Finding aid for the Barbara Morgan photographs LSC.1873

Finding aid prepared by Sukey Garcetti in the Center for Primary Research and Training (CFPRT) with assistance from Kelley Wolfe Bachli, 2010; machine-readable finding aid created by Caroline Cubé.

UCLA Library Special Collections

Finding aid last updated 14 December 2016.

Room A1713, Charles E. Young Research Library

Box 951575

Los Angeles, CA 90095-1575

Business Number: 310-825-4988

Fax Number: 310-206-1864

spec-coll@library.ucla.edu

URL: https://www.library.ucla.edu/special-collections

Contributing Institution: UCLA Library Special Collections

Title: Barbara Morgan photographs

Creator: Morgan, Barbara Brooks, 1900-1992

Identifier/Call Number: LSC.1873

Physical Description: 1 oversize_boxes

Date (inclusive): 1928-1972

Abstract: The collection contains nineteen mounted photos by Barbara Morgan, on subjects including dance, Camp Treetops, nature, and one from the Junkyard Series.

Physical Location: Stored off-site. All requests to access special collections material must be made in advance using the request button located on this page.

Language of Material: Materials are in English.

Conditions on Access

Open for research. All requests to access special collections materials must be made in advance using the request button located on this page.

Conditions on Use and Reproduction

Copyright to portions of this collection has been assigned to the UCLA Library Special Collections. The library can grant permission to publish for materials to which it holds the copyright. All requests for permission to publish must be submitted in writing to Library Special Collections. Credit shall be given as follows: The Regents of the University of California on behalf of the UCLA Library Special Collections.

Preferred Citation

[Identification of item], Barbara Morgan Photographs (Collection 1873). UCLA Library Special Collections, Charles E. Young Research Library, University of California, Los Angeles.

Processing Information

Processed by Sukey Garcetti in the Center for Primary Research and Training (CFPRT) with assistance from Kelley Wolfe Bachli, 2010.

Collections are processed to a variety of levels depending on the work necessary to make them usable, their perceived user interest and research value, availability of staff and resources, and competing priorities. Library Special Collections provides a standard level of preservation and access for all collections and, when time and resources permit, conducts more intensive processing. These materials have been arranged and described according to national and local standards and best practices.

We are committed to providing ethical, inclusive, and anti-racist description of the materials we steward, and to remediating existing description of our materials that contains language that may be offensive or cause harm. We invite you to submit feedback about how our collections are described, and how they could be described more accurately, by filling out the form located on our website: Report Potentially Offensive Description in Library Special Collections.

UCLA Catalog Record ID

UCLA Catalog Record ID: 9966536073606533

Biography

Barbara Brooks Morgan was born in Buffalo, Kansas on July 8, 1900, but grew up in Los Angeles, CA. She attended UCLA from 1919 to 1923, and later joined the art faculty (1925-30). She married Willard D. Morgan (ca. 1925) and relocated to New York (1930). After the birth of her two sons, Douglas (1932) and Lloyd (1935), she began to concentrate on her photography career. An accomplished designer, author, artist, and photographer, she is best known for her photographs of American modern dancers, among them, Martha Graham, Doris Humphrey, Pearl Primus, Jose Limon, and Charles Weidman. She contributed articles and reviews to various publications and published several books including, Martha Graham: Sixteen Dances in Photographs (1941), Summer's Children: A Photographic Cycle of Life at Camp about Camp Treetops (1951), and A Collection of Material about Barbara Morgan (1972), as well as having a photo in Family of Man (1955). She died August 18, 1992 in Scarsdale, NY.

Scope and Content

The collection includes 19 mounted photos taken by Barbara Morgan. These photos include photos of dancers, nature, various portraits, one of Camp Treetops (a children's camp, featured in her book Summer's Children) and one from her junkyard series. There is one example of her experimental photomontages. The collection includes "Girl Playing Recorder," which was included in the 1955 book Family of Man.

Organization and Arrangement

Arranged in the following series:

Portraits
Dance
Auto Junkyard Series
Camp Treetops
Nature

Related Material

Collection about Barbara Morgan, 1960-1972. Collection 1112. Available at UCLA Library Special Collections.

Barbara Morgan Wight Gallery Collection, 1938-1967. Collection 1872. Available at UCLA Library Special Collections.

Subjects and Indexing Terms

Women artists.

Women photographers -- Archives.

