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Commercial photography firms : their history, functions, and records

University of British Columbia

This thesis establishes a deductively-derived model of the common functions, activities, and records of commercial photography firms based on idealized patterns of activity. It traces the establishment of the functions, which have remained characteristic of this class of organization, from an historical perspective. Three distinctive functions, "attracting clients," "sustaining the organization," and "carrying out photography assignments" are analyzed in terms of component activities commonly engaged in by modern photography firms and possible records which may be generated and/or accumulate as a result of these activities. This analysis has significance for a number of areas of archival management, but confines itself to implications for appraisal for selection. It makes recommendations which encourage the preservation of a representative body of records that explains the organization and gives evidence of its activities. As is characteristic of all other archival documents, the records of a photography firm derive a great part of their nature from their relationships with the other documents in the fonds and to the functions and activities the fonds as a whole reflects. Examining the records produced by this type of creator in the context of their creation can reveal how both the photographic and non-photographic records are essential to the fonds, and can encourage the preservation of adequate documentation of the organization and its operation. A firm's photographs are generated by and are part of the production activities which fulfil the function of "carrying out photography assignments." They are related to a particular photography assignment and to the other records which show how that assignment was carried out. The photographs are also related to the records generated by the two other functions because these latter records reveal the activities in which the firm engages to enable it to carry out photography assignments. The marketing records indicate attempts by the firm to attract and acquire clients, some of which are successful and result in photography assignments. Records generated by component activities of "sustaining the organization" are related to the photos because they reflect activities which allow the firm to continue operating into the future and engage in its principal substantive function of "carrying out photography assignments."

Thesis/Dissertation

application/pdf

2009-02-09

For non-commercial purposes only, such as research, private study and education. Additional conditions apply, see Terms of Use https://open.library.ubc.ca/terms_of_use.

http://hdl.handle.net/2429/4307

Archival Studies

University of British Columbia

UBCV

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