Todd Walker collection

This collection documents the life and work of photographer, bookmaker and instructor Todd Walker. The collection includes self-published monographs, exhibition announcements, tearsheets, periodicals, writings, ephemera, and, biographical materials. Artifacts such as a book binding press, t-shirts printed by Walker, photographic materials including negatives, collotypes, and prints, as well as Walker’s photographic process formulas can be found within the collection. The collection is divided into nine series: Correspondence, Artifacts, Biographical Materials, Activity Files, Ephemera, Exhibitions, Monographs and Publications, Photographic Materials, Writings, and audiovisual work.

Series 1, Correspondence contains letters written by and to Todd Walker. For correspondence relating to Walker’s exhibitions and gallery consignments, see the Exhibition and Gallery Materials series. The Correspondence series is composed of fan mail, personal correspondence, postcards, and professional correspondence. It is mainly incoming correspondence. Due to the diversity of correspondents, items are primarily arranged in chronological order. Fan mail includes letters sent to Walker from admirers of his work. Personal correspondence and Postcards were sent from Walker’s family and friends, covering general topics. Professional correspondence includes correspondence relating to Walker’s photography career, covering such topics as advertising projects, potential job opportunities, publishing rights, and auctions/donations.

Series 2, Artifacts contains various objects, including a book press and t-shirts, made by Todd Walker.

Series 3, Biographical Materials has five subseries, which document the career of Todd Walker as well as his memorial service at the Center for Creative Photography. The Biographical Materials subseries consists of biographies, financial records, insurance records, medical records, materials relating to Walker’s death and memorial, photographs of Walker and family, resumes, and Walker’s will. The materials concerning Walker’s death and memorial include announcements, such as one publicizing the memorial held at the Center for Creative Photography, correspondence, and a videotape by A. Friedkin entitled “Memories of Todd Walker.” The correspondence contains letters of condolences written to Walker’s daughter, Melanie, as well as letters written to Walker during his last days of life.

Series 4, Activity Files includes eight subseries: business records, Society of Photographic Education records, Teaching files, Photography Career files, Speeches, Talks and Interviews, Thumbprint press work, radio work, and AD work done by Walker. Business records contains information about acquisitions, appointment books, and various business deals. The Society of Photographic Education subseries contains correspondence, conferences minutes, membership listings and speeches given at the Society of Photographic Education. The teaching subseries contains documents used to teach classes. Under Teaching, items are separated into the various colleges Walker taught at and consist of correspondence, course outlines, newsletters, and other related resources.

Series 5, Ephemera contains an assortment of document created by Walker or collected by him, various signs which hung at this wall, and studio are found in this series. The Ephemera accrual materials consist of an assortment of items collected by Walker, such as pages torn from books, blank postcards, doodles, and Todd Walker letterheads. Of particular notice is the results of a personality test taken by Walker.

Series 6, Exhibitions contains announcements and reviews of solo and group exhibitions that included Walker. Materials are mainly comprised of incoming correspondence from various institutions and museums concerning Walker’s exhibitions. Also included: materials directly related to the American National Exhibition in Moscow in 1959 and Andrew Smith Gallery; exhibition announcements for both Walker and others; information related to gallery consignments; forms (loans, receiving, insurance, etc.); lists of shows and sales; and essays written by Pima Community College photography students about Walker’s exhibition at the Center for Creative Photography in 1977.

Series 7, Monographs and Publications contains three subseries: clippings and newsletters, monographs by Todd Walker, and publications about Todd Walker. The subjects found within the series are about Todd Walker, by Todd Walker, or photographic processes. The Clippings subseries contains articles written by Walker, catalogs, clippings, newsletters, and publications about/featuring Walker’s work. However, the manuscripts and pre-print materials of portfolios and monographs created by Walker are of particular interest. This includes page mock-ups, notes, photographic materials, text, and related materials.

Series 8, Photographic Materials contains nine subseries, including images, collotypes, transparencies, negatives, and glass plates all created by Todd Walker. Photographic materials also include an array of photographs and prints, made by Walker and others. Also included are photographic prints that Cris Coba sent to Walker.

Series 9, Writings has nine subseries: miscellaneous writings, notebooks, manuscripts, writings and manuals about photographic processes, poems, artistic statements and autobiographical statements, works in progress and writings by others. The subseries entitled Works in Progress shows different books in different stages of the creation process as well as a collection of old marbled paper used by Tom Walker. Materials include writings by others that Walker collected, such as theses and essays, an introduction written by Walker for A.J. Meeks’s portfolio, “The Highlands,” handwritten notes, writings on various photographic processes by both Walker and others, poetry written or collected by Walker, statements on photography made by Walker, and miscellaneous writings. The Notebooks subseries is mainly comprised of notebooks and memo pads, some being handmade by Walker. Series 10, Audiovisual materials is made up of AV items found in the Todd Walker collection. They consist mostly of interviews, lectures, or demos from Walker. There are other tapes that make up the rest of this series.