Motown Monday: Remembering Jim Hendin, the Eye Behind the Image
A few moments ago, while scrolling through Facebook, I came across a post from my friend Scott Galloway—and that’s how I learned that photographer Jim Hendin (1941–2025) had passed away on March 28th.
You might not recognize the name right away, but if you’ve ever held a classic Motown record in your hands, chances are you’ve seen his work. Hendin wasn’t a household name—but he was the eye behind some of the most iconic images of soul and R&B’s golden era. Quietly, the way he worked—never center stage, but always behind the scenes, helping shape how we remember an era.
I’ll be honest. I didn’t fully know his name before today. But his work? I’ve admired it for years without even realizing it.
My interest in who was behind those Motown covers goes back a long way—specifically to something I read in Raynoma Gordy’s memoir, Berry, Me and Motown. It came out in 1990, and I still remember a particular line that’s stayed with me all these years. She talked about how, by the late ‘60s, some of the album covers coming out of Motown were starting to look a little outdated. That comment opened my eyes and made me start paying more attention—not just to the music, but to the visuals that came with it. Who was helping tell the story before the first note even played?
Turns out, a lot of that shift—when Motown covers started to match the emotional depth and vision of the music—was the work of Jim Hendin.
Hendin was a commercial photographer based in Detroit. And from roughly 1968 to 1972, he became a quiet but consistent creative force for Motown, photographing a wide range of artists and providing the portraits that gave many of the label’s most iconic album covers their core imagery. His approach was distinct and grounded in clarity and feeling. He didn’t do abstract. He didn’t rely on flashy tricks. Instead, he captured artists as they were—stylized, sure, but never overdone. Just real.
The Marvin Gaye Moment
His most iconic work—without question—was for Marvin Gaye’s What’s Going On. In 1971, Hendin was tasked with photographing Marvin for what would become not just a career-defining album, but a cultural landmark.
According to Hendin, the photos were taken in Marvin’s backyard, and during the shoot, it began to lightly rain—or snow, depending on who’s telling the story. That added touch of nature gave the photos a haunting, spiritual quality. Marvin, cloaked in a trench coat, looking upward—sorrowful but dignified. And the back cover, where Marvin walks slowly through a playground, drenched and deep in thought, is just as powerful.
Hendin didn’t just capture a moment—he captured a mood. A message. A shift in Black music and in Marvin himself.
What’s interesting, though, is that while Hendin’s style is usually very distinct—very literal, sometimes even a little quirky in how he interpreted titles—What’s Going On stands apart. It’s his most iconic work, yet maybe the least identifiable as his. There’s no visual pun, no playful tie-in to the album name. In fact, if you didn’t already know, you might not guess it was Hendin. It’s literal without being literal. It’s quiet. Poignant. More introspective than his usual approach. And maybe that’s why it stands as his masterpiece—because it reveals a different layer of what he could do.
Other Classic Covers
As I revisited more of Hendin’s work, I realized that many of my all-time favorite Motown covers feature his photography. But here’s something important to note: while Hendin was the photographer—the man behind the lens—he wasn’t the one designing the actual album covers.
The visual concepts—the jars, the shipping box, the shirt pocket—were likely developed by Motown’s in-house art department or outside designers working with the creative team. One of the primary designers during this era was Curtis McNair, who worked with Motown from 1968 to 1972 and helped shape the label’s visual identity alongside others. That said, Hendin’s photographs were the core ingredient that made those visual ideas sing. He delivered the images that brought those concepts to life, and his ability to capture the artists with clarity, style, and mood gave the designers exactly what they needed.
Here are just a few standout examples that show how strong that collaboration really was:
The Originals – Naturally Together
A bold visual of hands of different skin tones linked in a circle, with the group’s photo placed at the center. The design is striking, but it’s Hendin’s shot of the group that gives it soul.
Stevie Wonder – Signed, Sealed & Delivered
Stevie popping joyfully out of a cardboard shipping box labeled “Handle With Care” and “From Detroit With Love.” The playful concept was likely created by the design team, but Hendin’s photo captured Stevie’s energy perfectly.
Kiki Dee – Great Expectations
Her Motown debut, set against a backdrop of Union Jack flags to highlight her British roots. The cover design tells the story, and Hendin’s photo of Kiki delivers the attitude.
Martha Reeves & The Vandellas – Sugar 'n' Spice
Each member placed inside a labeled jar. Literal and fun. But again, it’s Hendin’s shots of the group that make the whole thing work.
The Miracles – A Pocket Full of Miracles
The group pictured inside a shirt pocket. It’s cheeky and unexpected, and Hendin’s portraits gave the cover its warmth and personality.
So yes, the design choices may have come from elsewhere—but it was Hendin’s lens that gave the covers their depth, mood, and humanity. His photography made the concepts land.
A Legacy That Deserved More Recognition
Even after Motown relocated to Los Angeles in 1972, Hendin continued working in Detroit as a photographer until his retirement in 1997. Later in life, he explored digital photography and visual art, always evolving with the times.
In 2020, the Motown Museum honored Hendin with a full exhibit of his album cover work. His photographs were also inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Museum in Cleveland. Rightfully so.
And now, after seeing that post tonight, I find myself wanting to know more. I’d love to uncover any lost interviews or behind-the-scenes stories that might shed light on how he worked. Did the artists have input? Did he hear the music first? Was he handed a title and just told to “run with it”? So many of his choices feel intuitive—but also incredibly intentional.
We may never get all the answers. But what’s clear is this: Jim Hendin helped shape the visual legacy of Motown during one of its most important eras.
He was born in 1941 and passed away on March 28, 2025. And while his name may not be as widely known as the artists he photographed, his work lives on—on vinyl, in memory, and in the soul of Black American music.
Thank you, Jim. For honoring the music with your eye. For helping us see what we were hearing.
Acknowledging Kevin Goins for first posting about the news, and thanks to Scott Galloway for
sharing it just in time to stop me in my scroll.
Marvin Gaye, What’s Going On (1971) — Photography by Jim Hendin
