Helen Marcus photographs and contact sheets, 1980s-2023

Collection context

Extent:
20 Linear Feet (12 RSC and 11 long plastic bins)
Language:
English .
Biographical / historical:

Helen Marcus (1925-2023) was a working photographer, primarily of news media in New York City. Marcus founded the New York chapter of the American Society of Magazine Photographers (later the American Society of Media Photographers) in 1982 and was its national president between 1985 and 1990, where she was instrumental in championing issues of copyright and credit for photographers. She was president of the W. Eugene Smith Memorial Fund from 1988-2007. Marcus documented the media industry, from publishing parties to taking the Nobel portrait for Toni Morrison (which later became a stamp). Marcus also traveled in China in the 1970s, taking photographs in the wake of the Cultural Revolution. Her photographs are in the permanent collection of the National Gallery and the International Center of Photography. (More biographical detail can be found in this NYTimes article: https://www.nytimes.com/2023/11/03/arts/helen-marcus-dead.html

Access and use

Restrictions:

Material is unprocessed. Please contact rbml@columbia.edu for more information.

Terms of access:

Reproductions may be made for research purposes. The RBML maintains ownership of the physical material only. The responsibility to secure copyright permission rests with the patron. Copyright is held by the Estate of Helen Marcus; please email rbml@columbia.edu for contact information.

Preferred citation:

Identification of specific item; Date (if known); Helen Marcus Papers; Box and Folder; Rare Book and Manuscript Library, Columbia University Library.

Location of this collection:
6th Floor East Butler Library
535 West 114th Street
New York, NY 10027, USA
Before you visit:
Researchers interested in viewing materials in the RBML reading room must must book an appointment at least 7 days in advance. To make the most of your visit, be sure to request your desired materials before booking your appointment, as researchers are limited to 5 items per day.
Contact:
rbml@library.columbia.edu