KINGSTON
*MILT STUDIOS is an independent darkroom in Kingston, NY, named in tribute to jazz legend Milt Hinton and the equipment once used to preserve his archive. It is not affiliated with the Estate of Milt Hinton.
Where the Past Develops Into the Present.
Reviving the Art of Black & White Photography in Kingston.
MILT STUDIOS reflects both history and possibility. Its equipment comes from the New York darkroom where legendary jazz bassist and photographer Milt Hinton’s work was printed and preserved — a space central to bringing his archive to life through his close collaborators.
Now rebuilt in Kingston, it serves as a hub for analog printing, archiving, and collaboration — honoring Hinton’s work while also opening the door to new voices and projects.
At its heart is a vintage Leica Focomat 1 enlarger, once housed in an East 12th Street apartment where prints for landmark books like Bass Line and OverTime were made.
Rebuilt in Kingston, the darkroom continues that legacy as both a tribute and a living creative space.
About Milt Studios
MILT STUDIOS is a personal project rooted in the Hudson Valley, created by a New York City transplant with a background in both fashion and photography. What started as a passion for images and process has grown into a dedicated darkroom — a space built to slow down, work with intention, and stay connected to the tactile side of the craft. Outfitted for black-and-white film, the studio is equipped for developing, printing, and finishing by hand, offering a place where patience and focus shape every step from negative to final print.
MILT hinton
Milt Hinton was one of the greatest jazz bassists of all time and he was also the guy who always had a camera in his hand. Over his long career, he played with just about everyone: Cab Calloway, Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington, Benny Goodman, John Coltrane, Barbra Streisand, even Paul McCartney. But while he was on stage night after night, he was also behind the lens, quietly building one of the richest visual archives in jazz. He shot more than 60,000 photos, capturing life on the road and some of the most intimate moments in music history — including that unforgettable image of Billie Holiday during her final performance.
This very darkroom setup — the equipment Hinton worked with alongside David Berger and his wife Holly — helped turn rolls of film into the prints that preserve his legacy. The space now stands as a way of honoring Milt himself, while carrying the spirit of his music forward through every photograph this studio will produce.
Inside the Darkroom
Milt Hinton’s Jazz Photography
Some of Milt Hinton’s most powerful images were printed using this darkroom equipment, the same enlarger he worked with to preserve his archive.
Among them are rare and intimate moments in jazz history: Billie Holiday in the recording studio, Danny Barker and Dizzy Gillespie asleep on a train, 1940, Louis Armstrong in his hotel room, the Young Tuxedo Brass Band, Cab Calloway surrounded by kids, and scenes from the Metropole Café.
the equipment
MILT STUDIOS provides the environment and equipment to create museum-quality black-and-white prints, supporting every stage of the process from negatives to finished, exhibition-ready work.
The original darkroom equipment arrived packed in boxes labeled “MILT’S DARKROOM” — though it’s unclear if that name was ever officially used by Milt Hinton or his collaborators. Carrying the name forward honors the role this space played in bringing his celebrated jazz photography to life, while now offering photographers the tools to produce archival, gallery-standard prints.
Leica Focomat 1C enlarger — this legendary 35mm enlarger, once part of the New York City darkroom where David G. Berger and Holly Maxson worked for decades to preserve Milt Hinton’s vast photographic archive, now serves as the centerpiece of this darkroom setup.
This iconic photograph of Billie Holiday was taken by Milt Hinton and developed with the very same enlarger and darkroom equipment now housed in this studio. This photo later appeared in his landmark book Bass Line: The Stories and Photographs of Milt Hinton, a collection of images that was printed with this very studio.
Original packing box labeled MILT’S DARKROOM, which held the equipment after it was disassembled in NYC and stored for years — now reassembled at Milt Studios.
milt
MILT STUDIOS-Kingston
New York, 12401
