Diana Davies papers
Collection
Identifier: SSC-MS-00309
Scope and Contents
The Diana Davies Papers consist primarily of her photographs of individuals and groups, musicians, artists, political activists in the civil rights, peace and feminist movements; celebrities and politicians; women's events (marches, demonstrations, conferences, etc.); and images of a variety of people and events from Broadway actors to New York City street people. As a photojournalist at the height of the Women's Liberation movement, Davies documented many of the important players and events in the movement in New York City in the 1960s and 1970s. The photographs are also a rich source of images of women musicians and "Women's Music." Also included is material related to her publication Photojourney: photographs (1989); exhibit materials; fliers, broadsides, and other printed matter; memorabilia; an audio recording of "Twelve O'Clock Girl in a Nine O'Clock Town," by Davies; and an oral history.
Oversized prints are filed in a separate box at the end of the series. Acid-free photocopies of the oversize photographs are filed in the applicable folder in boxes 1 and 2. In cases where contact sheets contain photographs of more than one subject, acid-free photocopies of the contact sheet are filed in all applicable folders.
Negatives include negatives of the prints above, as well as some negatives for which the SSC does not own prints. Negatives are filed in numerical order. In cases where the Sophia Smith Collection owns the negative for a photograph, the corresponding negative number is written on the reverse side of the print.
Oversized prints are filed in a separate box at the end of the series. Acid-free photocopies of the oversize photographs are filed in the applicable folder in boxes 1 and 2. In cases where contact sheets contain photographs of more than one subject, acid-free photocopies of the contact sheet are filed in all applicable folders.
Negatives include negatives of the prints above, as well as some negatives for which the SSC does not own prints. Negatives are filed in numerical order. In cases where the Sophia Smith Collection owns the negative for a photograph, the corresponding negative number is written on the reverse side of the print.
Dates
- 1960s-1996 (ongoing)
Creator
- Davies, Diana (Person)
Language of Materials
English
Conditions Governing Access
The papers are open to research according to the regulations of the Sophia Smith Collection.
This collection has not been fully processed and therefore may be difficult to use.
This collection has not been fully processed and therefore may be difficult to use.
Conditions Governing Access
Until we move into New Neilson in early 2021, collections are stored in multiple locations and may take up to 48 hours to retrieve. Researchers are strongly encouraged to contact Special Collections (specialcollections@smith.edu) at least a week in advance of any planned visits so that boxes may be retrieved for them in a timely manner.
Conditions Governing Use
All rights are owned by Diana Davies and the Sophia Smith Collection. Permission is required for publication beyond "fair use." All reproduction and publication of photographs must credit Diana Davies and the Sophia Smith Collection. Davies stipulates that the SSC must receive a copy of any publications featuring her work.
Biographical / Historical
Musician, theatre worker, and photographer Diana Davies became a photojournalist in the 1960s. One of the principal documentarians of the second-wave women's movement the U.S., she also photographed in Africa, Central America, the Middle East, and Europe. She documented the civil rights and peace movements, poor people's and welfare rights movements, and farmworkers' struggles. Throughout her career, Davies has photographed various creators and performers of cultural expression, including musicians, writers, craftspersons, dancers, circus and theatre people, potters, and artists. Her photographs of individuals run the gamut, from obscure street people to well-known public figures. Davies' work has been published in books, journals, newspapers, and magazines, and is included in collections at the New York Public Library, the Smithsonian Institution, Howard University, and the Swarthmore Peace Collection. Her book Photojourney : photographs was published in 1989.
In the 1990s, Davies abandoned her career in photography (except for photographs of friends) in order to work as a graphic artist, painter and illustrator, with an emphasis on the subject of social change. Davies writes plays with social justice themes, having throughout her life participated in and supported all aspects of "people's theatre." As a committed peace and social justice activist she also works with organizations promoting social change, and helps feed and clothe the needy in her community.
In the 1990s, Davies abandoned her career in photography (except for photographs of friends) in order to work as a graphic artist, painter and illustrator, with an emphasis on the subject of social change. Davies writes plays with social justice themes, having throughout her life participated in and supported all aspects of "people's theatre." As a committed peace and social justice activist she also works with organizations promoting social change, and helps feed and clothe the needy in her community.
Extent
57 boxes (17 linear feet)
Overview
Musician; Photographer; Artist; Theater worker. Papers consist primarily of Davies' photographs of individuals and groups, musicians, artists, political activists in the civil rights, peace, anti-poverty, and feminist events (marches, demonstrations, conferences, etc.); celebrities, musicians, politicians, and street people. Included is material related to her publication Photojourney: Photographs; fliers, broadsides; memorabilia; and artwork.
