Van Vechten, Carl (1880-1964). American novelist, critic, and photographer. Born in Cedar Rapids, IA, Carl Van Vechten graduated from the University of Chicago in 1903. After a stint at a Chicago newspaper he moved to New York City in 1906 and became assistant music critic for the New York Times. Immersing himself in the life of Greenwich Village, he met Willa Cather and attended the famous salon of Mabel Dodge (later Luhan). Van Vechten left full-time newspaper work in 1914 but continued championing the modern and avant garde in the arts. He advocated for the works of Gertrude Stein, who made him her literary executor, and became an important patron of the Harlem Renaissance. Van Vechten’s first marriage ended in divorce in 1912 and in 1914 he married actress Fania Marinoff, but throughout his life he also had affairs with men. In the 1930s, he began pursuing photography professionally, specializing in portraiture. After three years of evading him, in 1936 Cather finally sat for a portrait by him. During World War II, Van Vechten was active in the Stage Door Canteen and the American Theater Wing. He remained an active photographer and presence in New York’s cultural life until his death.