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Robert J.McLeod Photography Collection
002.087
002.087
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Table of contents
Title: Robert J.McLeod Photography Collection,
Identifier/Call Number: 002.087
Contributing Institution:
Museum of Performance and Design, Performing Arts Library
Language of Material:
English
Physical Description:
7.0 Linear feet
7 records cartons
Date (inclusive): 1980-2002
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.
Creator:
McLeod, Robert
Copyright has been assigned to the Museum of Performance + Design.
Entire collection is open for research use.
Collection was donated by Beth Witrogen in 2002 with additional accessions made in 2014 and 2016.
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.
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.
Related collections include: American Ballet Theatre Collection; San Francisco Ballet Archives; Dance Companies Collection.
- San Francisco Ballet
- Dancers and Choreographers
- Individuals
- Photographic Materials
- Print Materials
Subjects and Indexing Terms
American Ballet Theatre.
Balanchine, George
Baryshnikov, Mikhail
Berman, Joanna
Christensen, Lew, 1909-1984
Cisneros, Evelyn
Gil, Jean-Charles
Oakland Ballet Company.
Robbins, Jerome
Smuin, Michael
Stowell, Christopher
Tomasson, Helgi, 1942-
Witrogen, Beth, 1948-
Choreographers--United States.
Dance
Dance--Ballet
Dance--United States
Dancers--United States
Photographic Materials
San Francisco Ballet Association (San Francisco, Calif.)--History.
San Francisco Ballet--History.