An Inventory of His Literary File in the Photography Collection at the
Harry Ransom Center
Creator:
Davenport, Guy, 1927-2005
Title:
Guy Davenport Literary File Photography
Collection
Dates:
1959-1977 (bulk 1959-1972)
Extent:
46 photographs
Abstract:
The collection consists of 46 black
and white photographic prints taken between 1959 and 1977 (bulk 1959-1972) including
38 by the American photographer Ralph Eugene Meatyard. Most of these photographs are
portraits of Guy Davenport and other literary notables; the other images feature
many of the elements that characterize Meatyard’s body of work.
Call Number:
Photography Collection PH-02665
Language:
English
Access:
Open for research.
Administrative Information
Acquisition:
Internal transfer from the Guy Davenport Papers, 2014.
The collection consists of 46 black-and-white photographic prints dating to between
1959 and 1977 (bulk 1959-1972). Primarily taken by photographer Ralph Eugene
Meatyard (American, 1925-1972), also included are works by his son, Christopher
Meatyard (American, born 1955), photographer Guy Mendes (American, born 1948), and
the artist Willard Franklin Midgette (American, 1937-1978). Present are a number of
Meatyard portraits of Davenport and of other literary notables that were friends of
both men. The remaining Meatyard photographs feature many of the elements that
characterize his body of work: masks, staged settings, and the use of blur and
multiple exposures to create mysterious abstract photographic images.
The photographs are arranged into two series: I. Photographs by Ralph Eugene
Meatyard, 1959-1969, and II. Photographs by Others, 1968-1977. Within the first series,
the photographs
are loosely arranged by sitter. The second series is arranged alphabetically by
photographers' surnames and then chronologically. Published titles appear in single
quotation marks.
This file forms a part of the Harry Ransom Center’s Literary File Photography
Collection that is comprised of photographs and albums withdrawn from the libraries
and/or papers of literary figures, and generally includes photographs taken by,
collected by, and/or of those figures.
Related Material
Additional materials at the Ransom Center by and about Davenport are located in the
Guy Davenport Papers (MS-04979). Other photographs by Meatyard can be found in the
Ralph Eugene Meatyard Photography Collection (PH-02566); Portfolio Three: The Work of Ralph Eugene Meatyard (PH-02648); the
Parker Tyler Literary File Photography Collection (PH-02656, see 975:0090:0003); and
the Edward Dahlberg Literary File Photography Collection (PH-02655, see
985:0009:0003).
