Archives of American Art

A Finding Aid to the Duane Michals Papers, circa 1940-2019, in the Archives of American Art

Summary

Collection ID:
AAA.michduan
Creators:
Michals, Duane
Dates:
circa 1940-2019
Languages:
Collection is in English.
Physical Description:
7.5 Linear feet
Repository:
The papers of New York based photographer Duane Michals date from circa 1940-2019 and measure 7.5 linear feet. This small collection includes Michals' correspondence from the 1970s, printed material, photographs of Michals, as well as photographic prints he has taken for commercial and artistic projects. There is a 6.3 linear foot unprocessed addition to this collection donated 2019 and 2020 that includes primarily photographs taken by Michals of actors, writers, friends, family and classmates; photo books, postcards, assemblages, photo-sequences by Michals; an Yves St. Laurent portfolio; and photographs of Michals. Additional material includes biographical information, correspondence, printed material and a catalog on CD.

Scope and Contents

Scope and Contents
The papers of New York based photographer Duane Michals date from circa 1940-2019 and measure 7.5 linear feet. This small collection includes Michals' correspondence from the 1970s, printed material, photographs of Michals, as well as photographic prints he has taken for commercial and artistic projects. There is a 6.3 linear foot unprocessed addition to this collection donated 2019 and 2020 that includes primarily photographs taken by Michals of actors, writers, friends, family and classmates; photo books, postcards, assemblages, photo-sequences by Michals; an Yves St. Laurent portfolio; and photographs of Michals. Additional material includes biographical information, correspondence, printed material and a catalog on CD.

Arrangement

Arrangement
The collection is arranged as four series.
  • Series 1: Correspondence, 1967-2010 (0.5 linear feet; Box 1-2)
  • Series 2: Printed Material, circa 1970-2015 (0.2 linear feet; Box 2)
  • Series 3: Photographs, circa 1960-2015 (0.5 linear feet; Box 2, OV 3-6)
  • Series 4: Unprocessed Addition, circa 1940-2019 (6.3 linear feet; Boxes 7-13, 16-18, OV 14-15)

Biographical / Historical

Biographical / Historical
Duane Michals (1932- ) is a photographer in New York, New York. Born and raised in Pennsylvania, Michals received his Bachelor's degree from the University of Denver in 1953, after which he served for two years in the Army. In 1956 he moved to New York City, and began studying graphic design at Parsons School of Design. Although he did not complete his studies there, he developed an interest in photography and began working as a commercial photographer for magazines. In addition to his commercial work, Michals has been exhibiting his photographs in galleries and museums since the 1960s.

Administration

Author
Hilary Price
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Donated to the Archives of American Art by Duane Michals in 2015, 2019, and 2020.
Processing Information
The collection was processed and a finding aid prepared by Hilary Price in 2017.

Using the Collection

Conditions Governing Access
Use of original papers requires an appointment and is limited to the Archives' Washington, D.C. Research Center. Contact Reference Services for more information.
Terms of Use
The Archives of American Art makes its archival collections available for non-commercial, educational and personal use unless restricted by copyright and/or donor restrictions, including but not limited to access and publication restrictions. AAA makes no representations concerning such rights and restrictions and it is the user's responsibility to determine whether rights or restrictions exist and to obtain any necessary permission to access, use, reproduce and publish the collections. Please refer to the Smithsonian's Terms of Use for additional information.
Preferred Citation
Duane Michals papers, circa 1940-2019. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.

Related Materials
Also found in the Archives of American Art is an oral history interview with Duane Michals conducted by Christopher Lyon in 2016.

Keywords

Keywords table of terms and types.
Keyword Terms Keyword Types
Photographers -- New York (State) -- New York Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Photographs Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid

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