John E. Barrett
From Muppet Wiki
John Barrett (b. 1951) is a photographer who has worked for the Muppets and other Henson properties as well as Sesame Workshop. Born in Tyler, Texas, Barrett worked as a photojournalist, working for newspapers in Mexico and Germany, before finally opening his own studio in New York City. Some of his early work included a National Lampoon poster, "Are You a Nerd?"
Barrett's first brush with Jim Henson occurred when he was commissioned by another client to photograph the puppeteer. In 1979, David Kaestle recommended Barrett to provide display photography for The Art of the Muppets traveling exhibit, and the subsequent book, as well as The Making of the Dark Crystal. In 1980, the Henson Company established the Henson Photo Studio, which by 1982 had been moved from the Muppet Workshop to a three story carriage house on 67th Street. Barrett worked closely with Michael K. Frith on such projects as Miss Piggy's Guide to Life, but soon became in charge of a team which included a scenic artist, prop master, costume designer-puppet builders, and a photograph assistant. Barrett also supplied Miss Piggy's Portfolio for The Great Muppet Caper.
Barrett soon became responsible for the photography used in all or most Henson publications including Muppet Magazine, all of the Miss Piggy calendars and Muppet parody calendars, posters, licensing, books, press releases, advertising, corporate jobs and more. He also supplies the puppet photography for Sesame Street, which includes books, puzzles, press kit work, and advertising. The projects have ranged from simple character profiles to elaborate film or classical art spoofs, such as The Kermitage Collection, requiring complex rigging and lighting.
Notable Barrett accomplishments include photographing the "Got Milk?" billboard using Cookie Monster and a series of photographic storybooks featuring the Muppet Babies as nursery rhyme and fairy tale characters.
In December 2005, the Museum of Television and Radio in New York City presented an exhibit of Barrett's photography called "Muppets Say Cheese", which ran through April 2006.
