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Finding Aid for the James Arkatov Photograph
Collection
340
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Title: James Arkatov Photograph Collection
Collection number: 340
Creator: Arkatov,
James
Extent:
2975 photographs
Repository:
University of California, Los Angeles. Library.
University of California, Library Special
Collections
Los Angeles, California 90095-1490
Selected digitized images from this collection.
Abstract: The collection consists of photographs of musicians
and fine artists taken by the cellist, James Arkatov. The photographs are in the
process of being digitized. The finding aid will continue to be updated as the
digital files become available.
Open for research. STORED OFF-SITE AT SRLF. Advance notice is required for access to the collection. Please contact UCLA Library
Special Collections for paging information.
Property rights to the physical object belong to the UCLA Library, Performing
Arts Special Collections. Literary rights, including copyright, are retained by
the creators and their heirs. It is the responsibility of the researcher to
determine who holds the copyright and pursue the copyright owner or his or her
heir for permission to publish where The UC Regents do not hold the
copyright.
[Identification of item], James Arkatov Photograph Collection, 340,
University of California, Library Special Collections, University of California,
Los Angeles.
Jim Arkatov has had distinguished careers as a musician and photographer. He
was born in Odessa, Russia and left with his family at an early age for San
Francisco, where he developed as a child prodigy and gave his debut cello
recital at age 14. At age 18, he was invited by Fritz Feiner to join the
Pittsburgh Symphony. Later, he joined the San Francisco Symphony with Pierre
Monteux, and went on to be principal cellist of the Indianapolis Symphony
Orchestra under Fabien Sevitzky.
Arkatov returned to California in 1946 as a freelance musician in major
studios of Hollywood and was later appointed principal cellist of the NBC
Symphony Orchestra. Continuing his solo activities, he appeared in the Monday
Evening Concert Series. In 1956, he married Salome Ramras, and they performed a
piano-cello duo, performing in concerts throughout California. In 1968, he
founded the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra and was its first principal
cellist.
He had begun his photographic career when he was with the Pittsburgh
Symphony. In 1990, these photographs became the basis of his first book,
"Masters of Music." In 1998, he published his second book, "Artists: The
Creative Personality." He has permanent and rotating exhibits of his photographs
at the Colburn School of Music, the Cedar-Sinai Hospital and the Doheny Library
of the University of Southern California.
The collection consists of photographs of jazz musicians performing in the
Los Angeles area; classical musicians, and fine artists taken by cellist, James
Arkatov.
The collection is organized into the following series:
- Series 1. Jazz Musicians
- Series 2. Classical Musicians
- Series 3. Fine Artists