Conditions Governing Access
Reproduction Permission:
Scope and Contents
Contributing Institution:
University of California, Merced Library
Title: Ernest Lowe Photography Collection
Identifier/Call Number: RA.007
Physical Description:
13 Box
Physical Description:
116 Gigabytes
Date (inclusive): 1957-2023
Date (bulk): 1958-1966
Language of Material:
English
.
Conditions Governing Access
This collection is open for research by request, as it is currently being processed. Once processing is complete the collection
will be open for research. The collection is located at the University of California, Merced Library. For help locating material
and making a research request please contact library@ucmerced.edu.
Reproduction Permission:
Copyright is retained by Ernest Lowe. The artist has granted the University of California permission to transmit the works
under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial 4.0 International (CC-BY-NC 4.0) license. Any transmission or reproduction
beyond that allowed by fair use requires permission from the owners of rights, heir(s) or assigns.
Scope and Contents
This collection consists of photographic materials from the Photographer Ernest Lowe over the course of his career. The bulk
of materials that can be found within the collection are contact sheets, prints, slides, and negatives. The primary subject
of his photographs are California farm workers in the Central Valley. While on assignment Lowe began to photograph communities
in the Central Valley that lacked paved roads, running water, electricity, and other essential services. What Lowe found was
a cohesive and caring community that looked after one another. Low. photographs captured the dignity, strength, and perseverance
of these communities. While reporting, Lowe followed the early unionization by Agricultural Workers Organizing Committee
(AWOC) and the United Farm Workers/National Farmworkers Organization. A selection of records are from Lowe's project returning
to Central Valley in 2015, where he revisited communities that that he spends time in the beginning of his career and documenting
the changes. The bulk of the collection reflects this work.