Robert J.McLeod Photography Collection, 1980-2002

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Summary

Creators:
McLeod, Robert
Abstract:
The Robert J. McLeod Photography Collection is comprised of McLeod's photography in various formats such as printed photographs, film negatives, and 35mm slides, most of which were taken during the 1970’s-1980’s. McLeod worked for the San Francisco Examiner and the San Francisco Chronicle as a photographer and a photo editor for almost forty years, photographing several significant figures and events in the Bay Area. McLeod had a passion for photographing dancers taking classes, in rehearsals and during performances. The collection focuses primarily on ballet dancers and companies from the Bay Area including San Francisco Ballet. The collection also features work by his wife, Beth Witrogen and includes images from other photographers. The collection is arranged in the following series: San Francisco Ballet; Dancers and Choreographers; Individuals; Photographic Materials; and Print Materials.
Extent:
7.0 Linear feet 7 records cartons
Language:

Background

Scope and content:

The collection is comprised of: photographic prints, negatives, and 35mm slides, majority of which were taken by Bob McLeod and Beth Witrogen. The bulk of this collection was created between the 1970’s-1980’s from McLeod's personal collection and works published for the San Francisco Chronicle. Bob McLeod worked for the San Francisco Examiner and the San Francisco Chronicle as a photographer and a photo editor for almost forty years.

McLeod photographed multiple significant figures and events in the Bay Area. However, his passion was taking pictures of dancers. The collection focuses primarily on ballet dancers from the San Francisco Ballet as well as other Bay Area companies including Oakland Ballet, Marin Civic Ballet, and San Francisco Moving Company. This collection includes images of dancers in performances, rehearsals, and for promotional materials.

The photographs taken by McLeod are evidence of the great changes that were happening in the San Francisco dance culture, such as the emergence of San Francisco Ballet becoming a high profile company. McLeod and his wife Beth Witrogen photographed works by Lew Christensen and Michael Sumin, as well as documenting some of the first performances of Helgi Tomasson as the San Francisco Ballet artistic director.

The collection is arranged in the following series: San Francisco Ballet; Dancers and Choreographers; Individuals; Photographic Materials; and Print Materials.

Biographical / historical:

Robert J. (Bob) McLeod (1946-2006) was a San Francisco Bay Area native, growing up in Daly City. When McLeod was 12 years old, his father passed away. His older brother George then gave him his first camera, a Brownie Hawkeye. McLeod began taking photos around his neighborhood and processed the photographs in the small darkroom that he had made in the family's basement closet. After attending San Francisco State University for a limited time, McLeod began to work at the San Francisco Examiner in 1967, first as a copy boy, working his way up to Director of Photography in 1989. He worked with both the San Francisco Examiner and the San Francisco Chronicle as a photographer and photo editor. Throughout his career, McLeod photographed significant events and figures in San Francisco history such as Harvey Milk, Patty Hearst, and the aftermath of the Loma Prieta earthquake.

McLeod was married to photographer, reporter, and San Francisco Examiner copy editor, Beth Witrogen for 25 years. Together they completed a series of images entitled The Caregivers, which was nominated for a Pulitzer Prize in 1995. The series also won second place in the Peninsula Press Awards and other awards and accolades.

McLeod's passion was photographing dancers in the Bay Area, from novices to professionals, including but not limited to Mikhail Baryshnikov, Rudolf Nureyev, and Gelsey Kirkland. McLeod also chronicled the rise of San Francisco Ballet principal Joanna Berman from her time at Marin Ballet School to the early years of her career at San Francisco Ballet. He photographed several other Bay Area companies such as Oakland Ballet, San Francisco Moving Company, and SF Dance Spectrum. His photographs offer a unique view of dancers in rehearsal and during performances. McLeod was diagnosed with lung cancer, though he was never a smoker. He retired a few months before his death on January 3, 2006 at his home in Antioch, California at the age of 59.

Acquisition information:
Collection was donated by Beth Witrogen in 2002 with additional accessions made in 2014 and 2016.
Arrangement:
  1. San Francisco Ballet
  2. Dancers and Choreographers
  3. Individuals
  4. Photographic Materials
  5. Print Materials
Rules or conventions:
Describing Archives: A Content Standard

Access and use

Restrictions:

Entire collection is open for research use.

Terms of access:

Copyright has been assigned to the Museum of Performance + Design.

Location of this collection:
2200 Jerrold Avenue
Suite T
San Francisco, CA 94124, US
Contact:
4157413531
info@mpdsf.org
Website