Guide to the William Knight Collection
Special Collections & Archives
University Library
California State University, Northridge
18111 Nordhoff Street
Northridge, CA 91330-8326
Business Number: 818-677-4594
Contributing Institution:
Special Collections & Archives
Title: William Knight Collection
Creator:
Knight, William (1931-2019)
Identifier/Call Number: TBC.WKC
Physical Description:
1.5 linear feet
Physical Description:
5.15 Gigabytes
Date (inclusive): 1950-1984
Abstract: William B. Knight,
also known as Bill Knight, was a news photographer and cameraman. Beginning his career at
the
Los Angeles Mirror, the afternoon counterpart of the
Los Angeles Times, Knight worked for the
Los Angeles Mirror for almost a decade before moving to television
news and becoming a cameraman for KTLA. During his time as a photojournalist, Knight
captured a wide range of events, from wildfires to traffic accidents to the stocking of fish
in local lakes. This small collection spans the 1950s to 1980s and consists largely of
negatives and audiovisual materials.
Language of Material:
English.
Biographical / Historical
William B. Knight, or Bill Knight, was born September 3, 1931 in Los Angeles to Bert and
Viola Knight. After graduating from Susan Miller Dorsey High School, Knight started working
for the
Los Angeles Mirror in his early 20s and had an almost
decade-long career as an outdoor and general assignment photojournalist. In the early 1960s,
Knight made the switch to television news, becoming a cameraman for KTLA News.
Outside of his professional life, Knight was heavily involved with the Press Photographers
Association of Greater Los Angeles (PPAGLA). During his involvement with the PPAGLA, Knight
held various leadership roles. He served as the president of the association three times,
first in 1971, then in 1990, and once again in 1991. Additionally, Knight held the positions
of Vice President and Director and was an active member of the Board of Directors for many
years, contributing significantly to the promotion of photojournalism in the Greater Los
Angeles area. In recognition of his work, Knight received the annual TV Spot News Award from
the PPAGLA on several occasions.
Knight was an avid outdoorsman, spending his leisure time hunting and fishing. When he
retired, Knight established the Bill Knight Endowment at the PPAGLA, which funds the Video
Spot News award. On January 17, 2019, William B. Knight died at 87 years of age.
Scope and Contents
The William B. Knight Collection consists of images of wildlife and events across Southern
California as well as footage of news stories in Los Angeles. Much of Knight's photography
found in this collection created during his tenure at the Los Angeles Mirror focused on
wildlife, including 400 negatives of hunting and fishing alone, because he was the Outdoors
Photographer for the newspaper. There are approximately 1,800 images in this collection.
Series I
Los Angeles Mirror News features Knight's professional news
photography for the Los Angeles Mirror, much of which spans the years 1951 and 1963 and
covers a wide range of topics, such as wildfires, traffic accidents, hunting, and fishing.
Notable figures featured in his photos include Leo Durocher, Liz Renay, and Carlton Young.
This series consists of negatives, clippings, and realia.
Series II
KTLA and Television News features Knight's television news footage
from his time at KTLA News, such as the 1976 Nash Flagship Department Store fire, footage
from the Watts Rebellion, an Iranian riot, and the 1974 SLA (Symbionese Liberation Army)
Shootout. This series consists of 16mm film and a videocassette.
Series III
Personal features some of Knight's personal photography, such as his
family life. This series consists of negatives.
Collection folders are arranged alphabetically by title.
Arrangement
Series I: Los Angeles Mirror News, 1953-1963
Series II: KTLA and Television News, ca. 1965-ca. 1984
Series III: Personal, 1950-1962
Conditions Governing Access
This collection is open for research use.
Conditions Governing Use
Transmission or reproduction of materials protected by U.S. Copyright Law (Title 17,
U.S.C.) beyond that allowed by fair use requires the written permission of the copyright
owners. Works not in the public domain cannot be commercially exploited without permission
of the copyright owners. Responsibility for any use rests exclusively with the user.
Copyright for unpublished materials authored or otherwise produced by the creator(s) of this
collection has been transferred to California State University, Northridge. Copyright status
for other materials is unknown.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Chris Knight, 2019
Preferred Citation
For information about citing items in this collection consult the appropriate style manual,
or see the
Citing Archival
Materials
guide.