Morgan, Barbara Brooks, 1900-1992

Auto Junkyard Series 1947

box 1, folder 13

Resurrection in the Junkyard Date Taken: 1947 Date Printed: 1969

General Physical Description note: 13 1/4" × 10 1/4" on 16" × 18"

Scope and Contents note

Photograph

Camp Treetops (Summer's Children) 1947

box 1, folder 14

Girl Playing Recorder Date Taken: 1945

General Physical Description note: 9 5/8" × 13 3/16" on 15" × 20"

Scope and Contents note

Photograph (from "Summer's Children" and "Family of Man - MOMA), inscribed "For Annita Delano"

Dance 1938-1944

box 1, folder 8

Martha Graham in "Letter to the World" Date Taken: 1940 Date Printed: 1971

General Physical Description note: 7 3/8" × 9 1/2" on 13" × 16"

Scope and Contents note

Photograph, Martha Graham seated on bench, inscribed "For Bertha Wardell"

box 1, folder 9

Martha Graham in "Letter to the World" ("For Annita Delano") Date Taken: 1940

General Physical Description note: 9 1/2" × 13 1/8" on 16 1/2" × 19 1/2"

Scope and Contents note

Photograph, Martha Graham's skirt forming arc, inscribed "For Annita Delano"

box 1, folder 10

Valerie Bettis in "Desperate Heart"

General Physical Description note: 10 3/4" × 12 1/2" on 18 1/2" × 20"

Scope and Contents note

Photograph

box 1, folder 11

Charles Weidman in "Lynchtown" (Humphrey-Weidman Group) Date Taken: 1938 Date Printed: 1969

General Physical Description note: 11 9/16" × 18 7/8" on 18" × 27:

Scope and Contents note

Photograph

box 1, folder 12

Jose Limon, "Peon" from "Mexican Suite" Date Printed: 1970

General Physical Description note: 13 1/4" × 17 7/8" on 21" × 26"

Scope and Contents note

Photograph

Nature 1943-1967

box 1, folder 15

Walnut Date Taken: 1943

General Physical Description note: 13" × 10 5/8" on 16" × 20"

Scope and Contents note

Photograph

box 1, folder 16

Ikons in Time-Stream (Hittite Mother Goddess 2000 BC + Empire State Bldg NYC 1938 AD) Date Taken: 1964 Date Printed: 1971

General Physical Description note: 17 3/4" × 13 1/2" on 26" × 20"

Scope and Contents note

Photograph

box 1, folder 17

Fossil in Formation Date Taken: 1965 Date Printed: 1971

General Physical Description note: 17 1/2" × 13" on 24" × 20"

Scope and Contents note

Photograph

box 1, folder 18

Artificial Life From the Laboratory Date Printed: 1971

General Physical Description note: 18 7/8" × 15" on 27" × 22"

Scope and Contents note

Photograph

box 1, folder 19

Beech Tree I Date Taken: 1945 Date Printed: 1970

General Physical Description note: 13" × 17 1/4" on 21" × 27"

Scope and Contents note

Photograph

Portraits 1942-1958

box 1, folder 1

Dr Diasetz Suzuki Date Printed: 1969

General Physical Description note: 10 5/8" × 7" on 15"x 11 1/8"

Scope and Contents note

Portrait photograph

box 1, folder 2

Dr Daisetz Suzuki (In Study) (in NYC during session of teaching at Columbia University) Date Taken: 1958

General Physical Description note: 10 3/4" × 9 1/2" on 16 1/2" × 19 1/2"

Scope and Contents note

Portrait photograph

box 1, folder 3

Gerald Heard Date Printed: 1971

General Physical Description note: 12 3/4" × 10 5/8" on 20" × 16"

Scope and Contents note

Portrait photograph

box 1, folder 4

Professor Joseph Campbell and Student, Sarah Lawrence college Date Taken: 195- Date Printed: 1971

General Physical Description note: 12" × 9 1/2" on 18" × 14"

Scope and Contents note

Portrait photograph

box 1, folder 5

Charles Sheeler and His Favorite Beech Tree Date Printed: 1971

General Physical Description note: 9 7/8" × 12 1/2" on 16" × 20"

Scope and Contents note

Portrait photograph inscribed "Best Wishes to the Carneys."

box 1, folder 6

Willard Morgan Tossing Cats (Strobe) Date Taken: 1942 Date Printed: 1971

General Physical Description note: 7 13/16" × 13 1/2" on 15" × 19 7/8"

Scope and Contents note

Portrait photograph

box 1, folder 7

Lloyd's Head

General Physical Description note: 9 1/16" × 13" on 16 5/8" × 21 1/4"

Scope and Contents note

Portrait photograph of Morgan's son