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Is "The Photographer" (Willard Van Dyke) on Video?


fred_leif

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I've read that Willard Van Dyke directed/photographed a documentary film on Edward Weston titled 'The Photographer' for the U.S. Information Agency in 1947. Does anyone know whether this film is available as a videotape? Leads to possible sources would be greatly appreciated.

 

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Fred

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Don't know if it's available on video. Some possible leads:

 

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Janet Russek of Scheinbaum & Russek (in Santa Fe) founded the New

Mexico Council of Photography, which annually awards the Willard Van

Dyke Memorial Grant in Photography (and S&R also sell Van Dyke

photographs; they're a remarkable resource). She's at

 

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328 S Guadalupe Street, Suite M,

Santa Fe, NM 87501, Phone: 505.988.5116

 

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Don't have a website or e-mail for them.

 

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I also found two showings of the movie in recent months: the Boston

Museum of Fine Arts, (???) 267-9300, showed it last September 8, and

the Arts Assn of Nanctucket, (508) 325-5251, showed it last November.

They both probably showed a film version but you could ask where they

ordered it from and call their source. The latter listed it as 27

minutes long, fwiw....

 

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Hope this helps.

 

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.,.

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The following libraries own copies:

 

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Location Library Code

CA SAN FRANCISCO STATE UNIV LIBR CSF

 

CO UNIV OF S COLORADO COS

 

MO KANSAS CITY PUB LIBR KCP

 

NC APPALACHIAN STATE UNIV NJB

 

NJ MORRIS CNTY LIBR NWM

 

NY SUNY AT BUFFALO BUF

NY SUNY AT BUFFALO, EDUC TECH SERV ZET

 

WA CENTRAL WASHINGTON UNIV

 

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Here's the full OCLC Citation:

 

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The photographer.

Publication: U. S. Dept. of State,; 1948.; Produced by Affiliated

Film Producers.; Released for educational use in the United States

through U. S. Office of Education,; 1950.

Year: 1950 1948

Description: 1 reel, 26 min.,; sd., b&w,; 16 mm.

Language: English

Standard No: LCCN: fia 52-154

Abstract: Personality, philosophy, techniques, and artistry of Edward

Weston, a contemporary American photographer, illustrated through

scenes of Weston at his home in California and on location, working

and talking with his students, and through exhibitions of his

portraits.

SUBJECT(S)

Descriptor(s): Photography, Artistic.

Named Person: Weston, Edward, 1886-1958.

Class Descrpt: Dewey: 770

Responsibility: Producer, Willard Van Dyke; writer, Irving Jacoby;

narrator, Mel Brandt; cameraman, Benjamin Doniger; editor, Alexander

Hammid.

More Corp Auth: United States.; Dept. of State. ; United States.;

Office of Education. ; Affiliated Film Producers, inc., New York.

Document Type: Visual Material

Entry: 19790110

Update: 19950223

Accession No: OCLC: 4537927

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  • 2 months later...

I have a good 16mm print of "The Photographer" featuring

Edward Weston. It is about a half hour, black & white, sound.

Yesterday I sent it to have a digital master made so DVDs and

video tapes can be copied with highest quality. Anyone who

would like further info please send me an email.

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  • 10 months later...

Ladies and Gentlemen,if you want a copy of this film your prayers have

been answered. Now you can see Edward Weston Walk and Talk and

print right there in your Living Room. Sort of.

 

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yes, The Photographer is available on VHS video. It costs about $95.

It is available from the National Technical Information Service. They

have a website but iirc it isnt terribly "informative", if you'll

pardon the pun.

 

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On to the "sort of". Well this movie sort of, no, it doesnt sort of,

by todays or even yesterdays standards this film really totally

SUCKS!!! Imagine, there you are with a chance to film one of the

greatest photographers of all time, a chance to film him, ask him

questions, whatever. Imagine all the things YOU would have done if you

were producing this film, and then go cry in your pyro because this

film does NONE of it. It isnt an Edward Weston film, or even a

photography film, its a late 40's post-war pre Cold War Isnt America

Great and isnt EW a fine example of a Great American film. Edward

utters nary a word through this film; no, no, that would only make you

wish the film was about photography, or, god forbid, EW. Instead you

get the rich voice of a super-patriotic narrator, trying to get the

red American blood flowing until you beat on your chest and proclaim

how great it is to be American like EW!!! Well I could go on and I

probably will later, but I was sadly disappointed by this film. I

wouldnt pay $50 for it, let alone $100. If they even allowed him to

utter the word "Isopan 25", or even lip-sync it, I gladly would have

paid $50. A tremendous opportunity to record EW for all time was lost,

lost lost. When I say it sucks, I'm not exaggerating. Not only will

you NOT be glad you saw it, you will wish you hadnt! It didnt make me

at all proud to be an American

 

