Arthur Rothstein photographs, 1848-2000, bulk 1932-1985

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Series I: FSA

This series comprises photographic prints produced by Rothstein as a photographer for the Resettlement Administration (FSA after 1937). The titles correspond to those supplied by the Farm Security Administration and the Library of Congress. When available, the Library of Congress call number for a corresponding negative has been supplied. Subjects include farmers and migrant workers, the Dust Bowl, ranchers and rodeos, urban and rural landscapes, classroom scenes, logging and mining, and scenes of daily life across the United States between the years of 1935 and 1942. Also includes photographs of public leaders, including President Franklin Delano Roosevelt, Farm Security Administration director Rexford Tugwell, and George Washington Carver. Photographs are organized alphabetically according to the region and state in which they were taken. Includes oversize material.

Series II: China

This series consists of Rothstein's work in China as a photographer for the United States Army Signal Corps (1944-1946) and the United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration (hereafter UNRRA, 1946-1947). Subjects include conditions of famine and starvation, the distribution of UNRRA aid in various villages and refugee camps, a camp for Jewish refugees from Europe in Shanghai, individual portraits, temple exteriors and interiors, and the urban and rural landscapes. Photographs have been organized alphabetically by title, and related photographs have been grouped together (i.e. "UNRRA aid, assorted views). The series divided into the following subseries, based on discrete assignments and subject matter: Subseries 1: Starvation and UNRRA Aid, 1946-1947 Subseries 2: Landscape and Built Environment, 1944-1947 Subseries 3: People, 1944-1947 Subseries 4: European Refugees, 1946.

Series III: Other Countries

This series comprises photographs from Rothstein's travels to Europe, Africa, Asia, and Central America, under various personal and professional capacities, including work as a United States Army Signal Corps photographer, and as a photographer for LOOK and Parade magazines. Subjects include the aftermath of World War II in the United Kingdom, Germany, and Austria, views of architecture, religious ceremonials, and daily life in India, Communist Russia and Ukraine (including May Day parades in Red Square), wildlife on a safari in Kenya, coal mining in Wales, and domestic and daily life in Italy. Photographs are organized alphabetically by the country in which they were taken, and then alphabetically by title. Includes oversize material.

Series IV: Politicians and Presidents

This series contains portraits and candid views of American presidents, presidential candidates, and other elected public officials, and their families. The bulk of these photographs were taken by Rothstein for publication in LOOK or Parade magazines, when possible, a cross-citation for the article(s) in which the photograph appeared has been provided. Note that some photographs of Franklin Delano Roosevelt appear in Series I: FSA, since they were taken under the auspices of said organization. Photographs are grouped according to individual (last name, first name), and then alphabetically by title.

Series V: Life - United States

This series contains photographs taken by Rothstein for LOOK, Parade, and other publications, as well as photographs unrelated to his professional activities as photographer for the Farm Security Administration or Office of War Information. When available, information to the corresponding publication in which a photograph has appeared has been provided. The series is divided into the following subseries based on subject matter. Within each subseries, photographs are organized alphabetically by title, with bracketed supplied titles appearing first. Includes oversize material.

Series VI: Utah

This series contains photographs taken by Rothstein for the photography project and exhibition, "Working together: A Utah Portfolio." In the spring of 1982, the Utah-based Oral History Institute launched an "Ethnic and minority documentary project," which sought to document the lives of eight communities living in the state: African American, Greek, Jewish, Japanese, Hispanic, Chinese, Italian, and Ute. Rothstein joined the project in early 1985, and worked alongside other photographers, including George Janecek and Kent Miles. Includes oversize material. The series is divided into the following subseries, based on subject matter.

