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Ruth Orkin Photograph Collection

Call Number

PR 190

Date

ca. 1950-1981, inclusive

Creator

Extent

3.83 Linear feet (2 boxes)

Language of Materials

The documents in the collection are in English.

Abstract

The Ruth Orkin Photograph Collection spans the period from ca. 1950 to 1981 and contains photographs of New York City, primarily Central Park and the surrounding areas.

Biographical Note

Ruth Orkin is a photographer and filmmaker in New York City.

Scope and Content Note

The Ruth Orkin Photograph Collection spans the period from ca. 1950 to 1981 and contains photographs of New York City, primarily Central Park and the surrounding areas.

Photographs in this collection are part of a series taken from the window of Orkin's fifteenth floor apartment at 65 Central Park West, between 66th and 67th Streets in Manhattan; most were published at her books "A World through my Window," and "More Pictures from my Window." They take as their focus Central Park, particularly the Sheep Meadow, and the bordering skylines of Central Park South and Fifth Avenue. The color photographs show the park and its surroundings in various dramatic light, weather, and seasonal conditions, from the Tavern on the Green decorated with Christmas lights in a night view, to a distant shot of sunbathers and roller skaters gathered in the meadow in the heat of a summer day.

Most of the photographs in this collection were included in the exhibit "Manhattan Observed: Fourteen Photographers look at New York, 1972-1981," at the New-York Historical Society, from July 1981 through April 1982. The photographs, which were printed by G.W. Color Lab, New York, are signed, captioned, and in most cases dated by Orkin on both the front and the verso.

Access Restrictions

Materials in this collection may be stored offsite. For more information on making arrangements to consult them, please visit www.nyhistory.org/library/visit.

Use Restrictions

Taking images of documents from the library collections for reference purposes by using hand-held cameras and in accordance with the library's photography guidelines is encouraged. As an alternative, patrons may request up to 20 images per day from staff.

Application to use images from this collection for publication should be made in writing to: Department of Rights and Reproductions, The New-York Historical Society, 170 Central Park West, New York, NY 10024-5194, rightsandrepro@nyhistory.org. Phone: (212) 873-3400 ext. 282.

Copyrights and other proprietary rights may subsist in individuals and entities other than the New-York Historical Society, in which case the patron is responsible for securing permission from those parties. For fuller information about rights and reproductions from N-YHS visit: https://www.nyhistory.org/about/rights-reproductions

Preferred Citation

This collection should be cited as Ruth Orkin Photograph Collection, PR 190, Department of Prints, Photographs, and Architectural Collections, The New-York Historical Society.

Location of Materials

Materials in this collection may be stored offsite. For more information on making arrangements to consult them, please visit www.nyhistory.org/library/visit.

Provenance

Gift of Ruth Orkin, 1982

Collection processed by

Jennifer Lewis

About this Guide

This finding aid was produced using ArchivesSpace on 2023-08-21 15:49:26 -0400.
Language: Description is in English.

Edition of this Guide

This version was derived from orkin.xml

Repository

New-York Historical Society
New-York Historical Society
170 Central Park West
New York, NY 10024