As the title says, I am curious about this person whose biography I came across in a strange place. My husband and I decided to try a restaurant in Independence as a late birthyday dinner for me. Uncle Jack’s purports to honor a fellow who was apparently a
I thought to myself “I wonder if Eve knows anything at all about him?” as I perused the menu. I am assuming that the photograph which graces the restaurant wall, menus and website is Uncle Jack. I did a search of Wikipedia and came up empty, so I put the question to you. Is Uncle Jack a fictional character made up to give the restuarant an interesting background, or did he really exist and use a different name professionally? The second link has a page with the short history of the restaurant’s founding.
The food there was delectable, I recommend going there if you are passing through. It’s not fast food though, only go if you are prepared for a leisurely repast consisting of more than one course served at well timed intervals. You can go in dressed casually though the food is “moderately high class”. As an example, Mr. Clawbane had Salmon with Champagne Dill Sauce, and I had Grilled Pork Tenderloin w/Apricot chutney served over Rice-grilled pork tenderloin sliced, served with homemade chutney over rice as our main courses.
I hope one of you knows something about this fellow who has captured my imagination.
Jack Clark was born on 2 December 1925 and died on 28 February 2002, residing in Kinderhook, Columbia County, New York.
A New York Times article from Sept. 20, 1953 mentions him:
The Times mentioned him a few times as a photographer between 1967 and 1980. His work appeared in U.S. Camera World Annual 1968, and was displayed at the newly opened Witkin Gallery in 1969.
He was mentioned again posthumously in a New York Times design article from 2004 as a fashion photographer who left a mahogany buffet from the 1820s and a cherry wood dining table to the subject of the article.
He doesn’t appear to have been too noted: no obituary in the Times, no obituary in the Kansas City Star (Independence is part of the Kansas City metro area), no listing in the Biography and Genealogy Master Index.
Given his year of birth, you can be sure the thirties-era bon vivant in the retaurant advertising is neither Jack nor one of the photographs he took.
Actually, that wasn’t good ole Uncle Jack. The Times article says that the photographer’s assistant was one Henry Barney. One of the arresting officers was a Jack Clark.
Just a small nitpick, at a distance of about 145 miles, Independence, Kansas isn’t part of the Kansas City area. You most likely are thinking of Independence, Missouri. Independence, Kansas is famous for Little House on the Prairie and, apparently, Jack. My grandma also lives there.
Jack Clark and I lived together for 27 years until his death in 2002. His niece is the proprietor of Uncle Jack’s Restaurant in Independence, Kansas. He was, in fact, a famous fashion photographer in New York City until moving upstate to Kinderhook (Columbia County) New York. We were in the process of patenting Uncle Jack’s Spice that he had developed through his years of delectable cooking. Unfortunately, he passed away before that happened. If you would like more information about his life, feel free to contact me. By the way, those are, in fact, his photos.