University Photographic Collection - Record Group 57

Collection Description

Photographs, 1957-2003. 1957-1980 (bulk). 40 cubic ft. The photographic image collection consist of positive and negative prints, 35 mm negatives, printed contact sheets, 35 mm slides and mounted, and oversized materials. The collection was acquired from several campus departments and combined into one all encompassing. Campus department that have donated material include the Department of Communications, Specula, Statesman, Media Relations, and Health Sciences Center Media Services. Unrestricted access for research; copyright restrictions on certain photographic materials.

Finding aid and final processing by F. Jason Torre. Preliminary inventory by Kristen J. Nyitray, and Ann Becker. Preliminary Arrangement: Evert Volkersz. Graduate Assistants: Raymond Prucher, Scott Lesko, Allison Huftalen, Fabiola Berenice Baez-Revueltas.

Introduction
Scope and Content Note
Series Descriptions
Container Listing


Introduction

The University Photographic Collection (RG 57) was created by the Special Collections Department and University Archives. The collection is comprised of multiple accessions acquired over the years, and is the culmination of pictorial works from various academic, administrative and student-managed departments. The photographs, negatives and slides visually represent the history of the university from its earliest days at the Coe Hall Estate in Oyster Bay through the present.

The first acquisition in the 1970s was comprised of construction photographs received by the previous head of the department, Evert Volkersz. As photographs were received, they were interfiled as a means of providing quick and easy access to researchers as well as accommodating space constraints within the department. This collection was vastly expanded in 2001 with the acquisition of materials from the campus yearbook, Specula, and newspaper The Statesman. This valuable accession was sorted by graduate students under the supervision of department head, Kristen Nyitray, and after consultation with archives staff, the decision to break provenance was made. The materials were then interfiled within the existing collection. This policy decision has been maintained with subsequent acquisitions from the Department of Communications and Media Relations.

The collection is open to research without restrictions in accordance with general access principles, and under the discretion of staff. Copyright to personal and work for hire projects have been retained by owners and the university; proper credit must be given when available. All requests to use or reproduce any of photographs should be addressed to staff and permission must be obtained prior to any commercial use.

In citing the collection, please credit it as follows: University Photographic Collection, RG 57, University Archives, Stony Brook University Libraries. Materials within this collection may be located with the use of the collection's finding aid, available in hardcopy and online through the University's Libraries' web page.

Scope and Content Note

Record Group 57, or the Photograph collection, consists of three sub-groups, eight series and multiple sub-series within certain series. The sub-groups are: Photographs, Contact Sheets & Negatives and Slides. Sub-group I, Photographs, is open to research and subject to general departmental guidelines of access and copyright. The sub-group consists of eight series which are: Oyster Bay Campus, University Presidents, University Faculty and Staff, Campus Life, Athletics, Facilities and Grounds, Library and Special Publications.

The series' original order has been maintained where applicable and recreated in others to assist researchers. Items housed in acidic or metal housings have been removed from these housings for preservation reasons and have been placed in Milar envelopes, acid free folders and containers. Photographs folder titles have been maintained in most area and added to in others. All metal fasteners have been removed and replaced in accordance with accepted archival standards of preservation. Where possible, individual photographs have been identified but a large portion of the collection remains identified to the folder or series level description.

There are two series within Sub-group I that are of particular note and use to researchers. The first is Campus Life series (1962-2003, 17.6 linear feet). The Campus Life series is the largest series of the Photographic collection (Record Group 57). It is comprised of eight sub-series ranging from student social life to academic life and a host of annual and general events. The series’ photographs depict the daily happening on campus through the eyes of students and hired photographers.

The second notable series is the Special Publications series (1962-2003, 27.5 linear inches). The Special Publications series includes images used over the course of the university’s history by organizations and individual authors in the creation of their works about the university. It is particularly useful to university departments and agencies that have worked on university related history projects, and its’ cited photographs have been acknowledged by the campus as some of the best photographic documentation in existence of the university.

Series Descriptions

Sub-Group I: Photographs

Series I: Oyster Bay Campus, 1957-1962, 11 linear inches. This series consists of photographs which depict the early campus happenings at the university’s first campus at Oyster Bay when the university was a teacher’s college.

Series II: University Presidents, 1964-2003, 4.6 linear feet. This series consists of four sub-series each representing a university president.

Series III: University Faculty and Staff, 1957-2000, 68.5 linear inches. This series contains two sub-series: University Faculty and Staff Photos and University Departments. Each sub-series depict either individual university staff and faculty or the academic or administrative units for which they worked and were assigned.

Series IV: Campus Life, 1962-2003, 17.6 linear feet. The Campus Life series is the largest series of the Photographic collection (Record Group 57). It is comprised of eight sub-series ranging from student social life to academic life and a host of annual and general events.

Series V: Athletics, 1960-1994, 16.5 linear inches. The Athletics series contains photographs of the university’s athletic teams either in play or practice. Additional photos are held by the Department of Athletics.

Series VI: Campus Facilities and Grounds, 1960-2003, 6.6 linear feet. The Facilities and Ground series depicts both campus facilities such as buildings, statues, roads and ground. The series is divided into two sub-series. The sub-series reflect the division of building types and grounds.

Series VII: Library, 1962-2003, 13.5 linear inches. The Library series depicts daily happenings of the Main and Branch Librares and primarily reflects social as well as professional events.

Series VIII: Special Publications, 1962-2003, 27.5 linear inches. The Special Publications series depicts various images used over the course of the university’s history by organizations and individual authors in the creation of their works about the university.

Sub-Group II: Contact Sheets & Negatives (Closed until further notice).

Sub-Group III: Slides (Closed until further notice).

Container Listing

Sub-Group I: Photographs

Series I: Oyster Bay Campus, 1957-1962.

Series II: University Presidents, 1964-2003.

Series III: University Faculty and Staff, 1957-2000.

Series IV: Campus Life, 1962-2003.

Series V: Athletics, 1960-1994.

Series VI: Campus Facilities and Grounds, 1960-2003.

Series VII: Library, 1962-2003.

Series VIII: Special Publications, 1962-2003.