Call Number:

PH-00066

Collection Name:

Eliot Elisofon Papers and Photography Collection

Creator:

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.

Access Restrictions:

Open for research with the exception of Elin Elisofon’s biography research files (boxes 77b, 78, 79a) which require her permission to use. Transparencies may be accessed but require 24 hours advance notice. Negatives cannot be accessed without curatorial approval. To make an appointment, please contact Reading and Viewing Room staff.

Finding Aid URL:

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

Location(s):

Elisofon, E., Glass slides
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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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Restricted access Elisofon, E., Box 77b
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Elisofon, E., Boxes 073-076, 077a (Papers and photographic prints)
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Restricted access Elisofon, E., Box 78, 79a
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Elisofon, E., Boxes 079b, 080 (Papers and photographic prints)
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Elisofon, E., Boxes 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):

See Also:

Eliot Elisofon Photography Collection: Eliot Elisofon Collection

Julio De Diego Art Collection