot; series, 1968.\" src=\"https:\/\/static.life.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/21154635\/110752778-1024x708.jpeg\" alt=\"\" \/>\n                <div class=\"image-info\">\n            <p class=\"image-caption\">A Brazilian feijoda, featuring black beans, rice, sausages, baked bananas, onions and roast pork loin, photographed for LIFE&#8217;s &#8220;Great Dinner&#8221; series, 1968.<\/p>\n            <p class=\"image-caption\">Fred Lyon\/LIFE Pictures\/Shutterstock<\/p>\n        <\/div>\n    <\/section>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n<blockquote id=\"single-block_6213b527194f1\" class=\"single-image \">\n    <section>\n                        <img decoding=\"async\" data=\"block-image\" data-id=5369437 desc=\"\" caption=\"Fred Lyon\/LIFE PIctures\/Shutterstock\" title=\"Gnocchi being made in Italy, 1966.\" src=\"https:\/\/static.life.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/21154626\/00987756-1024x674.jpeg\" alt=\"\" \/>\n                <div class=\"image-info\">\n            <p class=\"image-caption\">Gnocchi being made in Italy, 1966.<\/p>\n            <p class=\"image-caption\">Fred Lyon\/LIFE PIctures\/Shutterstock<\/p>\n        <\/div>\n    <\/section>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n<blockquote id=\"single-block_6213b4a5194ec\" class=\"single-image \">\n    <section>\n                        <img decoding=\"async\" data=\"block-image\" data-id=5369432 desc=\"\" caption=\"Fred Lyon\/LIFE Pictures\/Shutterstock\" title=\"Pork was prepared in Hawaii, 1969.\" src=\"https:\/\/static.life.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/21154032\/112305463-1024x661.jpeg\" alt=\"\" \/>\n                <div class=\"image-info\">\n            <p class=\"image-caption\">Pork was prepared in Hawaii, 1969.<\/p>\n            <p class=\"image-caption\">Fred Lyon\/LIFE Pictures\/Shutterstock<\/p>\n        <\/div>\n    <\/section>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n<blockquote id=\"single-block_6213b53d194f2\" class=\"single-image \">\n    <section>\n                        <img decoding=\"async\" data=\"block-image\" data-id=5369441 desc=\"\" caption=\"Fred Lyon\/LIFE Pictures\/Shutterstock\" title=\"The Lovejoy Fountain Park in Portland, Oregon.\" src=\"https:\/\/static.life.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/21154642\/110752790-1024x748.jpeg\" alt=\"\" \/>\n                <div class=\"image-info\">\n            <p class=\"image-caption\">The Lovejoy Fountain Park in Portland, Oregon.<\/p>\n            <p class=\"image-caption\">Fred Lyon\/LIFE Pictures\/Shutterstock<\/p>\n        <\/div>\n    <\/section>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n<blockquote id=\"single-block_62193ddacae5c\" class=\"single-image \">\n    <section>\n                        <img decoding=\"async\" data=\"block-image\" data-id=5369519 desc=\"\" caption=\"Fred Lyon\/LIFE Pictures\/Shutterstock\" title=\"LoveJoy&quot;Fountain Park in Portland, Oregon, by Lawrence Halprin.\" src=\"https:\/\/static.life.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/25203649\/110752787-1024x364.jpeg\" alt=\"\" \/>\n                <div class=\"image-info\">\n            <p class=\"image-caption\">LoveJoy&#8221;Fountain Park in Portland, Oregon, by Lawrence Halprin.<\/p>\n            <p class=\"image-caption\">Fred Lyon\/LIFE Pictures\/Shutterstock<\/p>\n        <\/div>\n    <\/section>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n<blockquote id=\"single-block_6213b4cc194ee\" class=\"single-image \">\n    <section>\n                        <img decoding=\"async\" data=\"block-image\" data-id=5369443 desc=\"\" caption=\"Fred Lyon\/LIFE Pictures\/Shutterstock\" title=\"An image from a five-day trip down the Colorado River, 1969.\" src=\"https:\/\/static.life.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/21154650\/112221460-661x1024.jpeg\" alt=\"\" \/>\n                <div class=\"image-info\">\n            <p class=\"image-caption\">An image from a five-day trip down the Colorado River, 1969.<\/p>\n            <p class=\"image-caption\">Fred Lyon\/LIFE Pictures\/Shutterstock<\/p>\n        <\/div>\n    <\/section>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n<blockquote id=\"double-block_621cd9a4a8c51\" class=\"double-image aligncenter\">\n    <section>\n                        <img decoding=\"async\" data=\"block-image\" data-id=5369520 desc=\"\" caption=\"Photo by Chuck Ashley\" title=\"Fred Lyon, 1966.\" src=\"https:\/\/static.life.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/28141843\/1008143.jpeg\" alt=\"\" \/>\n                <div class=\"image-info\">\n            <p class=\"image-caption\">Fred Lyon, 1966.<\/p>\n            <p class=\"image-caption\">Photo by Chuck Ashley<\/p>\n        <\/div>\n    <\/section>\n    <section>\n                        <img decoding=\"async\" data=\"block-image\" data-id=5369521 desc=\"\" caption=\"\" title=\"Self portrait by Fred Lyon, taken in the 1990s.\" src=\"https:\/\/static.life.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/28141844\/1006251a.jpeg\" alt=\"\" \/>\n                <div class=\"image-info\">\n            <p class=\"image-caption\">Self portrait by Fred Lyon, taken in the 1990s.<\/p>\n            <p class=\"image-caption\"><\/p>\n        <\/div>\n    <\/section>\n<\/blockquote>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>If you look at the breadth and variety in the photographs that Fred Lyon shot for LIFE magazine, you get a sense of the particular adventure of working for a general interest magazine. &#8220;Every time the phone rang it would start me off in a different direction, usually some place I had never been or &#8230; <a title=\"West Coast Wonderful: The Photography of Fred Lyon\" class=\"read-more\" href=\"https:\/\/www.life.com\/arts-entertainment\/west-coast-wonderful-the-photography-of-fred-lyon\/\">Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":24,"featured_media":5369479,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[24,25],"tags":[1306],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v20.13 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>West Coast Wonderful: The Photography of Fred Lyon - LIFE<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.life.com\/arts-entertainment\/west-coast-wonderful-the-photography-of-fred-lyon\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"West Coast Wonderful: The 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