Collection context
Summary
- Creator:
- Albany Art Union
- Abstract:
- The Albany Art Union was a commercial portrait photography studio, active from approximately 1897 to 1968, in Albany, New York. The studio changed ownership and locations several times over the years. Photographers took portrait photographs of individuals, families, business employees, and organization members. This collection contains documents, card files, negatives, and photographs.
- Extent:
- 121 boxes
- Language:
- English
Background
- Scope and Content:
The Albany Art Union collections spans the period from approximately 1910 to 1968 and primarily contains materials from Bergh’s tenure as chief proprietor. The collection is divided into 4 series: Business and Personal Records; Card Files; Negatives, and Photographs.
Business and Personal Records (1910 -1968) is divided into two subseries, Business Records and Personal Records. Most of the business records, and all of the personal records, belonged to L. Washington Bergh. The Business Records subseries (1910-1968) contains banking records, documents related to the sale of the Art Union to the Griffin Art Company and then to Bergh, minutes of the Griffin company’s annual meeting, leases, insurance records and a binder containing the minutes of Albany Art Union’s stockholder meetings (1931 and 1944). Also included are documents relating to Coss v. Albany Art Union (1934) and an insurance certificate of Elizabeth V. Colburn, presumed to be a relative of Mary B. Colburn, who was the secretary and treasurer of the Art Union from 1924-1935.
Card Files (circa 1921-circa 1965) were maintained by L. Washington Bergh during the course of his business. Each card contains the client’s name, address, the date of the sitting or order, a negative number and order and payment notes. Although many of the cards provide complete information about an assignment, quite a few are missing a date, a negative number or other information.
Negatives (1921-1965). The collection holds over 3000 glass plate and film negatives, most of which were taken by Bergh. The negatives are arranged into three subseries, Glass Plate Negatives 8” x 10,” Glass Plate Negatives 5” x 7” and Film Negatives. During the processing of the collection, each glass plate and film was removed from its old sleeve, cleaned and re-sleeved in an acid free envelope.
Photographs The over 5,000 Albany Art Union photographs in the collection provide an expansive view of the studio’s output. Dating from approximately the late nineteenth century to the 1960’s the photographs trace the work of the early Art Union photographers (filed as “Vintage” prints) through and including the career of Bergh. Also included are photographs taken by other studios, which were brought to the Art Union for copy work. The progression of portraits provides an excellent demonstration of the changes in photography trends, clothing styles and even home decorating tastes of nineteenth and twentieth century Albany residents. Notable subgroups of photographs include brides, brides of Christ, legislators, military, clergy, and copy photography (photographs and snapshots taken by other photographers that Bergh was assigned to reproduce.)
- Biographical / Historical:
The Albany Art Union was a commercial portrait photography studio, active from approximately 1897 to 1968, in Albany, New York. An entry for the Albany Art Union first appeared in the Albany City Directory in 1897 at which time it was located at 55 North Pearl Street. The 1903 Directory contained an advertisement noting the studio’s new location at 48 North Pearl Street. Documents in the collection outline the sale of the Albany Art Union to the Griffin Art Company in January of 1910 by George S. Fulton. The Griffin Art Company subsequently sold the studio to L. Washington Bergh (1884-1968) in 1924. In 1946 the studio once again changed location, this time moving to 51 Maiden Lane. The Albany Art Union closed upon the death of Bergh (its photographer and president); it was not listed in the Albany City directory after 1968.
Bergh did most, if not all of the photography work for the Albany Art Union during his tenure as chief proprietor. Bergh’s obituary reports that he was the organizer, and for two years the president of the Capital District Photographer’s Society. He was also a member of the New York State Society of Photographers and the National Society of Photographers. In addition to his photography work, Bergh also drew and painted.
The Albany Art Union specialized in portraiture. Its clients included individual men, women, and children as well as family and business groups. Bergh was the official photographer for the State Legislature for nearly fifty years and produced the portraits that appeared in “The New York Red Book” into the 1960s. Bergh was also commissioned to photograph the “Prise d’Havit “or “Clothing Ceremony” for the nuns of the Sacred Heart order. Subjects of these photographs, who were new sisters, are referred to as “brides of Christ” because they dressed in wedding gowns, which they later exchanged for their habit. Although most of the work of the Art Union was done within the studio, commissions such as that for Sacred Heart would bring Bergh off-site to photograph on location. Bergh also occasionally traveled to his customers’ homes to do family portraits.
Members of some of Albany’s most notable families such as the Cornings and Pruyns, were photographed by the Albany Art Union. Indeed, many Albany residents of the early to mid-century remember their own trip to the Art Union for a sitting. The studio reached a wide clientele by photographing students of local schools and colleges, employees of area business and members of several religious organizations.
Indexed Terms
- Subjects:
-
Portraiture
Photographers
Commercial photography - Names:
- Albany Art Union
Access
- RESTRICTIONS:
-
This collection is open for research according to the regulations of the Albany Institute of History & Art without any additional restrictions.
- TERMS OF ACCESS:
-
The researcher assumes full responsibility for conforming with the laws of copyright. Whenever possible, the Albany Institute of History & Art Library will provide information about copyright owners and other restrictions, but the legal determination ultimately rests with the researcher. Requests for permission to publish material from this collection should be discussed with the Archivist/Librarian.
- LOCATION OF THIS COLLECTION:
- BEFORE YOU VISIT:
- https://www.albanyinstitute.org/library.html
- CONTACT:
-
mccombsd@albanyInstitute.org