David Drew Zingg was an American photographer and journalist. He spent nearly forty years in Brazil, beginning in 1964, becoming an important figure in the cultural life of the both cities and the bossa nova movement of the 1960s.
David Zingg was born in Montclair, New Jersey on December 14, 1923. He studied at Columbia University in New York City, majoring in history and literature, where he later gave classes in journalism. He worked in the newsroom of NBC, and volunteered for the U.S. Army Air Force in the Second World War. He was based in England. After he was grounded, he became a war correspondent in France and Germany for the Armed Services Radio.
Zingg was married to Elizabeth Foulk c.1950. Together they had three sons, Peter, Christopher, and Drew. The couple divorced in 1968.
During 1950 to 1952 he was the editor of the United Fruit Company house organ Unifruitco.
In New York City, Zingg was an editor, writer and reporter for Look and Life magazines. He became a free-lance photographer during that period.