Images from the Henrietta (Henri) McDowell Memorial Photography Collection

Dublin Core

Description

This collection contains a sample of images from McDowell's body of work consisting of photographs of important local dancers and dance companies, with a strong emphasis on San Francisco Ballet as she spent nearly 20 years photographing the company. The photographic materials feature such notables as Lew Christensen, Rudolf Nureyev, Margot Fonteyn and several members of the San Francisco Ballet such as Carlos Carvajal, Robert Gladstein, Sally Bailey, Jocelyn Vollmar, and Michael Smuin.

Creator

Henrietta Deming McDowell, a native of Connecticut, was the daughter of painter William Edward Deming. Deming is famous for his Indian paintings, some of which are in the collections of the Smithsonian Institution. Henrietta's mother was a writer and a publisher of childrens' books.

Henrietta, or Henri as she came to be called, graduated from Columbia University in New York with a degree in journalism. She worked for the New York Herald Tribune as a reporter and later married Army Colonel James V. McDowell. She continued her work as a journalist as she and her husband moved about to various army bases. As a member of the International Photographic Society and the Photographic Society of America, Henrietta often entered photographic contests. One of her photographs, taken while her husband was stationed in Darmstadt, Germany, won a national award.

From the late 1950s to mid 1970s, Mrs. McDowell was the official photographer for the San Francisco Ballet. Nearly every ballet performed in that period of time was photo-documented by her. Promotional materials and souvenir programs often featured her photographs. As a writer as well as a photographer, her articles about ballet and Lew Christensen have appeared in Dance Magazine, California Living, and other publications.

Towards the end of her life, Mrs. McDowell began work on a book featuring her dance photography. Unfortunately, she was never able to see this project to completion. She died of cancer in 1983 at age 67.

Date

1961-1979

Identifier

984.013

Subject

San Francisco Ballet
Dance Spectrum
Christensen, Lew, 1909-1984
Carvajal, Carlos, 1931-
Vollmar, Jocelyn
Bailey, Sally, 1932-
Meyer, Lynda
Gladstein, Robert
Smuin, Michael

Source

Henrietta McDowell Memorial Photography Collection

Rights

Copyrighted. Transmission or reproduction of materials protected by copyright beyond that allowed by fair use requires the written permission of the copyright owner. In addition, the reproduction of some materials may be restricted by terms of gift or purchase agreements, donor restrictions, privacy and publicity rights, licensing and trademarks. Works not in the public domain cannot be commercially exploited without permission of the copyright owner. Responsibility for any use rests exclusively with the user.

Type

Still Image

Collection Items

San Francisco Ballet in Christensen's Caprice, 1961
San Francisco Ballet in a scene from Lew Christensen's Caprice, 1961

San Francisco Ballet in Christensen's Caprice, 1961
San Francisco Ballet in a scene from Lew Christensen's Caprice, 1961

San Francisco Ballet in Christensen's Caprice, 1961
San Francisco Ballet in a scene from Lew Christensen's Caprice, 1961

San Francisco Ballet in Christensen's Caprice, 1961
San Francisco Ballet in a scene from Lew Christensen's Caprice, 1961

San Francisco Ballet in Christensen's Caprice, 1961
San Francisco Ballet in a scene from Lew Christensen's Caprice, 1961

Paula Tracy and Terry Orr in Christensen's Caprice, 1961
Paula Tracy and Terry Orr in a performance of Lew Christensen's Caprice, 1961

Diana Nielsen and other dancers in Christensen's Caprice, 1961
Diana Nielsen and San Francisco Ballet dancers in a performance of Lew Christensen's Caprice, 1961

San Francisco Ballet in Christensen's Caprice, 1961
San Francisco Ballet in a scene from Lew Christensen's Caprice, 1961

Diana Nielsen and Roderick Drew in Christensen's Caprice, 1961
Diana Nielsen and Roderick Drew in a performance of Lew Christensen's Caprice, 1961

Diana Nielsen and Roderick Drew in Christensen's Caprice, 1961
Diana Nielsen and Roderick Drew in a performance of Lew Christensen's Caprice, 1961
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