Series VII: Photographs, Other Creators

This series consists of photographs printed or collected by and/or given to Rothstein throughout his career. A significant number of these photographs are copy prints, related to volumes of "masterpieces" from late 19th and early 20th century photographic history, published by the Photographic Historical Society of New York for sale to the general public. Photographs were selected, reprinted, and compiled into portfolios by Rothstein, and includes work by Alfred Stieglitz, Dorothea Lange, Ben Shahn, Walker Evans, Alvin Langdon Coburn, Oscar Rejlander, Henry Peach Robinson, Timothy O'Sullivan, Matthew Brady, Lewis Hine, and others. This series also includes two sets of complete portfolios. Also included in the series are images by other photographers for >Parade, and other magazines, as well as additional images by other FSA photographers, including John Vachon, Russell Lee, and Marion Post Wolcott. Several of the photographs in this series were given as gifts to Rothstein; they frequently have inscriptions or writing on the reverse side of the print. Photographs have been organized alphabetically by creator (last name, first name). Those by unknown or unidentified photographers appear at the end of the series.

Series VIII: Negatives

This series contains black and white and color negatives, many of which are copy negatives produced for specific exhibitions over the course of Rothstein's career, related to the above listed photographic prints. It has been organized into subseries that correspond to series I-VII (FSA, China, Other Countries, Politicians and Presidents, Life – United States, Utah, and Photographs – Other Creators). Within each folder, individual sleeves containing negatives are arranged in the same order in which their corresponding photographic prints are organized (e.g. for the FSA folder, negatives appear alphabetically by region, and for the China folder, negatives have been divided into folders labeled "Starvation and UNRRA Aid," "People," "Landscape and Built Environment," and "European Refugees," and so on). Individual sleeves are labeled with the title and date of the enclosed negative(s). Corresponding contact prints have been noted in the finding aid, and are enclosed with the negatives in their individual sleeves.

Negatives appear in two locations depending on their size: those 8x10 or smaller are in a standing file box, and those that have 11x14 dimensions are in an archival box. As with the photographic prints, if an object has two locations, it will appear listed twice. The same folder groupings apply for both locations. The researcher should also note that a considerable amount of negatives, particularly those relating to "China" and "Other Countries," do not have a corresponding photographic print in this collection.

Series IX: Professional Papers

This series contains research material, articles and clippings, correspondence, and photographic material pertaining to Rothstein's career as a photographer for various organizations, including the FSA, the Office of War Information and the United States military, the UNRRA, LOOK and Parade magazines, among others. It has been organized into three subseries:

Series X: Personal Papers

This series includes correspondence from family and friends, as well as personal correspondence (postcards, greeting cards) from other FSA photographers. There is also material relating to Rothstein's military service, resumes, job applications, and one folder with clippings, student work, and two photographs from Columbia University.

This series includes a substantial amount of personal photographs, which have been separated into categories based on subject matter. Photographs have been organized in rough chronological order, but the majority are undated and unlabeled. Subjects range from snapshots of family gatherings and travels, childhood photographs, as well as images pertaining to Rothstein's career, including photoshoots and conferences. The latter group of images, though relating to professional activities, was originally interfiled in Rothstein's personal files; for this reason, the original order has been preserved. This series also contains a small number of slides, which consist mostly of views of Rothstein's New Rochelle residence taken for insurance purposes, and two personal scrapbooks which may provide contextual information to other photographs in this series.

Collection Overview

Collection Contents

Arthur Rothstein photographs, 1848-2000, bulk 1932-1985

Series I: FSA

Series II: China

Subseries 1: Starvation and UNRRA aid

Subseries 2: Landscape and built environment - China

Subseries 3: People

Subseries 4: European refugees

Series III: Other Countries

Series IV: Politicians and Presidents

Series V: Life - United States

Subseries 1: People

Subseries 2: Landscape and Built Environment

Subseries 3: Still life

Series VI: Utah

Subseries 1: Landscape - natural environment

Subseries 2: Landscape - built environment

Subseries 3: Mining

Subseries 4: Portraits and people

Series VII: Photographs, Other Creators

Series VIII: Negatives

Subseries 1: FSA

Subseries 2: China

Subseries 3: Other Countries

Subseries 4: Politicians and Presidents

Subseries 5: Life - United States

Subseries 6: Utah

Subseries 7: Photographs - Other Creators

Series IX: Professional Papers

Subseries 1: 3-D Research

Subseries 2: China

Subseries 3: General Material

Series X: Personal Papers