Skip to main content Skip to main navigation

Ari and Helene Bousbib collection of photographs

Call Number

PR 384

Date

1879-1996, inclusive

Creator

Bousbib, Ari
Bousbib, Helene

Extent

46.6 Linear feet in 63 boxes

Language of Materials

English .

Abstract

This collection consists of a wide variety of entertainment-themed publicity and on-set photography, portraiture, and photojournalism spanning the period from 1879-1996. Subjects depicted include Broadway theatrical productions, Hollywood film actors, artists, authors, aviators, newscasters, politicians, and other pop culture figures. Also depicted are New York sports, political activism, the 1939 World's Fair, World War II, and other events.

Arrangement

The collection is organized into three series. These three series are arranged according to theme:

I. Broadway Theatrical Photography

II. Hollywood Studio Photography

III. Photojournalism and Documentary Photography

Within each series, material is arranged alphabetically by creator.

Scope and Contents

This collection of entertainment-themed photography and photojournalism includes publicity and on-set production coverage of films and plays; portraits of theatre performers, movie stars, athletes, politicians, and other 20th-century pop culture figures; and sports and cultural and political event photojournalism. The materials are arranged into three series.

Series I: Broadway Theatrical Photography is comprised of late 19th and 20th century publicity, production, and portrait photography. It documents the development of New York theater from 1879 through the 1980s, with images of Broadway theatrical productions, set design, and costumes. Productions ranging from comedie, revivals, operettas, melodramas, dance, musicals, revues, and Shakespearean plays are found in this series. In addition, the series contains portraits of actors from the famous to the obscure.

The work of Broadway's foremost photography agencies are represented, including Apeda Studio, Friedman-Abeles, George Maillard Kesslere, Mishkin Studio, Ben Pinchot, Sarony and Co., Martha Swope, Vandamm Studios, and White Studio.

Series II: Hollywood Studio Photography Film consists of images created by the photography units of the American film industry's major motion picture studios including Warner Bros, Universal, Paramount, RKO, Fox Corporation, and Columbia Pictures. The photos date from 1915-1990, and while most are studio portraits, there are also staged shots depicting subjects at home, with their families and friends, engaging in physical and outdoor activities, and modeling clothes.

The photographers featured in this series include, among others, John Miehle, Gene Robert Richee, Roman Freulich, Clarence Sinclair Bull, Ruth Harriet Louise, Elmer Fryer, and Robert W. Coburn.

Series III: Photojournalism and Documentary Photography contains a diverse range of work dating from 1880 to 1996. It includes the work of photojournalists Rudolph Arnold, Margaret Bourke-White, Philippe Halsman, Jill Freedman, Mary Ellen Mark, Fred McDarrah, Magnum photographers, and Ken Regan, who each documented various aspects of American life and culture in the 20th century. The work of celebrity photographers and paparazzi such as Peter Basch, Andre De Dienes, and Ron Galella is also part of this series. In addition, the series includes the work of various photography studios that specialized in subjects such as advertising and store windows (Artkraft Strauss, Worsinger) and architecture and construction (Eugene de Salignac, Wurts Bros., George P. Hall and Son). Photos from news agencies (Acme Newspictures, PM News,) and government agencies (White House Photography, WPA) are also included here.

Access Restrictions

Open to qualified researchers by appointment only.

Use Restrictions

Permission to reproduce any Department of Prints, Photographs and Architectural Collections holdings through publication must be obtained from: Rights and Reproductions, The New-York Historical Society, 170 Central Park West, New York, NY 10024. Phone: (212) 873-3400 ext. 270. Fax: (212) 579-8794.

Preferred Citation

The collection should be cited as: Ari and Helene Bousbib Collection of Photographs, PR 384, Department of Prints, Photographs, and Architectural Collections, New-York Historical Society.

Immediate Source of Acquisition

Gift of Ari and Helene Bousbib, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, and 2018.

Collection processed by

Marybeth Kavanagh

About this Guide

This finding aid was produced using ArchivesSpace on 2023-08-21 15:48:44 -0400.
Using Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Language: English

Repository

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