Carl Van Vechten Photographs, 1923-1942

Contents and Arrangement

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Collection Overview

Creator:

Van Vechten, Carl (1880-1964)

Collector:

Princeton University. Library. Special Collections

Title:

Carl Van Vechten Photographs

Repository:

Manuscripts Division

Permanent URL:

http://arks.princeton.edu/ark:/88435/td96k253f

Dates:

1923-1942

Size:

2 boxes

Storage Note:

Firestone Library (scamss): Box 1-2

Language:

English

Abstract: Consists of photographs taken and printed by Carl Van Vechten, primarily during the 1930s to 1940s, following his career as a music critic, journalist, and author.

Collection Description & Creator Information

Scope and Contents

The collection contains 46 postcard-size, black and white photographs of 33 people, including two self-portraits, taken and printed by Van Vechten primarily during the 1930s to 1940s. His subjects in this collection cover a wide range of celebrities in the theatrical and literary world, including ballet dancers, actors and actresses of stage and screen (some in costume), singers, musicians, authors, and poets--for example, Marian Anderson, Pearl Bailey, Sir John Gielgud, Hugh Laing, Sinclair Lewis, Norman Mailer, Clifford Odets, Jerome Robbins, Artur Rubinstein, Gertrude Stein, Alice B. Toklas, and Lin Yutang. Also present are two photographs (1923, 1930) of Van Vechten taken by the New York photographer Nickolas Muray.

An addition consists of 21 mounted images (8" x 10") of musicians, writers, entertainers, and actors (on stage and screen)--many of them well-known Black performers--which are identifed and dated on the verso. Included are Earl Jones in the Langston Hughes play Don't You Want to be Free?, Vincent Price in Angel Street, Pearl Bailey in St. Louis Woman, and Ethel Waters in Mamba's Daughters.

Arrangement

The photographs are arranged alphabetically by subject.

Collection Creator Biography:

Van Vechten

Carl Van Vechten was an American writer and photographer who was a patron of the Harlem Renaissance and the literary executor of Gertrude Stein. Eugene O'Neill was a Nobel Prize-winning American dramatist whose works include, The Iceman Cometh, A Touch of the Poet, and A Long Day's Journey into Night.

Collection History

Acquisition:: Gift of the artist. Additions transferred from Theatre Collection. in 2002.
Custodial History: The collection was formed as a result of a departmental practice of combining into one collection manuscript material of various accessions relating to a particular author.
Appraisal: No appraisal information is available.
Processing Information: This collection was processed in 2002. Finding aid written in 2002.

Access & Use

Conditions Governing Access

Collection is open for research use.

Conditions Governing Use

Single copies may be made for research purposes. To cite or publish quotations that fall within Fair Use, as defined under U. S. Copyright Law, no permission is required. For instances beyond Fair Use, it is the responsibility of the researcher to determine whether any permissions related to copyright, privacy, publicity, or any other rights are necessary for their intended use of the Library's materials, and to obtain all required permissions from any existing rights holders, if they have not already done so. Princeton University Library's Special Collections does not charge any permission or use fees for the publication of images of materials from our collections, nor does it require researchers to obtain its permission for said use. The department does request that its collections be properly cited and images credited. More detailed information can be found on the Copyright, Credit and Citations Guidelines page on our website. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us through the Ask Us! form.

Physical Characteristics and Technical Requirements

For preservation reasons, original analog and digital media may not be read or played back in the reading room. Users may visually inspect physical media but may not remove it from its enclosure. All analog audiovisual media must be digitized to preservation-quality standards prior to use. Audiovisual digitization requests are processed by an approved third-party vendor. Please note, the transfer time required can be as little as several weeks to as long as several months and there may be financial costs associated with the process. Requests should be directed through the Ask Us Form.

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