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Kenny Collection of Photographs of South Pasadena: Finding
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photCL 281
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Title: Kenny Collection of Photographs of South Pasadena
Dates (inclusive): approximately 1908-1937
Collection Number: photCL 281
Creator:
Kenny, Herbert J.
Extent:
799 photographs in 26 boxes: chiefly glass-plate negatives; plates chiefly 13 x 21 cm. (5 x 8 in.) and 20 x 26 cm (8 x 10
in.) + 798 later prints in 2 boxes
Repository:
The Huntington Library, Art Collections, and Botanical Gardens.
Photo Archives
1151 Oxford Road
San Marino, California 91108
Phone: (626) 405-2191
Email: reference@huntington.org
URL: http://www.huntington.org
Abstract: This collection contains 799 photographs (chiefly glass-plate negatives, with 798 corresponding later prints) of people and
places primarily in South Pasadena, California, taken by photographer Herbert J. Kenny (1863-1956) from approximately 1908-1937.
The collection chiefly comprises studio portraits and images of people in outdoor settings; photographs also depict residences,
commercial and other buildings, and landscaping and agriculture.
Language: English.
Open to qualified researchers by prior application through the Reader Services Department. For more information, contact Reader
Services.
The Huntington Library does not require that researchers request permission to quote from or publish images of this material,
nor does it charge fees for such activities. The responsibility for identifying the copyright holder, if there is one, and
obtaining necessary permissions rests with the researcher.
[Identification of item], Kenny Collection of Photographs of South Pasadena, The Huntington Library, San Marino, California.
Gift of the City of South Pasadena, 1985.
Herbert J. Kenny (1863-1956) was an American photographer who owned a photography studio located at 1007 El Centro Street
in South Pasadena, California,
where he also repaired frames and retouched photographs and oil and watercolor paintings.
This collection contains 799 photographs of people and places in South Pasadena, California, taken by photographer Herbert
J. Kenny (1863-1956) from approximately 1908-1937. The collection chiefly comprises studio portraits of individuals and images
of people posing in outdoor settings.
Portraits depict women; men; children and young adults; and groups, including couples, families, Boy Scouts, students, sports
teams, lodge members, and
a church congregation. Most people are unidentified, though some captions identify professions including minister or dancer,
and two photographs identify a sitter by name (Peggy Ryan, Items 405 and 406). Many of the photographs feature early twentieth
century fashion, including formal wear, various types of uniforms, graduation gowns, and other forms of dress.
The collection also includes photographs depicting residences, commercial and other buildings, and landscaping and agriculture
in and around South Pasadena, chiefly in the early 1920s.
A few photographs show house interiors, and several depict automobiles and roads. Notably, several photographs show retail
establishments holding
clearance or going-out-of-business sales (Items 62 and 79-82). There are also a few photographs showing imagery from outside
of South Pasadena and
other miscellaneous items, including beach scenes and single images of a desert home, a harbor, a driving glove, a set of
business school materials,
and a trophy and first prize ribbon from 1922. The photographs are later prints chiefly from glass-plate negatives and, to
a lesser extent, from copy film negatives; these prints were made by the Huntington photo lab between 1985 and 1989.
Related materials in the Huntington Library
Photographs appear to be generally arranged by photograph number, and were grouped according to general topic volunteer Jane
Apostol. The collection is arranged in the following two series:
- Series I. Later Prints
- Subseries A. Residences and views (Items 1-86, 94-105, 182-183)
- Subseries B. Portraits (87-93, 106-181, 184-778)
- Subseries C. Miscellaneous (Items 779-800)
- Series II. Glass-plate Negatives and Copy Film Negatives
The following terms have been used to index the description of this collection in the
Huntington Library's Online Catalog.
Kenny, Herbert J. -- Photographs.
Boy Scouts of America -- Photographs.
Agriculture -- California -- South Pasadena -- Photographs.
Clothing and dress -- United States -- Photographs.
Clergy -- United States -- Portraits.
Commerce -- United States -- South Pasadena -- Photographs.
Commercial buildings -- California -- South Pasadena -- Photographs.
Couples -- Portraits.
Dancers -- United States -- Portraits.
Dwellings -- California -- South Pasadena -- Photographs.
Families -- Portraits.
Gardens -- California -- South Pasadena -- Photographs.
Hotels -- California -- South Pasadena -- Photographs.
Individuals -- Portraits.
Landscape architecture -- California -- South Pasadena -- Photographs.
Landscape design -- California -- South Pasadena -- Photographs.
Men -- Portraits.
Municipal buildings -- California -- South Pasadena -- Photographs.
Photography of families -- Photographs.
Portrait photography -- United States -- 20th century.
Sports teams -- Photographs.
Women -- Portraits.
Young adults -- Portraits.
South Pasadena (Calif.) -- Photographs.
Photographs.
Portraits.