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| 2014.0054 [PHOTOGRAPHS] |
| Date Range of Records: |
1953-2011 |
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The Greer Archive has been made available due to its historical and research importance. Statements which form part of the collection are not made on behalf of the University and do not represent the University’s views. It contains material that some researchers might find confronting. This includes: explicit language and images that reflect either the attitudes of the era in which the material was originally published or the views of the creators of the material but may not be considered appropriate today; names, images and voices of deceased Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in published and unpublished printed material, audio recordings and photographs; graphic descriptions of medical conditions and treatment.
The Germaine Greer photography series consists of photographic materials and related documents that have either been photographed by or collected by Germaine Greer. The series consists of photographs, contact sheets, negatives, transparencies, photo albums, and paper documents such as correspondence, receipts, notes, and packaging. The photographic materials in the series include silver-based prints, dye-based prints, inkjet prints, colour and black and white negatives, and transparencies.
All photographic materials have been housed in appropriate archival grade sleeves and physically arranged according to material type in order to maximise preservation (e.g. black and white negatives are stored separately from colour, and both from photographic prints). While housed according to material type, the intellectual arrangement of the series is consistent with the order in which the series was initially received and each item has been given a sequential twelve digit item number to that effect. The series is made up of 535 items, housed within 24 units. An item may be a single photograph, an original photograph album or several photographs grouped together. Where a group of photographs, such as an album, contain a variety of material types they are grouped according to material type and linked intellectually through the individual item’s scope and content note. Where photographs, photographic packaging or original folders contained inscriptions upon accession, these inscriptions have been used to title items when relevant and appropriate.
While most of the photographic materials in the Germaine Greer Archive are held within the photography series, they are not exclusive to the series and can be found in small amounts elsewhere within the archive. These materials, while rehoused in appropriate archival grade sleeves, have been retained with their original files to allow a greater understanding of both the photograph and the accompanying textual file. Items within other series are not detailed in this listing however information can be found in the finding aid for each series.
The visual content of the items within the photography series is broad and includes both photographs taken by professional photographers and amateurs, portraiture, passport photographs, promotional photographs, documentary and photojournalism, editorial fashion photography, and snapshots taken by Greer herself on 35mm film and instant Polaroid cameras. Where the photographer is identifiable, details have been included in the individual item record.
The known date range of the series in 1954 to 2010 however it is possible that some items fall outside of this timeframe. Various photographs contain inscriptions, stamps or manufacturers marks indicating the date that the photograph was taken. Photographs lacking these markings have been given a broader date range according to Greer’s biography, fashion and hairstyles, and location of where the photographs were taken. Polaroid photographs have been dated according to the manufacturer’s code on the back of each photograph.
The earliest dated photograph is Greer’s 1954 class photo taken while attending Star of the Sea College in Melbourne. In the black and white photograph Greer stands in the back row amongst her classmates. Other photographs taken around the same time include a head and shoulder photograph of Greer at a sports carnival and a photograph of a group of children playing. On the back of the photograph is the inscription “Happy memories from Edward St, Sandringham”.
The most recent photograph in the series with a known date was taken in 2010 and shows Greer posing with Australian comedian Wendy Harmer in Kakadu. The photograph was taken while the two women were visiting Darwin during the “Wordstorm” writers’ festival. The photograph is a digital image and its visible pixels are a stark contrast to the rich greys of Greer’s early class photograph.
Photographs taken by both professional and amateur photographers document Greer’s extensive career and illustrate some of her time in the spotlight. Photographers represented in the series include: Tibor Kolley, Ray Fisher, Christina Gascoigne, Ilene Perlman, David Newell Smith, Fay Godwin, Diane Arbus, Nick Cook, Paddy Cook, Anthony Marshall, Barry Kay, Graham Harrison, Jonathan Player, Peter Sanders, Noel Matoff, Carolyn Djanogly, Nisha Patel, Charles Hopkinson, Findlay Kember, Polly Borland, Rosemary Donovan, Jeremy Baile, Hamid Schricker, Anthony Marshall, Michael Ward, Keith Morris, Harry Benson, Terrence Spencer, and Lord Snowdon.
Amongst the earliest professional photographs in the series are 32 black and white photographs taken by English rock photographer Keith Morris for the cover of OZ magazine in 1969. Images include Greer pretending to play an electric guitar and Greer posing with musician Vivian Stanshall of the Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band. Upon accession these photographs were housed with various others within a brown envelope with the handwritten inscription “Groupie”. These photographs and the envelope have been retained as a single item within the series.
Another significant item in the collection is 57 black and white photographs of Greer taken by LIFE photographers Harry Benson and Terrence Spencer. The images of Greer were shot by these photographers on assignment for LIFE magazine in 1971, around the time of the first publication of Greer’s book The Female Eunuch in the USA. The two groups of photographs arrived at UMA housed together in a red vinyl display album with the word “LIFE” printed on the front. Due to the original albums fragile and unstable condition, the photographs have since been removed and rehoused, however the album has been retained.
Also in 1971 Greer was photographed by artist Diane Arbus in New York’s ‘Chelsea Hotel’. The prints in the photo series are mechanical reproductions of the original contact prints and were sent to Greer in 1984 from Arbus’ daughter Doon Arbus. The original photographs were taken for the London Sunday Times or New Woman [according to correspondence] but were not published at the time. One photograph was eventually included in a book of Arbus' work titled 'Revelations', published in 2003. Due to their process of manufacture, the prints within the series are not physically stable and have therefore been digitised to allow both access and preservation of the images.
In 1988 Greer posed with opera singer Placido Domingo. The photo shoot took place in a photography studio with the two sharing the seat of a motorcycle. The photographer was Lord Snowdon. The photography series contains both prints and transparencies from that interaction.
Many of the professional photographs in the series were taken in the formal setting of a studio or hotel room; however some have captured Greer at home, for example at The Mills in Essex posing with her pet poodles Molly and Margot or with her cat Christopher.
In some cases a digital version of an image has been printed from computer files or the internet onto A4 standard printer paper. Polly Borland’s portrait of Greer, hanging in the National Portrait Gallery in Canberra, is one instance of Greer printing a copy from a digital file. In addition to the print out, the photography series also contains a unique Polaroid from the day in the studio. In what is likely a test photograph, Borland has captured Greer applying lotion to her legs, the bottle sitting next to her on the crisp white bed sheets. |
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| Collection Category: |
Culture and the Arts, individuals |
| Access Conditions: |
Access: Restricted |
| Finding Aids: |
Yes Listed
ONLINE |
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