Collection context
Summary
- Creators:
- Cleveland, Robert C.
- Abstract:
- Robert C. Cleveland, noted architectural, interior design, and commercial photographer based in Pacific Palisades, California. The collection contains items spanning his military and professional career including photographic prints, negatives, books, book manuscripts, and publications featuring his work.
- Extent:
- 9.4 Linear Feet (47 shoe boxes)
- Language:
- Materials are in English.
- Preferred citation:
-
[Identification of item], Robert C. Cleveland papers (Collection 1808). UCLA Library Special Collections, Charles E. Young Research Library, University of California, Los Angeles.
Background
- Scope and content:
-
The collection contains Cleveland's personal papers, including World War II negatives and prints, elementary school documents, correspondence during World War II, and personal photographs. Photographic prints and negatives from his military career are also included in the collection with a series of photographs of the Middle East and Europe from 1944-1945.
While the collection is comprised mostly of Cleveland's architectural and interior design photography in Southern California, he also has several series of photographs taken in Canada, Hawaii, and the South. Clients included architect A. Quincy Jones and actors James Cagney and Groucho Marx. Private homes, public buildings, and military sites are some of the most common subjects of his photography. Commercial clients included Fansteel, Pittsburgh Plate Glass Company, Hollowform, and the Portland Cement Association. Some of his works involve the use of female models, many of which are portrayed provocatively. One publication in particular, The Chemical Peddler, graphically shows popular attitudes towards women in the 1960s.
- Biographical / historical:
-
Robert Charles Cleveland was born on April 4, 1918 in Rochelle, Illinois to Orva Myrtle Cleveland and Ralph Charles Cleveland. He attended Beloit College and was enlisted to the First Motion Picture Unit during World War II. As photographer for the 97th Bombardment (heavy) group, he photographed a tour through Italy and the Middle East.
From his home studio in Pacific Palisades, Cleveland began a career as an architectural and commercial photographer. He wrote one of the first books about architectural photography entitled Architectural photography of house: how to take good pictures of exteriors and interiors in 1953. He photographed architecture in and around Los Angeles for homeowners, architects, the Los Angeles Times Home Magazine, Architectural Digest, and Perfect Home among other publications. His extensive commercial work included clients such as the Portland Cement Association, Pittsburgh Plate Glass Company, Monsanto, and Fansteel.
Cleveland died on December 12, 1991.
- Acquisition information:
- Gift Patricia Bloomfield and Russell R. Cleveland, 2008.
- Processing information:
-
Collections are processed to a variety of levels depending on the work necessary to make them usable, their perceived user interest and research value, availability of staff and resources, and competing priorities. Library Special Collections provides a standard level of preservation and access for all collections and, when time and resources permit, conducts more intensive processing. These materials have been arranged and described according to national and local standards and best practices.
Processed by Julian Yoko Prentice and Nina Scholtz in the Center for Primary Research and Training (CFPRT), with assistance from Kelley Wolfe Bachli, 2009 and 2010.
The processing of this collection was generously supported by the Arcadia Foundation.
- Arrangement:
-
The collection is arranged into seven series:
- I: Personal Papers
- II: Photographic Prints
- III: Negatives, Transparencies, and Slides
- IV: Magazines and Brochures
- V: Research for Travel Work
- VI: Writings
- VII: Books
For both the photographic prints and negatives, the numbering system follows the original system developed by Cleveland to keep track of projects and clients. Not all of his projects are included and there are gaps in both the photographic print and negative series.
- Physical location:
- Stored off-site. All requests to access special collections material must be made in advance using the request button located on this page.
- Rules or conventions:
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Access and use
- Restrictions:
-
Open for research. All requests to access special collections materials must be made in advance using the request button located on this page.
- Terms of access:
-
Property rights to the objects belong to UCLA Library Special Collections. All other rights, including copyright, are retained by the creators and their heirs. It is the responsibility of the researcher to determine who holds the copyright and pursue the copyright owner or his or her heir for permission to publish where The UC Regents do not hold the copyright.
- Preferred citation:
-
[Identification of item], Robert C. Cleveland papers (Collection 1808). UCLA Library Special Collections, Charles E. Young Research Library, University of California, Los Angeles.
- Location of this collection:
-
A1713 Charles E. Young Research LibraryBox 951575Los Angeles, CA 90095-1575, US
- Contact:
- (310) 825-4988