This series contains photographs of Warren K. Zerbe from infancy into his 20s, as well as two groups of photographs taken by Zerbe in 1969 and 1978.
Included in the collection are black-and-white photographs of Zerbe as a child taken in the towns of Islip, New York and Floral Park, New York. Zerbe's mother, Eleanor, is in one of the photographs, as are several family dogs. Several images show exterior views of the family home located at 9525 239th Street in Floral Park. The black-and-white group school photographs of Zerbe document his transformation from a child into a teenager, 1930-1936. The school photographs show his classmates, teachers, and exterior views of Floral Park Bellerose School in Floral Park.
After graduating high school Zerbe served in the United States Coast Guard. The series contains several photographs of Zerbe from this period showing Zerbe in various United States Coast Guard uniforms and one photograph of Zerbe in uniform in the Philippines during World War II, circa 1943.
Finally, the series includes color slides and photographs taken by Zerbe in 1969 and 1978.
These include ten color slides depicting the Montauk Club house in the Park Slope neighborhood of Brooklyn, and seven color slides depicting Litchfield Villa in Prospect Park, all taken in July 1969.
The series also contains photographs Zerbe shot from the top of the Williamsburgh Savings Bank building tower located at 1 Hanson Place in the Fort Greene neighborhood in Brooklyn and of the Brooklyn Botanic Garden in springtime in 1978. These photographs have identifying notes on the rectos or versos.