Arrangement
This collection is organized as follows:
- Biographical material
- Published Material
- Sistervision exhibit, March 2000
- "Diana's Place"
- Women's Movement - Women's Lives
- PhotoJourney
- Poverty-Poor Folk
- Northampton State Hospital Squat (1996) and Squatters-Housing Rights movement
- Welfare Rights and Economic Human Rights Struggle
- "Poor People's Campaign" (a.k.a. Poor People's March), 1968
- Civil Rights Movement, 1960s (and African-American History)
- People's Struggles: The State of Society and the World
- Common Stock - a worker's collective
- Labor History
- Prison Issues and Prisoner's Rights
- Theatre and Public Art
- Dance
- Street Artists, Musicians, Buskers and Craftspeople
- Women and Music: The Soundwomen
- Women's Music
- Artists, Craftspeople, Architects, Sculptors, Photographers, Video people, Filmmakers, Actors (film)
- Writers
- The Railroads, Hoboes and Subways
- Western Mass. Women; Western Mass Community Groups
- Women's Zines and Publications
- Street Kids Project, Maine
- Mexico, Cuba, Portugal, Spain (and related U.S. scenes)
- Israel - Palestine (and related material from New York City)
- Animals - Creatures (and more best friends)
- Nature and Farms and Coastal Maine (1960s-90s)
- The Miscellany Box
- Artwork and Design
- Videotapes
- Additional Material
- Oversize prints
- Oversize published material and posters
- Oversize and odd objects: Found and created goods
- Negatives
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Diana Davies began donating her papers to the Sophia Smith Collection in 1997.
Additions to the Collection
Periodic additions to collection are expected and may not be reflected in this record.
Processing Information
This collection was arranged and listed by Diana Davies in 2000.
- Abzug, Bella S., 1920-
- Allen, Woody--Photographs
- Audiotapes
- Birkby, Phyllis--Photographs
- Breslin, Jimmy--Photographs
- Brooks, Gwendolyn 1917- --Photographs
- Budapest, Zsusanna--Photographs
- Caine, Michael--Photographs
- Chavez, Cesar 1927- --Photographs
- Chisholm, Shirley, 1924- --Photographs
- Contact sheets
- Daly, Mary, 1928- --Photographs
- Davies, Diana
- Davies, Diana. Photojourney--Sources
- Davis, Angela Yvonne, 1944- --Photographs
- Dayan, Moshe, 1915-1981--Photographs
- Deming, Barbara,, 1917- --Photographs
- Dworkin, Andrea--Photographs
- Feminists--United States--Photographs
- Friedan, Betty--Photographs
- Holbrook, Hal--Photographs
- Jacobi, Lotte--Photographs
- Jebb, Caroline Lane Reynolds Slemmer
- Johnson, Sonia--Photographs
- Joplin, Janis--Photographs
- Kennedy, Edward Moore, 1932- --Photographs
- Kennedy, Florynce, 1916- --Photographs
- Kennedy, Robert F., 1925-1968--Photographs
- King, Coretta Scott, 1927- --Photographs
- Lesbians--United States--History--20th century--Photographs
- Lindsay, John V. (John Vliet)--Photographs
- Lollabrigida, Gina--Photographs
- Love, Barbara--Photographs
- McCarthy, Eugene J., 1916- --Photographs
- Meir, Golda, 1898-1978--Photographs
- Merman, Ethel--Photographs
- Millett, Kate
- Millett, Kate--Photographs
- Negatives
- New York (N.Y.)--Photographs
- Northampton (Mass.)--History--Sources
- Northampton, (Mass.)--History--Sources
- Oral histories
- Photographs.
- Price, Leontine--Photographs
- Rankin, Jeanette--Photographs
- Raye, Martha--Photographs
- Sarton, May, 1912- --Photographs
- Sontag, Susan, 1933- --Photographs
- Spock, Benjamin, 1903-1999--Photographs
- Women musicians--Photographs
- Women photographers--United States--Biography--Sources
- Women's music--Photographs
- Women's rights--New York (State)--New York--Photographs
- books
Creator
- Davies, Diana (Person)
- Title
- Diana Davies papers
- Subtitle
- Finding Aid
- Author
- Finding aid prepared by Diana Davies and Maida Goodwin
- Date
- © 2014
- Description rules
- dacs
- Language of description
- Finding aid written in English.
Revision Statements
- 07/26/2017: This resource was modified by the ArchivesSpace Preprocessor developed by the Harvard Library (https://github.com/harvard-library/archivesspace-preprocessor)
- 2017-07-26T17:48:14-04:00: This record was migrated from InMagic DB Textworks to ArchivesSpace.
Repository Details
Part of the Sophia Smith Collection of Women's History Repository