Born in Washington, D.C., Tames was a first generation American child of Greek - Albanian immigrants[1] who grew up not speaking English at home.
He developed access to and captured the likeness of numerous members of the United States Congress, and had his work reproduced in many influential publications.
He developed a style contrary to the "herd instinct" of press photographers, demonstrating his artistic eye, sense of place, and special intimacy with his subjects.
Tames took countless Washington shots, but (by his own admission) is particularly remembered for one, "The Loneliest Job," a photograph of President John F. Kennedy.
Tames recalled later that Kennedy was reading a column by editorial columnist Arthur Krock on the table in front of him by the window of the Oval Office.
Particularly when it felt bad he had a habit, in the House, and the Senate, and into the Presidency, of carrying his weight on his shoulders, literally, by leaning over a desk, putting down his palms out flat, and leaning over and carrying the weight of his upper body by his shoulder muscles, and sort of stretching or easing his back.
The New York Times' Jim Mones attended the opening reception of the Averitt Center's exhibit and delivered remarks on Tames' career and his work for the newspaper.