Rochester Institute of Technology RIT Scholar Works Theses 6-1-1992 The Willard D. Morgan archive Jennifer Steensma Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.rit.edu/theses Recommended Citation Steensma, Jennifer, "The Willard D. Morgan archive" (1992). Thesis. Rochester Institute of Technology. Accessed from This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by RIT Scholar Works. It has been accepted for inclusion in Theses by an authorized administrator of RIT Scholar Works. For more information, please contact [email protected]. The Willard D. Morgan Archive by Jennifer steensma MFA IMAGING ARTS CONCENTRATION MUSEUM STUDIES Rochester Institute of Technology School of Photographic Arts and Sciences Rochester, New York June 1992 Ken White, Chair Associate Professor Fine Art Photography Dept. Dr. Richard Zakia Professor Fine Art Photography Dept. Lloyd Morgan Morgan & Morgan, Inc. for my parents without whose heart and pocketbook none of this would have been possible PERMISSION STATEMENT Title of thesis: The Willard D. Morgan Archive I, Jennifer Steensma, hereby grant permission to the Wallace Memorial Library of Rochester Institute of Technology to reproduce my thesis in whole or in part. Any reproduction will not be used for commercial use or profit. Date~.'U?. /qq?- {/ TABLE OF CONTENTS Acknowledgments 6 Prologue 7 A Thesis Enfolds, A Chronology of Events 8 Morgan" "Willard D. Lecture Script * Register * * Slides _ * These sections are separated from the numbered sheets by a heavy weight paper stock. Pages in these sections are not numbered. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I would like to take the opportunity to thank all those who helped with this project. While many individuals helped to make this thesis possible, I would like to take the opportunity to acknowledge those who made significant contributions to the success of this project. Karl Kabelac, Manuscripts Librarian at the University of Rochester, whose archival expertise ensured a professional solution to the organization of Willard Morgan's papers. The staff at the Photo Archives at the University of Louisville for the information on Willard 's showing of the Farm Security Administration photographs. Amy Rule and Leslie Calmes, archivists at The Center for Creative in Photography Tucson, for their invaluable help in making my research at the Center not only informative but enjoyable. The International Museum of Photography at the George Eastman House, whose staff helped immensely with research questions and images. And to Grant Romer, Conservator and Curator of University Education, for his interest in our project and his efforts on our behalf. Roxanne Malone and Nathan Lyons for their words of encouragement. A special thank you to the faculty on my board, Ken White and Dr. Richard Zakia, who consistently went above and beyond institutional expectations and for their guidance through a successful and rewarding completion of the project. To Michael Shuter, a fellow graduate student in the Museum Studies Program at RIT, who joined me at the onset of this project and matched both my efforts and dedication. Michael, who also earned his Masters Degree through this project, deserves half of any recognition received for this work. Together we accomplished much more than either one of us could have possibly done alone. Most importantly, the Morgan Family, who graciously allowed us to work with Willard 's archive, and who enthusiastically supported and applauded our efforts. Jennifer Steensma June 1992 PROLOGUE The body of this thesis is divided into three sections; A Thesis Enfolds, A Chronology of Events, Willard D. Morgan Lecture Script , and Register. A Thesis Enfolds, A Chronology of Events. This section describes the events which took this thesis from an idea to its completion, including the successes and failures which were encountered. This section lends insight on the process and learning experience . Willard D. Morgan Lecture Script. This section is in eight parts. Each part has its own heading and footnotes and is authored by either Michael Shuter or myself. The sections include an introduction and conclusion, an introduction to Willard Morgan, Morgan's positions at both Leica and LIFE, and Morgan's position as first Director of Photography at the Museum of Modern Art. Also covered are Morgan's accomplishments in the field of photographic publishing, and a special section on The Complete Photographer, an encyclopedia of photography which Morgan was general editor of. This is the actual script which was used in our presentation in partial fulfillment of our Master of Fine Art Degrees. This section represents the research which was conducted on Morgan's career, and serves as a biography of his work in photography. Register. This section is a reference tool for the forty-four which Michael Shuter boxes of the