Cynthia MacAdams (born Cynthia Rose Adams, September 5, 1939) is an American actress and photographer. She is recognized for her black and white portraiture, use of natural light and infrared photography, and images of sacred architecture. MacAdams moved to New York City in 1961 for a career in theater. When offered a film role in Wild in the Streets in 1968 she moved to Hollywood. Her photographic work extends to the sacred in architecture and human artifact including the temples of Angkor Wat, Tibet and the Mayan pyramids. Since 1978, MacAdams has documented the history and life on the Bowery NYC through her portraits ranging from structures, to street people to resident artists and poets such as William Burroughs, Patti Smith, Anne Waldman, Kate Millett, Chuck Close, Robert Mapplethorpe. Early life Cynthia MacAdams was born in Webster, South Dakota. She was the third and youngest child of Grace Woodworth and Albert Adams. The family moved to Sisseton, South Dakota in the early 1920s where they owned and ran the local weekly newspaper, the Sisseton Courier. Cynthia's mother continued the newspaper after the death of her husband in 1944. Cynthia's summers were spent at the family cabin on the Native American land of Pickerel Lake. MacAdams attended South Dakota State from 1957 to 1959, where she developed a love for theater and acting. She transferred to Northwestern University in Chicago in 1959, and graduated in 1961 with a B.A. in speech and communication. Career Acting After graduating from Northwestern, MacAdams worked in summer stock and then, in 1961 moved to New York and landed a part in the Broadway production of Nightlife by Sidney Kingsley. She studied acting with Lee Strasberg and Sandy Meisner. It was during this period that MacAdams met two of her lifelong friends and mentors: the actress Shelley Winters and the photographer/filmmaker Robert Frank. In 1965, Robert Frank offered her a role in his film Me and My Brother. In 1966 she became a member of the Actors Studio and worked in several productions. She went on to work in several films, including The Last Movie,and The Mad Bomber before turning to photography. MacAdams has remained an active member of the Actors Studio in New York and Los Angeles. Photography MacAdams turned to photography in 1974. She met Beat Generation poets at Naropa Institute in Colorado, and began her portrait work. MacAdams published three books of photography.