Collection inventory

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Victor Keppler Papers

An inventory of his papers at Syracuse University

Overview of the Collection

Creator: Keppler, Victor, 1904-1987.
Title: Victor Keppler Papers
Inclusive Dates: 1926-circa 1966
Quantity: 16.0 linear ft.
Abstract: Papers of the American photographer (1904-1987).
Abstract: Color slides, transparencies, negatives, photographs, contact sheets and working proofs, receipts relating to commercial and travel subjects.
Language: English
Repository: Special Collections Research Center,
Syracuse University Libraries
222 Waverly Avenue
Syracuse, NY 13244-2010
https://library.syracuse.edu/special-collections-research-center

Biographical History

a Victor Keppler (1904-1987) was an award-winning American commercial photographer.

Keppler was born in New York City on September 30th. He is best known for his commercial photography, which won him numerous awards throughout his career. He worked for several major advertisers, such as General Electric, Corning Glass, and DuPont. He also had photographs and cover art published in the Saturday Evening Post, Ladies' Home Journal, Better Homes and Gardens, and Cosmopolitan, among others. In 1961, he founded the Famous Photographers School in Westport, CT, where he became the director and president until his retirement in 1972. Keppler's artistry was recognized in many awards: Harvard Award (1944), Photographers Hall of Fame Award (1970), and five Gold Medal Awards from the Art Directors Club. Keppler also authored four books, the two most well known being The Eighth Art: A Life of Color Photography (1938), and Victor Keppler: Man and Camera: A Photographic Autobiography (1970).

Keppler was a pioneer in the world of commercial advertising, and made a name for himself as one of the foremost artists in color advertising photography. Using the carbro color process, he mastered techniques drawn from the latest trends in other visual art mediums to make images that were fresh and modern.

Sources:

Contemporary Photographers. First ed. New York, St. Martins Press, 1982.
New York Times, "Victor keppler, Author and Photographer." December 3, 1987.

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Scope and Contents of the Collection

The Victor Keppler Papers consist of various photographic works in different formats, as well as some of the photographer's personal receipts. Much of the material relates to Keppler's work as a commercial photographer, including works done for Hallmark, Campbells, DuPont, Noxzema and Liberty Mutual. Also included are photographs related to Keppler's travels in Italy, Haiti, Canada and elsewhere. Additionally, there are photographs of general topics such as birds, water scenes, and tropical fruit. Among the oversized materials are photographs of famous people and various other clients. Many of the color slides are of travel-related themes, while the other formats (color transparencies, negatives, photographs and proofs) are of a more a varied mix.

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Arrangement of the Collection

The Victor Keppler Papers are arranged into seven categories, Color Slides, Color Transparencies, Negatives, Photographs, Proofs, Receipts and Photographic materials - oversize. Items from the first six categories are contained in 13 boxes, while the Photographic materials - oversize are located in 15 oversize packages. Subjects in each category are arranged alphabetically.

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Restrictions

Access Restrictions

The majority of our archival and manuscript collections are housed offsite and require advanced notice for retrieval. Researchers are encouraged to contact us in advance concerning the collection material they wish to access for their research.

Use Restrictions

Written permission must be obtained from SCRC and all relevant rights holders before publishing quotations, excerpts or images from any materials in this collection.

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Subject Headings

Persons

Keppler, Victor, 1904-1987.

Subjects

Advertising -- Photographers.
Advertising -- Photographs.
Advertising photography.
Aerial photographs.
Aerial photography.
Color photography.
Commercial photography.
Photographs.
Slides (photographs)
Still-life photography.
Travel photography.

Genres and Forms

Negatives (photographs)
Photographs.
Transparencies.

Occupations

Photographers.

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Administrative Information

Preferred Citation

Preferred citation for this material is as follows:

Victor Keppler Papers
Special Collections Research Center,
Syracuse University Libraries

Finding Aid Information

Created by: MK
Date: Feb 6, 1978
Revision history: 04 Sep 2007 - converted to EAD (JPK)

