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Time Inc. Editorial Services Records

Call Number

MS 3009-RG 47

Date

1966-1977, 1991-2003, inclusive

Creator

Time, inc.

Extent

7.92 Linear feet in 7 record cartons and 1 flat box

Language of Materials

The materials in the collection are in English.

Abstract

Editorial Services Records documents the activities of various departments and offices within this division that supported all editorial and publishing divisions at Time Inc. The majority of records are from several photograph syndication services at Time Inc. Also included are office files from the Editorial Production/Copy Processing department and photographs of staff events.

Historical Note

Editorial Services was established as a central corporate division in 1967 with four departments: Bureau of Editorial Services; Editorial Production; the Photo Lab; and the Picture Collection. These departments supported the research, editorial, and publishing efforts of the Time Inc. magazines. Departments and offices within Editorial Services reorganized frequently.

Bureau of Editorial Services, transferred from the Time Editorial Department in 1967, was sometimes known as the "Word Morgue". In 1971, it was renamed the Library.

Editorial Production transferred from the Time Editorial Department in 1967 and contained the Photon and Copy Processing operations. In 1970 Editorial Production ceased Photon operations and became synonymous with Copy Processing. In 1981 Editorial Production/Copy Processing detached from Editorial Services and transferred to separate management.

The Photo Lab transferred from the Life Editorial Department in 1967 and remained a department until Editorial Services closed in 2001.

The Picture Collection transferred from the Life Editorial Department in 1967. While at Life, it was known as the Picture Morgue then the Life Picture Collection.

Prior to closing, Life magazine operated the Time-Life Syndication Service. After Life ceased operations, Editorial Services established the Time-Life Picture Agency, also known as the Time-Life Picture Service, within the Picture Collection to take over syndication services.

Other syndication offices within Editorial Services included the Life Picture Service, Time & Life Syndication and TimePix. Time & Life Syndication transferred to Editorial Services around 1994 and may have been an office created by the reorganization of Life Picture Service and Time Pix Syndication (a Time editorial division) in the late 1980s or early 1990s. Time Inc. established TimePix around 1999 replacing Time & Life Syndication.

History of Offices in the Editorial Services Division

1967 September Editorial Services is established.
1970 January Editorial Production ceases Photon operations. From this point the Editorial Production department becomes synonymous with Copy Processing.
1971 April Bureau of Editorial Reference is renamed the Library.
1973 Time-Life Picture Agency is established under the Picture Collection.
1976 December Time-Life Picture Agency closes. Editorial Services continues to provide syndication services.
1978 First mention of the Life Picture Service which replaces the Time-Life Picture Agency.
1981 May Editorial Production/Copy Processing detaches from Editorial Services to separate management.
1982 January Life Picture Service transfers to new Life magazine.
circa 1994 Time & Life Syndication transfers to Editorial Services. The Archives transfers to Editorial Services.
1996 The Library and the Archives are reorganized and renamed Time Research Center.
circa 1999 TimePix established.
2001 August Time Research Center is decentralized from Editorial Services and dissolved.
2001 November The Photo Lab, Picture Collection and TimePix are decentralized and downsized and the Editorial Services division closes.
2003 April TimePix is sold to Getty Images.

Arrangement

Organized into three series:

Series I. Syndication Records

Series II. Editorial Production / Copy Processing Records

Series III. Staff Events Photographic Material

Scope and Contents

Editorial Services Records documents the activities of various departments and offices within this division. The majority of records are from several photograph syndication services at Time Inc. Also included are office files from the Editorial Production/Copy Processing department and photographs of staff events.

Conditions Governing Access

Open to qualified researchers with the exception of restricted materials. Restricted materials include contracts with Time Inc. or any of its subsidiaries as a party; and personnel files including performance reviews or personally identifiable information. Restricted materials are located in box R62.

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

Conditions Governing Use

Photocopying undertaken by staff only. Limited to 20 exposures of stable, unbound material per day. 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 record group should be cited as Time Inc. Editorial Services Records, MS 3009-RG 47, New-York Historical Society.

Location of Materials

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

Immediate Source of Acquisition

Gift of Time Inc. in 2015.

Related Materials

This finding aid relates to just one record group of the Time Inc. Records. For information about the other record groups and for overall information about the archives, please see the Guide to the Time Inc. Records (MS 3009). The Henry Luce Papers (MS 3014) were acquired with the Time Inc. Records. The collection of books acquired with the records are cataloged as the Time Inc. Reference Library. Records on the history of Editorial Services, or on services provided by them such as syndication, are located in Time Inc. Subject Files (MS 3009-RG 1).

Collection processed by

Holly Deakyne and Nora Soto

About this Guide

This finding aid was produced using ArchivesSpace on 2023-08-21 15:46:57 -0400.
Using Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Language: Description is in English

Processing Information

Nora Soto conducted the initial processing of and research on the history of the Editorial Services Records in 2020. Holly Deakyne finalized processing in 2020. The original folders were retained when possible, although some documents were transferred to archival containers in instances of overcrowding, if the original folder was in poor condition or undersized, or if no original folder was present. Deakyne created the inventory and descriptive notes for this record group using notes provided by Soto.

Repository

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