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Finding Aid for the Walter E. Bennett photographic collection, 1937-1983 (bulk 1952-1982)
686
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Title: Walter E. Bennett photographic collection,
Date (inclusive): 1937-1983
Date (bulk): (bulk 1952-1982)
Collection number: 686
Creator: Bennett, Walter E. (Walter Edward), 1921-1995.
Extent:
8 boxes (4 linear ft.)
1 oversize box
Abstract: Walter E. Bennett (1921-1995) was the first salaried photographer for
Time, where he worked from 1952 to 1982. The collection consists of photographic materials such as prints, negatives and slides.
It also includes miscellaneous manuscripts and ephemera related to Bennett's life and career.
Language: Finding aid is written in English
Repository:
University of California, Los Angeles. Library. Department of Special Collections.
Los Angeles, California 90095-1575
Physical location: Stored off-site at SRLF. Advance notice is required for access to the collection. Please contact the UCLA Library, Department
of Special Collections Reference Desk for paging information.
COLLECTION STORED OFF-SITE AT SRLF: Open for research. Advance notice required for access. Contact the UCLA Library, Department
of Special Collections Reference Desk for paging information.
Restrictions on Use and Reproduction
Property rights to the physical object belong to the UCLA Library,
Department of 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.
Provenance/Source of Acquisition
Gift of Lisa Bennett, 2005.
[Identification of item], Walter E. Bennett Photographic Collection (Collection 686). Department of Special Collections, Charles
E. Young Research Library, UCLA.
Processed by Tim Holland in the Center for Primary Research and Training (CFPRT), with assistance from Elizabeth Sheehan,
Spring 2006.
Walter Edward Bennett was born on August 16, 1921 in the London suburb of Hornsey, England. He attended John C. Fremont High
School in Los Angeles, where he was first exposed to photography through a vocational training class. On November 11, 1942
Bennett joined the Army as a camera man and photo lab tech. He was honorably discharged on January 3, 1946 from the 18th Reinforcement
Battalion. Upon returning to Los Angeles, Bennett became a life guard at Hermosa Beach. In 1952, Bennett was hired by
Time and became the first-ever salaried photographer at the magazine. For the next 30 years, Bennett worked primarily in Washington
D.C. where he photographed presidents, politicians, foreign dignitaries, events, and notable personalities. During this time,
Bennett was sent on numerous assignments to photograph presidents during visits of state. Bennett's proximity and longevity
in the press arena of Washington D.C. led to his befriending a number of politicians, such as Lyndon B. Johnson, Hubert Humphrey
and members of the Kennedy family. Bennett retired in 1982 and died on April 29, 1995.
The collection consists of photographic materials such as prints, negatives and slides taken by Walter E. Bennett. It also
includes miscellaneous manuscripts and ephemera related to Bennett's life and career, such as scrapbooks, clippings, and letters.
Bennett's photography documents public figures in Washington D.C., from Presidents Eisenhower through Reagan. The images include
portraits of notable politicians and celebrities, shots of anti-Vietnam and Civil Rights protests and marches, foreign travels
and campaign trails of presidents, political party conventions, and The Beatles' 1964 and 1966 Washington D.C. concerts and
press conferences. Many of the images are unpublished.
Arranged in the following series:
- Miscellaneous, 1937-1982 (Box 1 and Oversize Box 2).
- Prints, 1955-1984 (Box 1 and Oversize Box 2).
- Slides, 1952-1981 (Boxes 3-6).
- Loose negatives, 1953-1982 (Box 6).
- Batched negatives, 1953-1967 (Boxes 7-9).
The following terms have been used to index the description of this collection in the library's online public access catalog.
Bennett, Walter E. (Walter Edward), 1921-1995--Archives.
Photojournalists--United States--Archival resources.
News photographs.