Processing Information
Prach Prasertwit, 2023
Subjects and Indexing Terms
Photographs
Audiovisual materials
Series I: Los Angeles Mirror News,
1953-1961
Box 1, Folder 1
Al Zapanta Office,
1959 November
Box 1, Folder 2
Attack on Knight in Hall of Justice,
1958 December
Box 1, Folder 3
B-52 Plane Circles the Globe in Record Time,
1957 January 18
Box 1, Folder 4
Baby Beauty Contest,
1959
Box 1, Folder 6
Bahia Palmas Artist Sketch,
1960 March 10
Box 1, Folder 7
Blind Children, Chavez Ravine, Gals from Gay,
circa
1956-1961
Box 1, Folder 9
Bucking Bronk Feature,
1961
Box 1, Folder 10
Cahuenga Pass Hit and Run, Laurel Canyon Fire,
1958-1959
Box 1, Folder 11
Carlton Young After 3rd and Orlando Traffic Accident,
1961 May 1
Box 1, Folder 12
Chris Neventa Carrying Cross, Legs, 1958 Trailer Show, West Virginia
Basketball,
1955-1961
Box 1, Folder 13
Circus Visits Town,
undated
Box 1, Folder 14
Chuck Nace Fishing Hot Creek,
undated
Box 1, Folder 15
Commercial and Art Photography,
undated
Box 1, Folder 16
Corral Canyon Fire, Downtown Flood, Riverside Race,
1958-1959
Box 1, Folder 17
Daring Fire Fighters,
1956 December 27
Box 1, Folder 18
Doctors in Operating Room, Union and 8th Street Fire, Fire Hydrant Spraying
Phone Booth,
1951-1961
Box 1, Folder 20
Downtown L.A. [Los Angeles] Fire,
circa 1955
Box 1, Folder 21
Durrwood Pack Station Promotion, Mecca Café Bombing, Lightning
Storm,
1957-1958
Box 1, Folder 22
Elsa Stone and Basket, Pan-America Exhibit, Girl Caroling,
undated
Box 1, Folder 23
Fish and Game, Hatcheries, Programs, Wardens,
1959-1959
Box 1, Folder 24
Fishing, Deep Sea,
1960-1961
Box 1, Folder 25
Fishing, Freshwater,
1955-1961
Box 1, Folder 26
Fishing, Freshwater,
1955-1961
Box 1, Folder 27
Fishing, Freshwater, Crowley Lake Opener,
1955-1960
Box 1, Folder 28
Fishing, Gulf of California,
1959-1960
Box 1, Folder 29
Fishing, Ocean and Surf,
1957-1959
Box 2, Folder 1
Gals, Sherri Elisson, Polly Niemiec, Sandy Broomfield,
1957-1959
Box 2, Folder 2
Gas Explosion, Van Ness and Franklin [Ave.],
1953 October
Box 2, Folder 3
Ginger Dubberly and Dodgers,
1957
Box 2, Folder 4
Girl and Her Dog, Cathie and Duke,
1957 November
Box 2, Folder 5
Governor of Baja California,
1960 April
Box 2, Folder 6
Highway Overpass,
undated
Box 2, Folder 10
Hunting, Ducks,
1956-1961
Box 2, Folder 11
Hunting, Ducks,
1956-1961
Box 2, Folder 13
Hunting, Pheasant,
1956-1961
Box 2, Folder 12
Hunting, Pigeon,
1957-1961
Box 2, Folder 15
Hunting, Quail,
1955-1958
Box 2, Folder 16
Ivanhoe Back to School, W.B. Knight Co. New Building,
1955-1961
Box 2, Folder 17
Japanese Fishing Birds,
1963
Box 2, Folder 18
Kagel Canyon Fire,
1961
November
Box 2, Folder 19
Las Vegas, Nevada,
undated
Box 2, Folder 21
Leo Durocher Helping His Son's Little League Team,
1957 May 5
Box 2, Folder 22
Little Girl in Federal Building, Malibu Canyon Fire, Christmas Road
Block,
1956-1959
Box 2, Folder 23
Liz Renay [Pearl Elizabeth Dobbins],
1960 June 6
Box 2, Folder 24
Lupi Saldina Above Whitney Hatchery,
circa 1955
Box 2, Folder 25
Melrose Traffic [Accident],
circa
1957-1960
Box 4
"Mirror Foto By Bill Knight Staff Photographer" Stamp,
undated
Box 2, Folder 26
Newspaper Clippings and Notes,
1957-1960
Box 2, Folder 28
Packtrips,
circa
1957-1959
Box 2, Folder 29
Pheasant Sequence, Bowling Sequence, [and News Room],
undated
Box 2, Folder 30
Portraits and IDs,
circa 1958
Box 2, Folder 35
Sportsman Shows,
1957-1960
Box 2, Folder 36
Stevenson Ralley Democratic Convention, Bird Chased Out of Poultry
Market,
1960-1961
Box 2, Folder 37
Sunset and Highland Car Accident,
undated
Box 2, Folder 38
Swimming Baby Jamie 4 Months Old, and Mother, Barbara Kalawala,
1958 July 7
Box 2, Folder 39
Traffic Accidents,
undated
Box 2, Folder 40
Trinity River Tent, Casey Stengel, Pigs at the County Fair, Russ
Morgan,
1961
Box 2, Folder 41
W. Bill Knight Co. New Office,
undated
Box 2, Folder 42
Wells Fargo and Company Express Building,
undated
Box 2, Folder 43
Whiskey Flat Days,
undated
Box 2, Folder 44
Wonderland Ave Suicide,
1953 December
Series II: KTLA and Television News,
ca. 1965-ca.
1984
Digital Folder
Brush Fire, [Watts] Riots, Ladder Fall, and Duck Hunt,
ca. 1965 -ca.
1979
Digital Folder
Iranian Riot,
ca. 1979-ca.
1981
Digital Folder
Nash [Department Store] Fire,
1976
Digital Folder
SLA Shootout [House Raid, 10th Anniversary],
ca. 1984
Digital Folder
SLA Story [House Raid],
1974 May 17
Series III: Personal,
1950-1962
Box 3, Folder 1
1st Year in Encino Home,
undated
Box 3, Folder 3
Backcountry Scenics, Ghost Towns,
circa 1950
Box 3, Folder 4
Betti Johnson and Newborn, Lee Vining,
undated
Box 3, Folder 5
Boy Playing in the Yard,
undated
Box 3, Folder 10
Gals, Quail Hunting Beauty,
undated
Box 3, Folder 12
Knight Sleeping, Ann's Pre-Wedding Family Dinner,
undated
Box 3, Folder 13
Lupi and Family at Convict Lake,
1957
Box 3, Folder 14
McKenney Baby Few Months Old,
undated
Box 3, Folder 15
Mexico, Los Mochis,
undated
Box 3, Folder 16
Personal [Nudes],
undated
Box 3, Folder 17
William B. Knight as a Child,
undated
