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Photography Collections Database

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There are more than five million objects in the Harry Ransom Center's Photography Collection. Many records contain legacy descriptions. A review and update of our records is ongoing.

Additional information may be available. Contact Reference and Research Services.

Call Number:

PH-00066

Collection Name:

Eliot Elisofon Papers and Photography Collection

Creator:

Elisofon, Eliot (1911 - 1973)

No. of Items:

72938 items

Span Dates:

1930-1988 (bulk 1942-1973)

Description:

A native of New York City, Eliot Elisofon became an active freelance photographer by the time he graduated from Fordham in the early 1930s. His energetic and enthusiasitic combination of emerging commercial work and an active membership in the Photo League led to a successful career in photojournalism -- capped by his admission to the elite staff of LIFE magazine photographers in 1942. For the remainder of his life he would contribute to the success of this enterprise -- most notably in such pioneering dimensions of the field as color photography, third-world documentation, and personality/celebrity photojournalism. In 1964 he left the full-time staff of LIFE but remained a contract photographer for the magazine while still returning to his freelance career and to the production and filming of independent motion picture projects. In addition, as he had throughout his career, he continued to produce books on a variety of subjects -- including Asian art, color photography, African sculpture, the Nile, Java, food, and the homes of Hollywood. When he passed away in 1973, less than a year after LIFE itself had folded, he left behind a significant body of work that continues to help us better understand and appreciate the many peoples and cultures that make up the human experience throughout the world.,The archive is organized into the following ten series:

I. Photography Files, 1933-1973, undated;
II. Film and Television Projects, 1953-1973, 1986;
III. Writings and Lectures, 1938-1973;
IV. Artwork, 1935-1969, undated;
V. Exhibitions, 1936-1986;
VI. Private Art Collection, 1939-1969, undated;
VII. Food Files, 1943-1969, undated;
VIII. Correspondence, 1930-1973, undated;
IX. About Elisofon, 1930-1985;
X. Elin Elisofon, 1976-1988, undated.

Within each series material is arranged primarily in chronological order. For preservation reasons, photographic materials have been physically separated into three sets of document boxes according to format--prints and paper material, color transparencies, and black and white negatives. Oversize prints and paper material have been removed and housed in flat boxes, and glass slides are housed in a file cabinet drawer. However, the folder list keeps these materials together intellectually.

Please request materials through the finding aid that contains detailed, folder-level information for the collection.

Accession No(s):

Gift of Elisofon´s two surviving daughters, Jill and Elin, 1992

Finding Aid URL:

https://norman.hrc.utexas.edu/fasearch/findingAid.cfm?eadid=00146

Location(s):

Elisofon, E., Boxes 001-006 (Papers and photographic prints)
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Elisofon, E., Boxes 007-012 (Papers and photographic prints)
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Elisofon, E., Boxes 013-018 (Papers and photographic prints)
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Elisofon, E., Boxes 019-024 (Papers and photographic prints)
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Elisofon, E., Boxes 025-030 (Papers and photographic prints)
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Elisofon, E., Boxes 031-036 (Papers and photographic prints)
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Elisofon, E., Boxes 037-042 (Papers and photographic prints)
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Elisofon, E., Boxes 043-048 (Papers and photographic prints)
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Elisofon, E., Boxes 049-054 (Papers and photographic prints)
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Elisofon, E., Boxes 055-060 (Papers and photographic prints)
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Elisofon, E., Boxes 061-066 (Papers and photographic prints)
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Elisofon, E., Boxes 067-072 (Papers and photographic prints)
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Elisofon, E., Boxes 073-076, 077a (Papers and photographic prints), 77b
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Restricted access Elisofon, E., Boxes 78, 79a, 079b, 080 (Papers and photographic prints), 081-082 (Oversize material)
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Elisofon, E., Boxes 083-085 (Scrapbooks)
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Elisofon, E., Oversize materials
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Special permission required Elisofon, E., Boxes 086-091
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Special permission required Elisofon, E., Boxes 092-097
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Special permission required Elisofon, E., Boxes 098-103
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Special permission required Elisofon, E., Boxes 104-109
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Special permission required Elisofon, E., Boxes 110-115
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Special permission required Elisofon, E., Boxes 116-121
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Special permission required Elisofon, E., Boxes 122-127
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Special permission required Elisofon, E., Boxes 128-134
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Special permission required Elisofon, E., Boxes 135-140
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Special permission required Elisofon, E., Boxes 141-146
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Special permission required Elisofon, E., Boxes 147-152
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Special permission required Elisofon, E., Boxes 153-156
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Elisofon, E., Boxes 086-091
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Elisofon, E., Boxes 092-097
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Elisofon, E., Boxes 098-103
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Elisofon, E., Boxes 104-109
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Elisofon, E., Boxes 110-115
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Elisofon, E., Boxes 116-121
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Elisofon, E., Boxes 122-127
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Elisofon, E., Boxes 128-134
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Elisofon, E., Boxes 135-140
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Elisofon, E., Boxes 141-146
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Elisofon, E., Boxes 147-152
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Elisofon, E., Boxes 153-156
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Item(s):

Title African Sculpture: "Glorious Past" & "Dynamic Expression"
Date 1970 April 26 & May 3
Accession
Number
2003292

Title Murchison Falls from below and Nile animals
Accession
Number
2014451

Title South Seas - Reel 1
Accession
Number
2014452

Title South Seas - Reel 2
Accession
Number
2014453

Title TIME
Date 1960 January 20
Accession
Number
2014454

Title Out takes & Allan Grant Exposure Test
Accession
Number
2014455

Title Time and Life Magazine - Reel 1
Accession
Number
2014456

Title Time and Life Magazine - Reel 2
Accession
Number
2014457

Title LIFE
Date [1956]
Accession
Number
2014458

Title Great Adventure
Date [1956]
Accession
Number
2014459

Title Green metal negative file drawer (was one of seven)
Accession
Number
3014609

Title Cardboard box labeled 'Contax 39 Rolls Assorted' and containing 47 labeled film cannisters
Accession
Number
3014915

See Also:

Eliot Elisofon Photography Collection: Eliot Elisofon Collection

Julio De Diego Art Collection