Plato (George Haimsohn)
Joe Call, 1960
Silver Gelatin print, 7 x 5"
Collection of LLGAF

George Haimsohn, Photographer and Co-Writer of "Dames at Sea," Dies at 77

George Haimsohn, also known as "Plato, collapsed in front of his Greenwich Village home. He died at the age of 77. He was taken to St. Vincent's Hospital where the cause of his death was diagnosed as a massive aneurysm.

Mr. Haimsohn was proudest of the fact that he co-wrote with Robin Miller the book and lyrics for "Dames at Sea." It opened at the Bouwerie Lane Theater with a cast of unknowns among which was Bernadette Peters ? it launched her career.

He was born in St. Louis and served in the Navy in World War II. He graduated from the University of California at Berkeley, where he had his first poetry published in the student literary journal.

A resident of Greenwich Village since 1952, he was a professional photographer known as Plato in the early years of vintage physique photography. He also designed mobiles and collages and wrote stories, advertisements and limericks as well as gay pornographic fiction under the pen name Alexander Goodman.

George Haimsohn was included in the show "The Muses," curated by Reed Massengill at the Foundation's gallery in 2001.

George Haimsohn is represented in the Leslie-Lohman collection by the photo below. (See inset.)