Guide to the Chester Kessler Papers, 1951-1952
Processed by UCSC OAC Unit.
The University Library
Special Collections and Archives
University Library
University of California, Santa Cruz
Santa Cruz, California, 95064
Email: specoll@library.ucsc.edu
URL: http://library.ucsc.edu/speccoll/
© 2003
The Regents of the University of California. All rights reserved.
Note
Arts and Humanities--Art--Photography
Arts and Humanities--Film, Television, and Broadcasting--Film
Geographical (By Place)--California--Bay Area
Guide to the Chester Kessler Papers, 1951-1952
Collection number: MS 167
The University Library
Special Collections and Archives
University of California, Santa Cruz
Santa Cruz, California
Contact Information:
- Special Collections and Archives
- University Library
- University of California, Santa Cruz
- Santa Cruz, California, 95064
- Email: specoll@library.ucsc.edu
- URL: http://library.ucsc.edu/speccoll/
- Processed by:
- UCSC OAC Unit
- Date Completed:
- June 2003
- Encoded by:
- UCSC OAC Unit
© 2003 The Regents of the University of California. All rights reserved.
Descriptive Summary
Title: Chester Kessler Papers,
Date (inclusive): 1951-1952
Collection number: MS 167
Creator:
Kessler, Chester
Extent:
1 document box, 2 flats
Repository:
University of California, Santa Cruz. University Library.
Special Collections and Archives
Santa Cruz, California 95064
Abstract: This collection contains a storyboard, worksheets, frame drawings, a film and photographs for an animated film
The Plague Summer adapted from Kenneth Patchen's novel
The Journal of Albion Moonlight, as well as photographs of Kenneth and Miriam Patchen by Chester Kessler.
Physical location: Stored in Special Collections & Archives: Advance notice is required for access to the papers.
Language:
English.
Administrative Information
Access
Collection is open for research.
Publication Rights
Property rights reside with the University of California. Literary rights are retained by the creators
of the records and their heirs. For permission to publish or to reproduce the material, please contact the
Head of Special Collections and Archives.
Preferred Citation
Chester Kessler Papers. MS 167. Special Collections and Archives, University Library, University of California, Santa Cruz.
Acquisition Information
Gift of Robert Emory Johnson, July 1983.
Biography
A photographer and film maker, Chester Monroe Kessler, was born in New Melle, Missouri on May 6, 1919. He moved to Southern
California, first pursuing studies in photography at the Art Center School and later in film making and animation at the University
of Southern California. In San Francisco he continued developing his photographic technique under Minor White at the California
School of Fine Art. During his life he completed four films and captured portraits of celebrated artists, such as Kenneth
Patchen, Jonathan William, Bob Kaufman, David Stacton, and Kenneth Anger.
Completed films:
-
The Plague Summer. 1951; an animated film based on Kenneth Patchen's novel 'The Journal of Albion Moonlight'.
-
Columbarium. 1973; a sequence of images filmed in one of the San Francisco architectural landmarks utilizing Warner Jepson's electronic
music as a soundtrack .
-
Rondo. 1976; a portrayal of the Huntington Square cut to the music of Lou Harrison's Suite for violin, piano and small orchestra.
-
Go. 1976; footage of dancing hippies taken in two rock concert held in five year interval at the Speedway Meadows in 1969 and
Marx Meadows in 1974.
On his 60th birthday, May 16th 1979, Chester Kessler passed away.
Scope and Content of Collection
This collection contains a storyboard, various cue chart guides and worksheets, over 190 frame drawings, a film, and still
photographs for
The Plague Summer, an animated film adapted from Kenneth Patchen's novel
The Journal of Albion Moonlight, that tells the story of a band of characters journeying across landscape assaulted by horrors of war. Archive also includes
photographic portraits of Kenneth and Miriam Patchen taken by Chester Kessler in 1952.
Arrangement
The Plague Summer material has been organized into five series: Biographical, Scripts, Frame Drawings, Photographs and Film.
Indexing Terms
The following terms have been used to index the description of this collection in the library's online public access catalog.
