Finding Aid of the Jerome Robinson Theatrical Photographs Collection LSC.1203
Finding aid prepared by Manuscripts Division staff; machine-readable finding aid created by Caroline Cubé.
UCLA Library Special Collections
Online finding aid last updated 2004.
Room A1713, Charles E. Young Research Library
Box 951575
Los Angeles, CA 90095-1575
Business Number: 310-825-4988
Fax Number: 310-206-1864
AskLSC@library.ucla.edu
Contributing Institution:
UCLA Library Special Collections
Title: Jerome Robinson Theatrical Photographs Collection
Creator:
Robinson, Jerome
Identifier/Call Number: LSC.1203
Physical Description:
15.0 Linear Feet
(26 boxes, 2 cartons, and 2 oversize boxes)
Date (inclusive): circa 1930-1955
Abstract: Jerome Robinson (1910-1976) was the official photographer for the D'Oyly Carte Opera Company in New York (1930-31), published
a book titled,
The complete plays of Gilbert and Sullivan (1938), joined the staff of
Theater arts and Stage magazines, and did theater features for
Life magazine. He moved to Hollywood, California (1943) and worked as the official photographer for the Pasadena Playhouse (1943-58).
He was called before the House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC) in 1950 and declared an unfriendly witness because
he refused to testify. He never worked in a motion picture studio again, although his career in the theater continued until
1958. The collection consists of approximately 10,000 photographs and 20,000 negatives taken by Robinson of theatrical performances
and performers in New York, Pasadena, and Los Angeles.
Physical Location: Stored off-site. All requests to access special collections material must be made in advance using the request button located
on this page.
Language of Material: Materials are in English.
Restrictions on Access
Open for research. All requests to access special collections materials must be made in advance using the request button located
on this page.
Physical Characteristics and Technical Requirements
PORTIONS OF THIS COLLECTION HAVE BEEN DIGITIZED. See the Existence and Location of Copies note for the link to the digitized
materials.
Restrictions on Use and Reproduction
Property rights to the physical objects belong to UCLA Library Special Collections. All other 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.
Preferred Citation
[Identification of item], Jerome Robinson Theatrical Photographs Collection (Collection 1203). UCLA Library Special Collections,
Charles E. Young Research Library, University of California, Los Angeles.
Provenance/Source of Acquisition
Gift of Mrs. Jerome Robinson, 1977.
Processing Information
Collections are processed to a variety of levels depending on the work necessary to make them usable, their perceived user
interest and research value, availability of staff and resources, and competing priorities. Library Special Collections provides
a standard level of preservation and access for all collections and, when time and resources permit, conducts more intensive
processing. These materials have been arranged and described according to national and local standards and best practices.
Processed by Manuscripts Division staff.
UCLA Catalog Record ID
Biography
Robinson was born in New York City on February 25, 1910; an uncle gave him a camera as a birthday gift, and he won first prize
in the Radio City Music Hall opening photographic contest; official photographer, D'Oyly Carte Opera Company performing Gilbert
and Sullivan operettas in New York, 1930-31; Robinson published a book titled,
The complete plays of Gilbert and Sullivan (1938); later joined the staff of
Theater arts and Stage magazines and even did theater features for
Life magazine; decided to move to Hollywood, California, in 1943; official photographer, Pasadena Playhouse, 1943-58; began working
in major film studios in 1944; called before the House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC) in 1950 and declared an unfriendly
witness because he refused to testify; he never worked in a motion picture studio again, although his career in the theater
continued until 1958; did free-lance work for the Los Angeles Civic Light Opera Association, the Biltmore Theatre, the Los
Angeles Philharmonic, the Circle Theatre, the Ivar, and many others; died July 9, 1976.
Biographical Narrative
Jerome Robinson was born in New York City on February 25, 1910, son of Barney and Nettie Robinson. He had one sister, now
Beatrice (Mrs. Wilbur) Schreiber, and many aunts and uncles, sisters and brothers of his mother. He attended public schools
in New York, and though he read continuously, he never liked school mainly because he was not getting the art training he
wanted. At 16 he quit school and found a job as a painters' "devil" in a fabric design company. He did, however, continue
art studies at both Art Center and Cooper Union at night. By age 19 he was himself a designer of floral prints and "happi-coats."
The year before an uncle had given him a camera for a birthday gift, and he entered many contests and won many prizes, among
them first prize in the Radio City Music Hall opening photographic contest. Through winning this contest he first met the
Schuberts and began photographing in the theatre.
At this time, almost simultaneously with his discovering "fast" film, he was invited to work in the laboratory at Massachusetts
Institute of Technology with the man who invented the film and also the first Strobe unit. This job lasted only a few months,
but from it grew his whole photographic career.
He was the first to do available light or actual performance photography in the theatre -- that is, without flash-lights or
any other addition to the normal stage lighting. He worked entirely free-lance, but photographed and sold prints of the bulk
of what appeared on Broadway for the next ten years.
In 1930-31 the D'Oyly Carte Opera Company came to New York from England and presented twenty-some Gilbert and Sullivan operettas.
They became known as the American Company for Gilbert and Sullivan. For almost two years Jerome Robinson was their official
photographer. From this association came a book:
The Complete Plays of Gilbert and Sullivan.....including 32 photographs.....by Jerome Robinson, published in 1938 (some five years after) by the Garden City Publishing Company.
