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Capturing Public Health: Dr. Jon Samet's Photographic Legacy at ColoradoSPH

minute read

headshot of Dr. Jon Samet

For Dr. Jon Samet, his interest in photography has grown over the years as has his career, which has taken him from the northeast to the southwest, with key milestones at the University of New Mexico, the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, the University of Southern California, and of course, the Colorado School of Public Health.

So, too has his photography interest evolved. Starting 40 years ago, he began collecting black and white photography during his time spent working in Albuquerque. Many of these works were by local artists, as well as some of the key figures in photography, such as Ansel Adams, Eugene Smith, Lee Friedlander, and Laura Gilpin. Some of these photos paralleled Jon’s own work, including uranium mining and documentation of the impact of other industries on the environment. Some were related to his passion for music, jazz in particular.

Later, he broadened his collection into the world of color photography, including such photographers as Richard Misrach, Patrick Nagatani, Ben Depp, and David Maisel. His interest remained in photographs that told stories about the environment.

Now, he and his wife, Connie Brines, are donating some of their photographs to the School. These generous donations will be displayed in the Dean’s Conference room and the Center for American Indian and Alaska Native Health (CAIANH), both on the School’s CU Anschutz campus.

One piece, already hung in the Dean’s Suite, is by Topher Straus, a Colorado-based contemporary impressionist painter. The image is computer-generated and captures the majesty of the Maroon Bells.

Samet and Brines decided to donate these works to the School because they are evocative of public health themes. The three images donated to CAIANH portray protests by American Indians and the irony of tourism on Native lands.

All of the artwork will be on permanent display in 2025.