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TABLE OF CONTENTSInventory |
Guide to the Joseph A. Ullman Photographs
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Descriptive Summary | ||
| Creator | Ullman, Joseph A. | |
| Title | Guide to the Joseph A. Ullman Photographs, | |
| Dates: | 1970-1985 | |
| Abstract: | This collection contains photographs taken by press photographer Joseph A. Ullman between 1970 and 1985, when he was employed by the Flushing Tribune, a community newspaper serving northwestern Queens. Included are pictures of testimonial dinners, political rallies, community board meetings and other news events throughout the borough. | |
| Extent: | approx. 5,895 photographs, 20 cubic feet | |
| Identification: | U-3 | |
| Location: | The material is located in the Archives at Queens Library. | |
Historical/Biographical Note
A longtime resident of Rego Park, photojournalist Joseph A. Ullman spent more than twenty years working for the Queens Tribune. During this time he covered news events throughout the borough of Queens, photographing testimonial dinners, political rallies, community board meetings, fires, funerals and street fairs, as well as policemen, politicians, neighborhood activists, and many others. Mr. Ullman worked for free, doing his own processing and printing, completing more than two thousand assignments.
Mr. Ullman was a Life Member of the National Press Photographers Association, and the Long Island Press Photographers Association. He was the recipient of twenty one photography awards, as well as a citation from the Queens Borough President.
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Scope and Content Note
The Joseph A. Ullman Collection contains photographs, assignment books and other records from Mr. Ullman’s years as a photojournalist with the Queens Tribune, City Lights Magazine, and other publications. The collection is divided into three series: Assignment Books (1 box, 1970-1983), Ephemera (2 boxes, 1970-1985) and Prints and Negatives (5,985 images, 1970-1984). Items in each series have been filed according to the assignment numbers which were used by Mr. Ullman in the course of his work. These numbers were given more or less chronologically, though they do not necessarily follow individual dates.
The series Assignment Books contains the notebooks Ullman used to keep track of his photographic assignments. A typical page includes the assignment number, date, time, location, and a brief report on the event.
The series Ephemera includes programs, flyers, newsletters and other printed matter related to the events Mr. Ullman covered. For example, Assignment #531 was the 97th Annual Dinner of the Queens Bar Association, held at the International Hotel at John F. Kennedy International Airport. In addition to Ullman’s photographs, the ephemera file also includes a program for the event, which contains an alphabetical listing of all of the guests, seating arrangements, a list of speakers, and a menu.
Ullman covered mainly local news, such as meetings of community organizations, political protests, and cultural events. His photographs frequently accompanied stories on neighborhood concerns like graffiti, broken sidewalks, and abandoned buildings. But he also reported on events which resonated beyond the borough of Queens, such as the battle over public housing in Forest Hills and the demolition of the Jamaica Avenue El. Occasionally he covered stories with national and even worldwide interest. For example, the series Prints and Negatives includes photographs of Pope John Paul’s appearance at Shea Stadium in 1979, and of a community meeting held in the wake of the Son of Sam murders in 1977. Also included are photographs documenting the early political careers of Governor Mario Cuomo, Mayor Ed Koch, and Congresswoman Geraldine Ferraro, as well as many other lesser-known figures in Queens and New York City politics.
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Arrangement
Photographs are arranged according to author's assignment numbers, which were given in rough chronological order.
The files are grouped into series:
| I, Assignment Books | |
| II, Ephemera | |
| III, Photographs and Negatives |
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Administrative Information
Preferred Citation
Published citations should take the following form:
Creator of item, date of item (if known), identification of item, if a photograph its control number. The Joseph A. Ullman Photographic Collection, Archives at Queens Library, Queens Borough Public Library
Provenance
The photographs were donated by Mr. Ullman to the library.
Access Restrictions
Open for research without restrictions. Manuscripts are only available in the Archives at Queens Library, please call (718) 990-0770 for hours. Manuscript users will be required to complete the division's Manuscript Usage Form and show their photograph identification or Queens Borough Public Library card. The identification will be returned to the user after she/he has returned the material. Manuscript users will deposit all their personal items behind the reference desk. Manuscript users must use the division's loose sheets of paper for note taking. To reiterate, no pen of any type is permitted. Paper and a pencil are available upon request. Manuscript users may be required to use special handling procedures depending on the conditions of the material.
Use Restrictions
Permission to publish materials must be obtained in writing from the:
- Archives at Queens Library
- Queens Borough Public Library
- 89-11 Merrick Boulevard
- Jamaica, NY 11432
- Phone: (718) 990-0770.
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Access Points
Subject Names:
- Ullman, Joseph A.
Subject Topics:
- Newspapers
Subject Places:
- Flushing (New York, N.Y.)
- New York (N.Y.)
- Queens (New York, N.Y.)
Subject Organizations:
- New York (N.Y.). Department of Parks and Recreation
- New York (N.Y.). Fire Department
- New York (N.Y.). Police Department
- New York City Public Schools
- Queens (New York, N.Y.). Office of Queens Borough President
Document Types:
- Photographs
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Inventory
[The following section contains a detailed listing of the materials in the collection.]