Also from this association came an introduction to Antoinette Perry who was so impressed with his pictures that she re-introduced
him to the Schuberts. Though he photographed all of their plays he refused any limited business association with them because
he was by then on the staff of
Theatre Arts magazine and
Stage Magazine and later did many theatre features for
Life Magazine where his frequent partner doing the writing was Alexander King.
From 1941 to 1950 he was married to Mildred Okuneff, sister to one of his aunts by marriage, but this marriage ended in divorce
in California.
By 1942 and the war, since he was ineligible for military service because of the asthma he had had since early childhood,
he went to work for Bethlehem Shipyard in New York. After only a month or so, he took an examination and won a scholarship
to a crash program in Naval Architecture at Johns Hopkins University. He worked in shipbuilding for almost a year in New London,
Connecticut, when a severe asthmatic attack ended his job there and sent him back to recuperate in New York.
During the next year he was involved with the United States Government in developing a super-fast film for use in aerial photography.
He tried to return to theatrical photography in 1943, but found that many others were doing his kind of photography by then,
so the decision was made to move permanently to Hollywood.
In Hollywood he became official photographer for many of the little theatres while he was trying to have his work seen at
the motion picture studios. He also almost immediately through Oliver and Maude Prickett and Gilmore Brown became official
photographer for the Pasadena Playhouse (1943 - 1958). He began working in the major film studios in 1944 doing all the still
photography for many pictures including
The Green Years and
The Yearling.
In 1950, because he knew many of "The 10" and others associated with them, he was called before the House Un-American Activities
Committee in Los Angeles, refused (like Lillian Hellman and others) to testify about anyone but himself, and was declared
an "unfriendly witness." He never worked in any motion picture studio again, though his career in the theatre went on until
1958. He did free-lance work for the Los Angeles Civic Light Opera Association, the Biltmore Theatre, the Los Angeles Philharmonic,
the Circle Theatre, the Ivar and many others.
In 1955, because he had sailed boats since he was 12 years old and had the Johns Hopkins war-time training, he decided to
take the Yacht and Ship-Brokers examination for license (which he passed the first time) and open an office in Newport Beach.
There in 1957, he met and married Zelda Cartman Seal and became step-father to her three sons. He retired the first time in
1966 when he suffered his first heart attack but later did drafting design for Todd Shipyard in Long Beach for two years and
for Decca navigational equipment for another two years..
In 1972, their sons grown, educated and independent, he and his wife moved from Newport Beach to Palos Verdes where, on July
9, 1976, he suffered a fatal heart attack at age 66, exactly like his father.
Zelda Robinson
Scope and Content
Collection consists of approximately 10,000 photographs and 20,000 negatives taken by Jerome Robinson of theatrical performances
and performers in New York, Pasadena, and Los Angeles.
Online Items Available
Subjects and Indexing Terms
Photographs.
Negatives (photographs).
Stage photography -- California, Southern -- Archives.
Stage photography -- New York (State) -- New York -- Archives.
Photographers -- United States -- Archives.
Robinson, Jerome -- Archives
box 2, folder 5
Father Malachy's Miracle.
box 5, folder 7
Martin, Tony, & Jane Savitt.
box 12, folder 2
On your toes (Bolger, Mac Veigh)
box 12, folder 6
Ziegfeld Follies, Chorus Line.
box 12, folder 7-8
Ziegfeld Follies, Principals no.1-2.
box 13, folder 7
Golden Boy (John Garfield).
box 13, folder 13
Lewis, Joey;
Harper's Magazine Assignment.
box 13, folder 20
Russell, Blane, Pierce, Reed, etc.
box 14, folder 1
Gilbert & Sullivan; American Company.
box 15, folder 6-8
Pinafore 1-3.
Scope and Contents note
Pinafore 2 (folder 7)
with Trial by Jury.
box 17, folder 1
New York Miscellaneous.
1937-1941 and n.d.
box 19, folder 5-9
[No further description available].
Girl of the Golden West [?] play production, American Indian woman serving couple at table
Girl of the Golden West [?] play production, Mary Robbins character [?] at bar flanked by two men
Girl of the Golden West [?] play production, Mary Robbins character [?] handing money to sherriff
Girl of the Golden West [?] play production, panorama of men singing in saloon
Girl of the Golden West [?] play production, panorama saloon scene American Indian couple standing
Girl of the Golden West [?] play production, panorama saloon scene woman at podium and American Indian couple seated
box 20, folder 3-7
No further description available].
box 20, folder 15
Burlesque. Los Angeles.
1947.
box 21, folder 1
Charles Laughton (Galileo).
box 22, folder 12
Ziegfeld Follies of the Air (roughs).
box 23, folder 7
Barrie, Lee Scott, Dot, Bob, Gloria Grey.
box 23, folder 10
Greek, Gloria Lyn, Frances & Walburn.
box 23, folder 17
My Los Angeles - Retouched Publicity shots.
box 24
Miscellaneous prints.
General Physical Description note: (12 × 15")
box 25, box 26, box 27, box 28, box 29, box 30
box 31
Scrapbooks of photographs
ca. 1930s-1940s
Container Summary: 2 volumes.
box 31
Vol. 1 – photographs of New York City
box 31
Vol. 2 – Photographs of Jerome Robinson, family and friends, scenes of New York, nude studies
