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Morgan (Barbara) dance photographs
1021
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Table of contents
Contributing Institution:
USC Libraries Music Library
Title: Barbara Morgan dance photographs
Creator:
Morgan, Barbara Brooks, 1900-1992
Identifier/Call Number: 1021
Identifier/Call Number: /repositories/8/resources/3454
Physical Description:
3.67 Linear Feet
36 photographs in 2 boxes
Date (inclusive): 1935-1945
Date (inclusive): Printed late 1930s through 1980s
Language of Material:
English
.
Container: 1
Container: 2
Barbara Morgan (July 8, 1900 - August 17, 1992) was born Barbara Brooks Johnson in Buffalo, Kansas. Morgan spent most of her
youth in Southern California, going on to study and, later, teach at the University of California, Los Angeles. In 1925, Barbara
Johnson married Willard D. Morgan, a writer and photographer. Barbara Morgan is best known for her depictions of American
modern dance. Morgan also co-founded the photography magazine
Aperture with Ansel Adams, Melton Ferris, Dorothea Lange, Ernest Louie, Beaumont Newhall, Nancy Newhall, Dody Warren, and Minor White.
The Barbara Morgan dance photographs comprise 36 photographs taken by Barbara Morgan (1900-1992), an American photographer
best known for her depictions of modern dancers. The prints in the collection show well-known dancers and choreographers in
various poses and performances, including Valerie Bettis, Si-Lan Chen, Merce Cunningham, Asadata Dafora, Martha Graham, Erick
Hawkins, Doris Humphrey, José Limón, Pearl Primus, and others. Morgan originally took these photographs between 1935 and 1945.
Some of the prints in the collection, identified as vintage, were printed near the original period that the picture was first
taken. Others were printed later -- between the 1960s and 1980s. However, all of the photographs in the collection were printed
during Barbara Morgan's lifetime. Most of the prints bear Morgan's original signature and some include Morgan's notes and/or
stamp. Martha Graham is the most represented person in the images, with a selection of other early modern dance subjects,
as well as a photomontage titled "Pure Energy and Neurotic Man" and an outdoor work titled "Children Dancing By the Lake."
Collection stored off-site. Advance notice required for access.
While the USC Music Library is the owner of the physical items in this collection, copyright for the images in the collection
is held by the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) Library Special Collections. The UCLA Library can grant permission
to publish for materials to which it holds the copyright. All requests for permission to publish must be submitted in writing
to both the USC Music Library at music@usc.edu and to UCLA Library Special Collections.
Rights Statement for Archival Description
Finding aid description and metadata are licensed under an Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) license.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Gift of Nils Morgan, December 4 2023.
Related archival collections:
- Barbara and Willard Morgan photographs and papers (Collection 2278). UCLA Library Special Collections, Charles E. Young Research Library, University of California, Los Angeles.
- Barbara Morgan photographs (Collection 1873). UCLA Library Special Collections, Charles E. Young Research Library, University of California, Los Angeles.
- Barbara Morgan photographs of Martha Graham and Company. MS-P64. Special Collections and Archives, The UC Irvine Libraries, Irvine, California.
- Barbara Morgan Wight Gallery collection (Collection 1872). UCLA Library Special Collections, Charles E. Young Research Library, University of California, Los Angeles.
[Box/folder no. or item name], Barbara Morgan dance photographs, Collection no. 1021, Music Library, USC Libraries, University
of Southern California
Subjects and Indexing Terms
Dance -- United States -- 20th century -- Archival resources
Dance photography -- United States -- 20th century -- Archival resources
Dancers -- United States -- 20th century -- Archival resources
Dancers -- United States -- 20th century -- Photographs
Modern dance -- United States -- 20th century -- Archival resources
Photographers -- United States -- Archival resources
Women photographers -- United States -- 20th century -- Archival resources
Photographs
Bettis, Valerie, 1919-1982 -- Photographs
Cunningham, Merce (1919-04-16-2009-07-26) -- Photographs
Dafora, Asadata, 1890-1965 -- Photographs
Graham, Martha (1894-05-11-1991) -- Photographs
Hawkins, Erick (1909-04-23-1994-11-23) -- Photographs
Humphrey, Doris, 1895-1958 -- Photographs
Leyda, Si-lan Chen (1909-03-20-1996-03-08) -- Photographs
Morgan, Barbara Brooks, 1900-1992 -- Photographs
Limón, José (1908-01-12-1972-12-02) -- Photographs
Primus, Pearl (1919-11-29-1994-10-29) -- Photographs