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Inventory

Color slides
Box 1 Antigua (2 folders)
Box 1 Birds
Box 1 Canada (2 folders)
Box 1 Europe (5 folders)
Box 1 Flowers
Box 1 Girl (2 folders)
Box 1 Haiti (7 folders)
Box 2 Italy
Box 2 Japan
Box 2 Lectures
Box 2 Park
Box 2 Puerto Rico
Box 2, 3 Seagrams (7 folders)
Box 3 Seattle
Box 3 Statue
Box 4 Sunsets
Box 4 Timken (5 folders)
Box 4 Traffic
Box 4 Tropical scenes
Box 4 Twilight scenes
Box 4 Unknowns (2 folders)
Color transparencies
Box 5 American Standard
Box 5 Armstrong
Box 5 Blatz Beer
Box 5 Campbells
Box 5 Coffee Assoc.
Box 5 Corning (3 folders)
Box 5 Dana Perfume
Box 5 DuPont
Box 5 Electrolux
Box 5 Fostoria
Box 5 Hallmark (4 folders)
Box 5 Harris-Seybold
Box 5 Haiti
Box 5 Hiram Walker
Box 5 Kennecott Copper
Box 6 Lionel
Box 6 Mohawk Carpet
Box 6 National City Bank
Box 6 Pabst
Box 6 Rayonere
Box 6 Schaefer
Box 6, 7 Seagrams
Box 7 Strawberries
Box 7 Union Carbide
Box 7 Unknowns (3 folders)
Box 7 Water scenes
Box 7 X-mas designs
Negatives
Box 8 Airport
Box 8 American Tobacco Co.
Box 8 Armstrong
Box 8 Baum, Harry
Box 8 B.B.D. & O. (2 folders)
Box 8 Bird silhouettes
Box 8 Broufman, Charles
Box 8 Camera
Box 8 Canada (2 folders)
Box 8 Cellanese Corp.
Box 8 Cemp
Box 8 Central Park
Box 8 Christmas Carol
Box 8 Children
Box 8 Clemens
Box 8 Community
Box 8 Conn Organ (3 folders)
Box 8 DuPont
Box 8 Europe
Box 8 Eye doctor
Box 8 Fairfield
Box 8 Farm
Box 8 Feen-O-Mint
Box 8 Garden
Box 8 Grey scale
Box 8 Girl (2 folders)
Box 8 Hallmark
Box 8 Hanes
Box 8 Hausman
Box 8 Haiti
Box 8 Head shots
Box 8 Hills
Box 8 Ipana (2 folders)
Box 8 Italy
Box 8 Keppler
Box 8 Levy
Box 8 Merit Plan
Box 8 Millard's house
Box 8 Montreal
Box 8 Molson's (3 folders)
Box 8 Mum
Box 8 National City Bank
Box 8 New York City Transit Authority
Box 8 Noodle soup
Box 8 Noxzema
Box 9 Orlon
Box 9 Pagana
Box 9 P.A.L.
Box 9 Palmolive - nudes (15 folders)
Box 9 Paris
Box 9 Party
Box 10 Portrait
Box 10 Reynolds
Box 10 Schaefer
Box 10 Smith
Box 10 Snow scenes
Box 10 South America
Box 10 Southern Bell
Box 10 Spain
Box 10 Switzerland
Box 10 Symbols
Box 10 Timken
Box 10 Trinidad
Box 10 Trip III
Box 10 Tusary
Box 10 Union Carbide
Box 10 Unknowns
Box 10 Wayne, Judy
Box 10 White Cross
Box 10 Winfreys
Photographs
Box 11 Aerial
Box 11 Antigua
Box 11 Birds
Box 11 Cameras
Box 11 Canada
Box 11 Experimental
Box 11 Four roses
Box 11 Haiti
Box 11 Hallmark
Box 11 Italy
Box 11 Keppler
Box 11 Keppler-Rex (2 folders)
Box 11 Liberty Mutual
Box 11 Marines
Box 11 Merit Plan
Box 11 Sea shore
Box 11 Still life (2 folders)
Box 11 Sunset
Box 11 Timken
Box 11 Timken - research material (2 folders)
Proofs
Box 11 Armstrong (4 folders)
Box 11 Antigua (3 folders)
Box 11 Birds
Box 11 Bradol
Box 12 Canada
Box 12 Churches
Box 12 Conn Organ
Box 12 Corning
Box 12 Florida
Box 12 Florida - Palm Beach
Box 12 Haiti (2 folders)
Box 12 Hallmark (5 folders)
Box 12 Hill insects
Box 12 Italy
Box 12 Jamaica
Box 12 Keppler
Box 12 Klemens (3 folders)
Box 12 Lagano
Box 12 Liberty Mutual
Box 12 Long Beach
Box 12 Merit Beach
Box 12 Miller, Ralph
Box 12 Molson's
Box 12 Mum
Box 12 Newark, NY
Box 12 Old Gold
Box 12 P.A.L.
Box 12 Palm Restaurant party
Box 12 Reynolds, Howie
Box 12 Schaefer test
Box 12 Southern Bell
Box 12 St. Thomas
Box 13 Toms River
Box 13 Travel
Box 13 Tropical fruit
Box 13 Unknowns (6 folders)
Box 13 Water scenes
Box 13 X-mas tree
Receipts
Box 13 Miscellaneous
Photographic materials - oversize
Oversize 1 Armstrong
Oversize 2 Assorted clients
Oversize 3-8 Assorted photos
Oversize 9 Famous persons
Oversize 10 Hallmark
Oversize 11, 12 Schaefer Beer
Oversize 13 Southern Bell
Oversize 14 Merit Plan
Oversize 15 Timken Bearings

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