Willard D. Morgan Archive a Sequential and I organized. The Register contains Index, Correspondence Index. File names an Alphabetical Index, and a are used in addition (as they appear on the files in the archive) archive. The number of to the file numbers we imposed on the included for quick reference. photographs in each file are also information on Morgan and the The Register contains background instruction on effectively using the archive, in addition to Register. A THESIS ENFOLDS A Chronology of Events After the spending summer of 1989 weighing the advantages and disadvantages of switching programs, I decided to change the concentration for my MFA degree to Museum Studies. My concentration was originally in imaging, and I had taken numerous classes with the faculty at RIT. One faculty member. Dr. Richard Zakia, had impressed me with his knowledge and enthusiasm about photography. In the fall, after discussing my change of concentrations with Ken White, I approached Dr. Zakia about the Museum Studies program. At that point I had few ideas for a thesis. Once I told him I wanted to switch programs, he got a gleam in his eye and told me that he had the perfect thesis project for me. Dr. Zakia then told me of Willard Morgan and his contributions to photography- In addition to The Complete Photographer and other instructional photographic books he is best known for, Willard had been the first Director of the Department of Photography at the Museum of Modern Art, he had been instrumental in introducing the 35mm Leica camera to the United States, and he had been an editor on the staff of LIFE magazine. I was excited over the prospect of working on an archive of someone with such a varied and significant career in photography. 9 Approximately two years later, I look back on all the twists and turns that my thesis has taken, and it makes a very logical progression. In retrospect, I can recognize why the directions taken some did worked, why not, and more significantly, why the final conclusion seems so appropriate. It was decided that my thesis board from RIT would consist of Dr. Zakia and Ken White. Ken, being the Chairman of the Department and having extensive knowledge of the history of photography, seemed a natural choice. Dr. Zakia, acting as a liaison between the school and the Morgan family, arranged for Ken and I to travel to the Morgan Press in Dobbs Ferry, New York, to see the files of Willard D. Morgan. Ken and I traveled to Dobbs Ferry for the first time in October of 1989. At that point, none of us knew what direction the thesis was going to take. It was difficult knowing what to expect. The trip turned out to be wonderfully overwhelming. The Morgan family was friendly, and Willard 's sons, Doug and Lloyd, were very enthusiastic about my thesis proposal. Eventually, Lloyd would become the third member of my thesis board. The archive itself was immense; taking up two rows of approximately ten foot high and thirty foot long shelving in the main area of the press operations building, in addition 10 to material located in two smaller rooms. Portions of the archive was also stored in the basement of Barbara Morgan's house in a few Scarsdale, miles away. The amount of prints, negatives, letters, and boxes of files was astounding. Lloyd toured Ken and I through the press and into the basement of the us the house, showing extent of the archive and randomly selecting things to explain their significance. Upon returning home, I approached Michael Shuter, a fellow MFA student, about the project. A number of students in the MFA program had been interested in my change in concentrations, and Mike had expressed to me his desire to switch to Museum Studies. Ken and I decided on the way home from Dobbs Ferry that due to the size of the archive, it would be feasible for an additional student to join me on the project. After describing some of the things in which Willard Morgan had been involved in and the importance of the material, Mike decided to join me on the project. In December of 1989, Ken, Mike and I drove to Dobbs Ferry to transport a portion of the archive from the Morgan Press back to Rochester. The archive is actually a compilation of two lifetimes of work in photography; Willard 's and Barbara's. The material in the basement of the house in Scarsdale was mainly negatives and prints by both Willard and Barbara, in addition to the lantern slides of the famous Barnes Art Collection. 11 One room at the press held Barbara's correspondence concerning and was dance, organized by the dancer's names. Another room in the press served as Lloyd's study area where he conducted research on his parents* work. Lloyd had begun separating material into different areas to research. The boxes in the main room of the press were Willard 's working files, and much of the material related to his editing of The Complete Photographer.