About Richard Stromberg

Richard Stromberg started his career in photography as an "assistant" to Photographers. In June 1964 he got his first full time paycheck, he was paid $1.25 per hour which is $40 a week. Monthly rent was $45. He worked in various studios as an assistant.

When Richard went on his own as a freelancer, he never looked back!

He worked with photographers to create photos used for catalogs, advertising, in industry and architecture, fashion, theater and editorial pieces. He shared and maintained studios with other photographers through the late 1980s.

Richard started the Jane Addams Hull House photography program in the fall of 1969, teaching classes in the evenings. During the day, Richard's other work included managing a television theater, still photography (primarily editorial), film production, video production, audio production and work in public schools. He also participated in the design and installation of 40 advanced technology classrooms at universities and consulted on the use of media in education.

Many of Richard's social documentary photography and editorial assignments focused on institutional racism in the City of Chicago and Cook County governments, exposing poverty and inequities.

The Jane Addams Hull House photography program ended in the summer of 2002, when Hull House sold the building in which it was housed. Richard and his past and present photography students then created The Chicago Photography Center (CPC). Richard hoped the Center would continue the work he had done at Hull House: teaching photography while building community.

Richard worked closely with volunteers to build the program in the new location, quite literally, by organizing the build-out construction and designing and installing plumbing for the new darkrooms. Richard even installed some of his own equipment in the new darkrooms. Many of those volunteers have remained with Richard, serving its community in many ways, including as CPC instructors. In Fall of 2008 the ungrateful cpc board fired Richard, see The Reader story.

Now Richard has opened his third Learning center, ensuring his record 39 years of uninterrupted photo instruction to more than 25,000 students would continue. Many of the volunteers that walked at CPC have now joined Richard in there new place.

Richard Stromberg has devoted 40 years to Teaching Photography in Chicago and the Lakeview & Ravenswood communities.

Richard Stromberg's Chicago Photography Classes, Not Just a School – A Community Center Devoted To Teaching Photography.

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