About Tom Palumbo
Lived 1921 – 2008 (aged 87). Tom Palumbo was an American photographer and theatre director.
Tomas Palumbo (January 25, 1921 – October 13, 2008) was an Italian-born American photographer and theatre director.
Biography Palumbo was born in Molfetta, Italy, in 1921. His family moved to New York City when he was about twelve years old.
As a young man, Palumbo was employed first building scale models for ships in an engineering company. Later, he was employed as an assistant by photographer James Abbe. His experience working with Abbe led him to commercial work in fashion photography. His early campaign work for Peck & Peck Department Store appeared in Vogue and Bazaar magazines from 1949 to 1953.
Palumbo was a staff photographer of Vogue from 1959 until 1962 and at Harper's Bazaar from 1953 until 1959, where he worked with the art directors Alex Liberman and Alexey Brodovitch. He was a vice-president of creative productions at Ted Bates, where he oversaw all TV commercials.
Palumbo was a lifelong member of the Actors Studio. He taught photography at Rhode Island School of Design, and he taught directing at the School of Visual Arts in New York City. He directed plays Off-Broadway and in regional theatres. His last production was An Evening of Proust at Lincoln Center. He was a member of the Lincoln Center Directors Lab.
Palumbo's first marriage was to model Anne St. Marie, until her death of lung cancer in 1986. The couple had two children. Later, he married Patricia Bosworth (1933–2020) in 2000.
In October 2008, Palumbo died due to complications from Lewy body disease.
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Important facts
Family & relationships
People in Tom Palumbo's life
Named in this biography and alive at the same time
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Frequently asked questions
Who was Tom Palumbo?
American photographer and theatre director (1921–2008)
When was Tom Palumbo born?
Tom Palumbo was born on 25 January 1921 in Molfetta.
When did Tom Palumbo die?
Tom Palumbo died on 13 October 2008 in New York City.
What was Tom Palumbo's occupation?
Tom Palumbo was a photographer and theatre director.
What nationality was Tom Palumbo?
Tom Palumbo was American.
Sources & further reading
Cite this page
APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Tom Palumbo. https://biography.guide/tom-palumbo/
MLA: "Tom Palumbo." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/tom-palumbo/.
Chicago: "Tom Palumbo." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/tom-palumbo/.
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