Lee Marmon Pictorial Collection
Collection
Identifier: PICT-2000-017
Scope and Content
This collection consists of prints, negatives, slides, and proof sheets created by Lee Marmon throughout his life, as well as one box of manuscripts and three DVDs of moving images that pertain to his life and work as a photographer. Images can be found in multiple formats. The collection is separated into thirteen series.
Original Marmon Collection (2000): Contains thirty-nine black-and-white and color photographs and three posters by Marmon, including images of Pueblos, Native Americans and Southwestern landscapes.
American Indian Colleges:Contains photographs taken of American Indian colleges across the Unites States. Marmon was commissioned by the American Indian College Fund in 1997 to produce these photos.
General Photographs: Contains a wide array of images taken throughout Marmon’s career, including photographs of locales across the Southwest and surrounding areas, as well as events spanning the late 1940s through the beginning of the 2000s. There is also a large set of photographs from the 1950s of Grants High School in Grants, NM
Moving Images
Identified People: Contains all individuals and families within the collection who have been identified. This series contains prominent community members of Laguna and Acoma Pueblos; celebrities, politicians, and models in Palm Springs; Native American artists and writers, among others.
Native American Photographs: Containing portraits of Native Americans from New Mexico and across the United States, images of Native American art (jewelry, pottery, textiles, etc.), locales (buildings, landscapes, and cityscapes that pertain to Native American communities), and events (fiestas, grand openings, ceremonies, fairs). These photographs span the entire time period that the collection covers (1936-2010).
Original Negatives: Contains the negatives for some of Marmon’s most renowned photographs. This series is restricted. To gain access, please consult with Center for Southwest Research staff.
Palm Springs/Palm Desert, CA: Contains portraits of celebrities and models partaking in social events surrounding the Bob Hope Classic for which Marmon was the official photographer between 1967 and 1973. It also contains materials from other commissioned projects Marmon did in this area of California during the 1960s, 1970s, and early 1980s.
Uranium Mines and Mills: Images span from the late 1950s to the 1980s of the uranium mines and mills located throughout New Mexico. Many aerial views.
Weddings: Weddings in and around the Laguna Pueblo from the 1950s and 1960s.
Barbara and Tom Peckenpaugh Gift (2010): Gift of signed prints, containing famous prints of Laguna and Acoma pueblos and people, collected and donated by Barbara and Tom Peckenpaugh.
Large Prints: Contains large prints, most of which appear in other formats throughout the collection.
Manuscripts: Contains publicity and press releases, exhibit material, correspondence, receipts, contracts, invoices pertaining to Marmon’s life and career.
Original Marmon Collection (2000): Contains thirty-nine black-and-white and color photographs and three posters by Marmon, including images of Pueblos, Native Americans and Southwestern landscapes.
American Indian Colleges:Contains photographs taken of American Indian colleges across the Unites States. Marmon was commissioned by the American Indian College Fund in 1997 to produce these photos.
General Photographs: Contains a wide array of images taken throughout Marmon’s career, including photographs of locales across the Southwest and surrounding areas, as well as events spanning the late 1940s through the beginning of the 2000s. There is also a large set of photographs from the 1950s of Grants High School in Grants, NM
Moving Images
Identified People: Contains all individuals and families within the collection who have been identified. This series contains prominent community members of Laguna and Acoma Pueblos; celebrities, politicians, and models in Palm Springs; Native American artists and writers, among others.
Native American Photographs: Containing portraits of Native Americans from New Mexico and across the United States, images of Native American art (jewelry, pottery, textiles, etc.), locales (buildings, landscapes, and cityscapes that pertain to Native American communities), and events (fiestas, grand openings, ceremonies, fairs). These photographs span the entire time period that the collection covers (1936-2010).
Original Negatives: Contains the negatives for some of Marmon’s most renowned photographs. This series is restricted. To gain access, please consult with Center for Southwest Research staff.
Palm Springs/Palm Desert, CA: Contains portraits of celebrities and models partaking in social events surrounding the Bob Hope Classic for which Marmon was the official photographer between 1967 and 1973. It also contains materials from other commissioned projects Marmon did in this area of California during the 1960s, 1970s, and early 1980s.
Uranium Mines and Mills: Images span from the late 1950s to the 1980s of the uranium mines and mills located throughout New Mexico. Many aerial views.
Weddings: Weddings in and around the Laguna Pueblo from the 1950s and 1960s.
Barbara and Tom Peckenpaugh Gift (2010): Gift of signed prints, containing famous prints of Laguna and Acoma pueblos and people, collected and donated by Barbara and Tom Peckenpaugh.
Large Prints: Contains large prints, most of which appear in other formats throughout the collection.
Manuscripts: Contains publicity and press releases, exhibit material, correspondence, receipts, contracts, invoices pertaining to Marmon’s life and career.
Dates
- 1936-2011
Creator
- Marmon, Lee (Person)
Access Restrictions
The collection is open for research.
Copy Restrictions
Duplication of print and photographic material is allowed for research purposes. User is responsible for copyright compliance. For more information see the Photographs and Images Research Guide and contact the Pictorial Archivist.
