Collection Guide
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Riley (Norman E.) Papers and Photographs
D-550
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Table of contents
Language of Material:
English
Contributing Institution:
University of California, Davis Library, Dept. of Special Collections
Title: Norman E. Riley Papers and Photographs
Creator:
Riley, Norman
Identifier/Call Number: D-550
Physical Description:
2.4 linear feet
Date (inclusive): 1982-2004
Abstract: The collection includes photographs of California, especially Davis
and Sacramento, cityscapes, landscapes, still lifes, and portraits taken by the photographer Norman E. Riley.
Norman Edward Riley was born in Munich, Germany on January 11, 1954. He graduated from UC Davis in 1978, majoring in
Environmental Toxicology. He worked for the State of California for 25 years, during this time Riley took up the 35mm camera
and, through book-reading and practice, taught himself the principles and techniques of photography. He worked initially in
the pictorial style and focused mainly on portraiture but also spent a considerable amount of time shooting scenes in and
around both Davis, California and Sacramento, California In 1984 he advanced to large format work and thereafter, working
in
the f/64 style, concentrated on architectural studies and landscapes primarily in the Western United States and in Europe.
From 2006 to 2011, Riley turned almost exclusively to still life work in which he combined things living or derived from
living things with bits and pieces of scrap metal to produce unique sculptures which he then photographed. His work has
appeared in various publications (e.g., the German periodical "Fine Art Foto," and the American magazine "View Camera"). In
2011, samples of his still life photographs were included in the permanent collections of the San Luis Obispo Museum of Art
in San Luis Obispo, California and the Museum of Northwest Art in La Conner, Washington. His first book, titled "Prophet
Theory" was be published in 2013.
Scope and Content of Collection
The collection consists of photographs taken by Norman E. Riley between 1980 and 2013. Sujbects include California,
especially Davis and Sacramento; the western United States; European cities; still lifes; and portraits of family and
friends. The collection is primarily photographic negatives in small, medium, and large formats but also includes with silver
gelatin prints from select negatives.
The collection is divided into six sections identified by the donor. Currently, the collection consists of Parts I, II,
III, and IV. Parts V and VI will form a later donation. Part I is made up entirely of black and white 35mm negatives and
selected prints from those negatives. Part II comprises 35mm color negatives and representative prints, and 120 format black
and white negatives and corresponding prints. Part III is made up of 4x5 black and white negatives and related prints. Part
IV contains both 8x10 black and white negatives and prints from those negatives.
Web archive of artist's website: Norman Riley Photography,
https://wayback.archive-it.org/5780/*/http://normanrileyphotography.com/
Gift of Norman E. Riley, 2012-2014.
Collection is open for research.
[Identification of item], Norman E. Riley Papers and Photographs, D-550, Archives and Special Collections, UC Davis
Library, University of California, Davis.
All applicable copyrights for the collection are protected under chapter 17 of the U.S. Copyright Code. Requests for
permission to publish or quote from manuscripts must be submitted in writing to the Head of Special Collections. Permission
for publication is given on behalf of the Regents of the University of California as the owner of the physical items. It is
not intended to include or imply permission of the copyright holder, which must also be obtained by the researcher.
Subjects and Indexing Terms
Davis (Calif.) -- Pictorial works
Sacramento (Calif.) -- Pictorial works
Riley, Norman -- Archives