Collection inventory

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.

Return to top

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.

Return to top

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.

Return to top

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.

Return to top

Subject Headings

Persons

Subjects

Genres and Forms

Occupations

Return to top

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)

Return to top

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

Return to top