James Cobb Burke, Photographer LIFE Magazine

Biography

James Cobb Burke (1915 - 1964) was a LIFE photographer from 1951 - 1964.  His prolific work covered four continents and communicated the important events of the time to the world.  James Burke was born in Shanghai, China of missionary parents.  He spent his childhood in China and spoke fluent Shanghainese.  He returned to the United States as a young adult and graduated from Emory University in 1932.  He returned to China in 1940 as a freelance correspondent.  He wrote a book, My Father in China (Farrar, Rinehart 1942) about the life of his father William Blount Burke, a missionary in China.

Career

In 1950 TIME LIFE Incorporated assigned James Burke to India as a correspondent and in 1951 he became their full-time bureau chief in New Dehli in 1951.  In the following years he was also assigned to Greece and Hong Kong.  He died in 1964 while on assignment covering the Himalayas.  His work included news as well as articles concerning culture and history.  

At the time of his death James Burke was working on a project called Moonglow to photograph prominent locations by moonlight.  His photographs can be viewed on Getty images.  His extensive collection of photographs and writings are housed in his Alma Mater Emory University at the Stuart A. Rose Manuscript, Archives and Rare Books Collection.