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Instead, I recommend a film "Remembering Edward Weston", a film from

the Museum of Fine Arts in Santa Fe. It is no great shakes either, but

it includes some (very little, mercifully) of the Van Dyke footage and

brief, modern (early 90's?) segments with Cole, Brett, Charis, and

Beaumont Newhall. And iirc it cost a lot less and was worth the money,

more or less.

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  • 4 years later...

"The Photographer"

A film by Willard Van Dyke, about Edward Weston and his photography. 25 minutes, black & white, sound. It was issued in 1948 by the US Department of Information.

This DVD was professionally replicated by a major west-coast film labratory, directly from a broadcast quality digital transfer made from a vintage 16mm print of this film. The DVD is professionally printed with the film title on the disc itself (not a label). It is guaranteed to play properly on any DVD player in the world. This is not a "home-burned" disc. This is not a low-quality "telecine" or video transfer made with projectors and video cameras. Note: there were a few minor splices in the original print of this film.

You get one DVD and one archival silver gelatin photograph printed directly from the original 4x5" neg.

Included with each DVD is a photograph of Edward Weston taken in November 1952 at Edward's home by Larry Smith, former president of the Oregon Camera Club and a life-long friend of Minor White. The print is 7" x 4.25". The photos below show two screen shots and this portrait. I made this print in my darkroom, directly from the original 4x5" vintage negative. It is an archival print on real fiber paper and processed in an archival washer.

Shipping is $3.85 by Priority mail in a box (3 day service), or by request I will ship in bubble pack by first class for $2.21, or by media rate for $1.42 (ten day service).

Investment Quality Item

Out of print Weston videos sell for four times this amount on ebay.

MY PLEDGE TO YOU -- I will package your item securely and professionally. I will ship your item within 24 hours of receiving your payment. You can return any item, for any reason, within ten days for a refund. If something goes wrong with the mail, I work hard to resolve the problem and stay in communication.

"The Photographer"

A film by Willard Van Dyke, about Edward Weston and his photography. 25 minutes, black & white, sound. It was issued in 1948 by the US Department of Information.

This DVD was professionally replicated by a major west-coast film labratory, directly from a broadcast quality digital transfer made from a vintage 16mm print of this film. The DVD is professionally printed with the film title on the disc itself (not a label). It is guaranteed to play properly on any DVD player in the world. This is not a "home-burned" disc. This is not a low-quality "telecine" or video transfer made with projectors and video cameras. Note: there were a few minor splices in the original print of this film.

You get one DVD and one archival silver gelatin photograph printed directly from the original 4x5" neg.

Included with each DVD is a photograph of Edward Weston taken in November 1952 at Edward's home by Larry Smith, former president of the Oregon Camera Club and a life-long friend of Minor White. The print is 7" x 4.25". The photos below show two screen shots and this portrait. I made this print in my darkroom, directly from the original 4x5" vintage negative. It is an archival print on real fiber paper and processed in an archival washer.

Shipping is $3.85 by Priority mail in a box (3 day service), or by request I will ship in bubble pack by first class for $2.21, or by media rate for $1.42 (ten day service).

Investment Quality Item

Out of print Weston videos sell for four times this amount on ebay.

MY PLEDGE TO YOU -- I will package your item securely and professionally. I will ship your item within 24 hours of receiving your payment. You can return any item, for any reason, within ten days for a refund. If something goes wrong with the mail, I work hard to resolve the problem and stay in communication.

 

Price $19.99 plus $3.85 for shipping by Priority mail. International buyers please contact for shipping information.

USA buyers can purchase with a credit card, clicking the button will charge your card for $19.99 plus $3.85 shipping by priority mail, for a grand total of $23.84

 

| Home Page | Locations | Subjects |

Phone: voice 503/460-0415

E mail: tom@historicphotoarchive.com

Thomas Robinson

441 NE Jarrett Street,

Portland, OR 97211-3126

 

 

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