About

Rudy Troya was born and raised in San Francisco, CA on Potrero Hill. When he graduated from Sacred Heart High School he attended San Francisco City College and after two years he decided to attend L.A. Art Center (located at that time on 3rd Street in downtown Los Angeles). He’d found photography an intriguing career goal.

He shot photos of Haight-Ashbury and Los Angeles during the turbulent 1960’s. His black and white photos capture a time and place with conflict, wishes of peace, and a generation of youth who were expressive not only with the words of their songs and philosophical writings on walls, but also their actions.

Rudy Troya pursued a career of commercial photography for twelve years shooting family portraits and weddings. At age 38 Rudy Troya was given the devastating news that he had an eye condition called Retinitis Pigmentosa and was going blind. He consulted many specialist, but found no cure. What is remarkable is that he had been slowly and unknowingly going blind his whole life — even through his career as a photographer.

His career as a photographer had come to an end. Fortunately his pictures are with us today. His photos are pieces of history, taken when generations were divided and politics were exposed.