P&P ONLINE CATALOG - MATSON
NEGATIVES
IntroductionThe G. Eric and Edith Matson Negatives (formerly known as the "Matson Photo Service Collection") contain 20,000 glass and film photographic negatives, created by the American Colony Photo Department and its successor firm, the Matson Photo Service. More than 13,700 glass plate and film negatives are now accessible online as digital positives. The remainder of the collection, which consists primarily of film negatives generally from a later period, will become available over the next several years. The collection came to the Library between 1966 and 1981, through a series of gifts made by Eric Matson and his beneficiary, the Home for the Aged of the Protestant Episcopal Church of the Diocese of Los Angeles (now called the Kensington Episcopal Home). The American Colony Photo DepartmentThe American Colony Photo Department in Jerusalem was one of several photo services operating in the Middle East before 1900. Catering primarily to the tourist trade, the American Colony and its competitors photographed holy sites, often including costumed actors recreating Biblical scenes. The American Colony outlasted the other services, successfully making the transition from 19th-century large-size albumen views to the smaller, less expensive picture postcard format which dominated the twentieth century. The firm’s photographers were actual residents of Palestine. Their intimate knowledge of the land and people gave them an advantage over commercial photographers who were not based in Palestine and made their coverage more comprehensive. They documented Middle East culture, history, and political events from before World War I through the collapse of Ottoman rule, the British Mandate period, World War II, and the emergence of the State of Israel. The Matson Collection also includes images of people and locations in present-day Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, Egypt, Iraq, and Turkey. Additionally, the firm produced photographs from an East African trip commissioned in 1936. (For further background information on the American Colony and its Photo Department, see The American Colony and the Matson Photo Service). Staff have selected sample images relating to the following topics to suggest the range of imagery available in the collection:
The Photographs
The glass plate negatives in the collection include the following formats: 4" x 5" or smaller, 5" x 7", and 10" x 12". Some of these are stereographic negatives. The Matson Negative Collection was a working file used by the staff of the American Colony Photo Department and the Matson Photo Service for almost 70 years. Evidence of the photographers’ work can be seen in crop marks, tape, and other markings used in producing photographic prints. Some of the negatives have been damaged through use, transportation over long distances, or earlier storage conditions. Cracks, missing pieces, and loss of emulsion from water damage are visible in parts of the collection. Search TipsIn cataloging the collection, Prints & Photographs Division staff used titles found on the original negatives and their storage sleeves, a photo register compiled by photo service staff, printed photo service catalogues, as well as other contemporary sources cited in the Bibliography section for the G. Eric and Edith Matson Photo Collection. Subject headings have been added for the geographic places represented, but access by other topics relies primarily on information in the title.
Because the titles vary in the amount of information they give and how it is expressed, it is best to try general searches, removing terms if you don't find desired images using multiple words or names. Those searching the records should be aware of more specific information regarding three approaches to the material:
Text prepared by: Verna Curtis, Curator of Photography, and Arden Alexander, Cataloger, March 2004. [START OVER] [ NEW SEARCH] [ "ABOUT" MENU] [ HELP] Library of Congress ( September 23, 2005 ) |