Lowry Receives SMPTE's James Leitch Award

SMPTE presented this year's James A. Leitch Gold Medal Award to John Lowry, a pioneer in computer-based image processing for film restoration, at the technical conference's recent Annual Honors and Awards ceremony.

Lowry has worked with motion picture and television images for over 50 years, his primary focus being the design and development of digital image processing systems to improve the quality of motion picture images. In 1971, he designed the Image Transform system used during the Apollo 16 and Apollo 17 lunar landings, and developed one of the first multimedia CD-ROM projects. Lowry founded Lowry Digital Images in 1998, and the company has since restored over 70 motion pictures.

The James Leitch Gold Medal Award is sponsored by Leitch Technology Corp. and named for the industry pioneer who founded the company in 1971. The award recognizes exceptional developments in software, equipment and systems or the standardization of motion imaging technology.