Descriptive Summary
Administrative Information
Biography
Scope and Content of Collection
Indexing Terms
Separated Material
Descriptive Summary
Title: Chester Kessler Papers,
Date (inclusive): 1951-1952
Collection number: MS 167
Creator:
Kessler, Chester
Extent:
1 document box, 2 flats
Repository:
University of California, Santa Cruz. University Library.
Special Collections and Archives
Santa Cruz, California 95064
Abstract: This collection contains a storyboard, worksheets, frame drawings, a film and photographs for an animated film
The Plague Summer adapted from Kenneth Patchen's novel
The Journal of Albion Moonlight, as well as photographs of Kenneth and Miriam Patchen by Chester Kessler.
Physical location: Stored in Special Collections & Archives: Advance notice is required for access to the papers.
Language:
English.
Administrative Information
Access
Collection is open for research.
Publication Rights
Property rights reside with the University of California. Literary rights are retained by the creators
of the records and their heirs. For permission to publish or to reproduce the material, please contact the
Head of Special Collections and Archives.
Preferred Citation
Chester Kessler Papers. MS 167. Special Collections and Archives, University Library, University of California, Santa Cruz.
Acquisition Information
Gift of Robert Emory Johnson, July 1983.
Biography
A photographer and film maker, Chester Monroe Kessler, was born in New Melle, Missouri on May 6, 1919. He moved to Southern
California, first pursuing studies in photography at the Art Center School and later in film making and animation at the University
of Southern California. In San Francisco he continued developing his photographic technique under Minor White at the California
School of Fine Art. During his life he completed four films and captured portraits of celebrated artists, such as Kenneth
Patchen, Jonathan William, Bob Kaufman, David Stacton, and Kenneth Anger.
Completed films:
-
The Plague Summer. 1951; an animated film based on Kenneth Patchen's novel 'The Journal of Albion Moonlight'.
-
Columbarium. 1973; a sequence of images filmed in one of the San Francisco architectural landmarks utilizing Warner Jepson's electronic
music as a soundtrack .
-
Rondo. 1976; a portrayal of the Huntington Square cut to the music of Lou Harrison's Suite for violin, piano and small orchestra.
-
Go. 1976; footage of dancing hippies taken in two rock concert held in five year interval at the Speedway Meadows in 1969 and
Marx Meadows in 1974.
On his 60th birthday, May 16th 1979, Chester Kessler passed away.
Scope and Content of Collection
This collection contains a storyboard, various cue chart guides and worksheets, over 190 frame drawings, a film, and still
photographs for
The Plague Summer, an animated film adapted from Kenneth Patchen's novel
The Journal of Albion Moonlight, that tells the story of a band of characters journeying across landscape assaulted by horrors of war. Archive also includes
photographic portraits of Kenneth and Miriam Patchen taken by Chester Kessler in 1952.
Arrangement
The Plague Summer material has been organized into five series: Biographical, Scripts, Frame Drawings, Photographs and Film.
Indexing Terms
The following terms have been used to index the description of this collection in the library's online public access catalog.
Subjects
Kessler, Chester--Archives
Animated films
Photographers
Other Index Terms Related to this Collection
Patchen, Kenneth, 1911-1972. Kenneth Patchen archive
Separated Material
The Plague Summer; a film by Chester Kessler, 1951 - Special Collections, Fi731, DVD 2899
