This collection contains motion picture stills and key book photographs created by Columbia Pictures mostly from 1932 to 1959. Included are portrait photos, publicity photos, fashion stills, movie stills, and off-camera photographs showing various aspects of production filming. The subjects of the portrait images include actors, writers, directors, producers, composers, lyricists and others engaged in film production. The images are taken from nitrate negatives and corresponding photographic prints, with front and reverse views. The reverse sides of many prints bear date stamps, A.A.C. (Advertising Advisory Council) stamps, press tags, and handwritten notes including names of people involved in publicity and titles of film fan magazines.
Will Connell (1898-1961) was a self-taught photographer. He opened a studio in downtown Los Angeles in 1925 and became a member of the Camera Pictorialists. He taught at Art Center College in Pasadena from 1931 until his death. His work includes movie publicity shots, magazine assignments and other commercial photography. Connell photographed every industry in California at the time. He completed a number of literary projects and artistic endeavors as well. Connell is known for his use of photomontage and there are examples of this aspect of his work among the nitrate images in the form of the photomontage itself and individual images that were used in creating the montage.