Call Number:

PH-02378

Collection Name:

Helmut and Alison Gernsheim Papers and Photography Collection

Creator:

No. of Items:

35 boxes (30 document boxes, 5 drop-front boxes)

Span Dates:

1755-1979

Description:

The Helmut and Alison Gernsheim Papers document the Gernsheims’ long career dedicated to the history of photography with book and article manuscripts; correspondence; research files with clippings, notes, and ephemera; collected correspondence and manuscripts by others; and mementoes from photography-related events. Items span from the late eighteenth century to the 1970s. The materials are organized into three series: I. Works, undated and 1947-1965; II. Correspondence, 1943-1967; and III. Research Materials, 1755-1979.

Series I. Works, consists of notes, drafts, proofs, galleys, and related correspondence for articles and books which Helmut and Alison wrote together, individually, and with others. Items are arranged alphabetically by published title. Variant titles are indicated for some drafts. Included are drafts of some articles which were unpublished.
Series II. Correspondence contains letters to and from both Alison and Helmut Gernsheim relating primarily to their careers as photo historians but also to their personal lives. Correspondents include photographers, families and descendents of deceased photographers, photo historians, publishers, museum curators, friends, and others. Items are arranged alphabetically by correspondent and chronologically within each correspondent’s set of letters.

Series III. Research Materials, the largest series, is divided into four subseries: A. Topic Files, 1755-1963, B. Collected Materials and Mementos, 1934-1962, C. Works by Others, 1830-1979, and D. Withdrawals, undated. Subseries A. Topic Files consists of research materials relating to the history of photography which are arranged alphabetically by topic. Items include newspaper and magazine clippings and printed materials dating back to the mid-18th century, Helmut’s typed and handwritten notes, and related correspondence. Subseries B. Collected Materials and Mementos contains exhibition catalogs and invitations, conference papers, and other printed materials as well as personal items like press permits and notebooks. Exhibition invitations mementoes include some items related to exhibitions of items from the Gernsheims’ own collection. This subseries is arranged alphabetically by topic or event name. Subseries C. Works by Others contains both correspondence and manuscripts by photographers and photo historians from the 1830s-1970s which the Gernsheims purchased or collected. Correspondence is arranged alphabetically by sender, except a couple of folders grouped by recipient, such as letters received by John Spiller. These files do not contain correspondence with the Gernsheims themselves and some of the letters are facsimiles, not originals. Following the correspondence are collected manuscript materials, arranged alphabetically by author, which include essays about photochemistry and photographers and some notes by photographers. The last subseries, D. Withdrawals, contains notes by Helmut Gernsheim which were originally laid into books in his library or with photographs in his collection. Original location information is noted with the items.

Indexes at the end of the finding aid list works and correspondents. Boxes 30-32 contain oversize materials. These materials were previously described in the Ransom Center’s card catalog.

For detailed information or to page materials to the Reading and Viewing Room, please see the finding aid for the collection.

Separated Materials
The Gernsheims’ library of over 2,700 books has been separated from the collection and is housed in the Ransom Center’s Book Collection. The HRC Personal Effects Collection contains awards, medals, and miscellaneous objects of the Gernsheims’. Several cassette tapes with interviews of Helmut Gernsheim are housed in the Ransom Center’s Sound Recordings Collection. A set of photographic Christmas cards by Angus McBean has been physically removed from the Correspondence series and is now housed with the Angus McBean Photography Collection (PH-00028).

Related Materials
The Gernsheim’s vast collection of photographs are described in separate collection records that are, for the most part, named after the many photographers represented in the collection.

Accession No(s):

Comment book, exhibition of Joseph Nicephore Niepce First Photograph, Fotofest, Houston, Texas 1994.; Correspondence relating to Frank Armstrong's Photojournalist: The Life of Jimmy Hare.; Purchase, 1963, and gift, 1980; TmsS of H. J. P. Arnold's Man of Laycock, A Biography of William Henry Fox Talbot.; Twelve awards, medals, miscellaneous objects (Transferred all to Personal Effects).; Typed transcripts of letters from India, 1934, by Fritz Henle.

Finding Aid URL:

https://norman.hrc.utexas.edu/fasearch/findingAid.cfm?eadid=00621

Location(s):

Bound volume
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Please page collection through finding aid Boxes 1-6
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Please page collection through finding aid Boxes 7-12
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Please page collection through finding aid Boxes 13-18
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Please page collection through finding aid Boxes 19-24
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Please page collection through finding aid Boxes 25-29, 33
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Please page collection through finding aid Boxes 30-32, 34; uncat box of frames, etc.
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Item(s):

See Also:

Helmut and Alison Gernsheim Collection of Photographic Copy Prints

Unidentified Photographers (Gernsheim) Photography Collection

Gernsheim Mechanical Processes Photography Collection

Gernsheim Postcards and Christmas Cards Photography Collection

Helmut Gernsheim Photography Collection