Biography
Lee Marmon, born September 20, 1925 in Laguna, NM (died March 31, 2021) took his first photographs on Route 66 near Laguna, at age 11, and after WWII service, began his career as professional photographer in 1947. His first subjects were the elders of Laguna Pueblo, captured during daily activities. He worked as a free-lance photographer with work appearing in newspapers and magazines (The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, Time Magazine, The Saturday Evening Post). Resettling in Laguna in the early 1980s, Marmon continued photographing as well as producing books (The Pueblo Imagination, 2003, with Leslie Marmon Silko, Joy Harjo and Simon Ortiz and Our People, Our Land, Our Images, 2006, among others,) and was honored with a 1999 exhibit at the Smithsonian’s Museum of the American Indian.
Best known for the body of work he referred to as “Visions of My People,” the wide-ranging collection includes a extensive group of portraits of Native Americans, places and events from New Mexico and across the United States, along with noteworthy series on American Indian Colleges (1997), uranium mines and mills (1950s and 1960s), Palm Springs, California (1960-1980s, where he was official photographer for the Bob Hope Classic 1967-1973), and thousands of wedding photographs primarily from the 1950s and 1960s.
Best known for the body of work he referred to as “Visions of My People,” the wide-ranging collection includes a extensive group of portraits of Native Americans, places and events from New Mexico and across the United States, along with noteworthy series on American Indian Colleges (1997), uranium mines and mills (1950s and 1960s), Palm Springs, California (1960-1980s, where he was official photographer for the Bob Hope Classic 1967-1973), and thousands of wedding photographs primarily from the 1950s and 1960s.
Extent
60,000 plus items (36 boxes) : uncounted photographs (over 60,000)
Language of Materials
English
Abstract
This collection contains photographs taken by Lee Marmon throughout his life. These include images of elders and community members from Laguna and Acoma Pueblos, visual documentation of uranium mines and mills throughout New Mexico, photos of fashion and social life in 1960s and 1970s Palm Springs, CA, among other things.
Arrangement of the Collection:
The Lee Marmon Pictorial Collection is arranged into thirteen series:
- Original Lee Marmon Collection (2000)
- American Indian Colleges
- General Photographs
- Moving Images
- Identified People
- Native American Photographs
- Original Negatives
- Palm Springs/Palm Desert, CA
- Uranium Mines and Mills
- Weddings
- Barbara and Tom Peckenpaugh gift of signed prints
- Large Prints
- Manuscripts
Physical Location
B2. Shelved by Pictorial Number. Oversize boxes shelved in Big Box location by Pictorial Number.
Lee Marmon Photographs Online
A selection of photographs and home movies from the Marmon Collection are available online via New Mexico's Digital Collections. Browse the Lee Marmon Pictorial Collection, part of the Center for Southwest Research's digital Pictorial Collections for a complete list of images.
Processing Information
The original accession was donated in 2000. Additional accessions were donated between 2000-2013. A final addition was integrated with the existing series in 2022.
- Acoma (N.M.)
- Acoma Indians
- Allen, Paula Gunn, 1939-2008
- American Indian College Fund
- American fiction -- Indian authors
- American poetry -- Indian authors
- Authors, American -- 20th century
- Beauty contests -- United States
- California, Southern--Description and travel
- Cemeteries -- New Mexico -- Acoma
- Church buildings -- New Mexico -- Acoma
- Church buildings -- New Mexico -- Laguna
- Eisenhower Medical Center
- Enchanted Mesa (Valencia, N.M.)
- Grants (N.M.)
- Harjo, Joy
- Hope, Bob, 1903-2003
- Indian art -- North America
- Indian pottery -- New Mexico
- Indians of North America -- Education
- Indians of North America -- New Mexico
- Indians of North America -- Pictorial works
- Laguna (N.M.)
- Laguna Indians
- Landscapes (Representations)
- Mines and mineral resources
- Momaday, N. Scott, 1934-
- Motion picture actors and actresses
- Motion picture actors and actresses
- National Monuments
- National Parks and Reserves
- Navajo Indians
- New Mexico -- Ghost Towns
- New Mexico -- History – Local
- Ortiz, Alfonso, 1939-1997
- Palm Springs (Calif.)
- Photographers -- New Mexico
- Portraits
- Posters
- Potters -- New Mexico
- Presidents -- United states
- Presidents' spouses -- United States
- Ranches
- Rites and ceremonies -- New Mexico -- Laguna
- Silko, Leslie Marmon, 1948-
- Southwest, New
- Southwest, Old
- Tewa Indians
- United States Highway 66
- Uranium mines and mining -- New Mexico
- Ute Indians
- Weddings
- Zuni Indians -- Jewelry
Creator
- Marmon, Lee (Person)
- Title
- Finding Aid of the Lee Marmon Pictorial Collection, 1936-2011
- Status
- Completed
- Author
- Pictorial Collections Staff, Clare Daniel, Brianne Stein
- Date
- © 2000, 2013, 2022
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
- Language of description note
- Finding aid is in English
Revision Statements
- Monday, 20210524: Attribute normal is missing or blank.
Repository Details
Part of the UNM Center for Southwest Research & Special Collections Repository
Contact:
University of New Mexico Center for Southwest Research & Special Collections
University Libraries, MSC05 3020
1 University of New Mexico
Albuquerque NM 87131
505-277-6451
University of New Mexico Center for Southwest Research & Special Collections
University Libraries, MSC05 3020
1 University of New Mexico
Albuquerque NM 87131
505-277-6451