Subjects
Kessler, Chester--Archives
Animated films
Photographers
Other Index Terms Related to this Collection
Patchen, Kenneth, 1911-1972. Kenneth Patchen archive
Separated Material
The Plague Summer; a film by Chester Kessler, 1951 - Special Collections, Fi731, DVD 2899
Biographical
1983
n.d.
Physical Description:
1 folder
Scope and Content Note
Contains biographical information on Kessler composed by Robert Johnson in July 1983, and Kessler's program notes to his four films.
Arrangement
No arrangement.
Box-folder 1:1
Robert Johnson's biographical information on Kessler and Kessler's program notes to four films
July 1983, n.d.
Scripts
[1951]
Physical Description:
2 folders
Scope and Content Note
Contains written schema for the animated film
The Plague Summer. The Cue Sheets for Photographing indicate drawing juxtaposed with number of frames to shoot and cut, and times track entries.
Arrangement
Storyboard arranged in page number order.
Box-folder 1:2
Four sets of cue chart guides (typescript p.1-15), (annotated music lines p.1-16), (annotated sound lines p.1-16),(annotated,
p.1-14)
Box-folder 1:2
Final cue sheet for photographing (holograph p.1-7), (annotated typescript p.1-9)
Box-folder 1:2
Sketches and miscellany worksheets
Box-folder 1:3
Storyboard with narration, sound effects, and music frame notes (49 p.)
Frame Drawings
[1951]
Physical Description:
2 boxes
Scope and Content Note
Contains frame drawings, also called 'tableaux' by Kessler, for the animated film
The Plague Summer. The drawings are painted with two tones, gray and black against a white paper. The sheet corners are annotated.
Arrangement
Tableaux arranged by frame number.
Box-folder 2
Tableaux A-I, 1-89, (No frames 17,19, 42)
Box-folder 3
Tableaux 90-190, (No frames 109, or 141)
Photographs
[1951]-1952
Physical Description:
1 folder of 15 items
Scope and Content Note
Contains six photographs and nine transparencies; portraits and still shots from
The Plague Summer.
Arrangement
Photographs of the frame tableaux are arranged by a frame number. To differentiate between separate frame shots, a narration
line from a storyboard was added for clarity.
Box-folder 1:4
Portraits by Kessler
1952
Box-folder 1:4
Kenneth Patchen, 8x10, black/white head shot
1952
Box-folder 1:4
Miriam Patchen, 8x10, black/white head shot
1952
Box-folder 1:4
Portrait of Kessler, 5x7, black/white head shot
n.d.
Box-folder 1:4
Frame tableau 18 / Story board 14 [Narration: The evening slowly turns to black stone and the hammer of God chips at the sky,
making stars.]
Box-folder 1:4
Frame tableau 61 / Story board 49 [Narration: Now the Mother and babe can ride.]
Box-folder 1:4
Frame tableau 179 [Albion Moonlight running]
Box-folder 1:4
Frame tableau 154 / Storyboard 115
[Narration: June 24th. I am alone now. Something is standing in back of me as I write this.]
Box-folder 1:4
Frame tableau 155 / Storyboard 116 [Narration: The Door is locked. The windows are barred. I have a sense that it will try
to kill me.]
Box-folder 1:4
Frame tableau 156 / Story board 117 [Narration: My only weapon is my pen, which I grip in my fist , ready to strike.]
Box-folder 1:4
Frame tableau 157 [Albion Moonlight, close up]
Box-folder 1:4
Frame tableau 158 [Albion Moonlight writing the first page]
Box-folder 1:4
Frame tableau 159 [Albion Moonlight writing, 3 pages]
Box-folder 1:4
Frame tableau 160 [Albion Moonlight writing, multiple written pages]
Box-folder 1:4
Frame tableau 161/ Storyboard 121 [Narration: The only escape from war is to become a soldier, to lose all touch with your
own identity, to become part of one huge, quivering mass of fear and horror.]
Box-folder 1:4
Frame tableau 162/ Storyboard 122 [Narration: Full speed ahead to the slaughter house!]
Film
1951
Physical Description:
1 item
Scope and Content Note
DVD copy of 16mm film
The Plague Summer, 1951 - cataloged separately - DVD 2899 available or viewing.
