George Aptecker Collection
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Abstract
Materials documenting the life and work of photographer George Aptecker (1931-2018). The bulk of the collection includes black-and-white negatives and prints showing New York City street scenes and portraits. Other items include journals, exhibit information, personal items, and materials concerning Aptecker's books, Beyond Despair and Passing Through.
Biographical Note
George Aptecker was born on March 5, 1931 in the Bronx to Moses and Diana Aptecker. He graduated from James Monroe High School in June 1949, working in a pillow factory before joining the United States Army in October 1951. While overseas, Aptecker had the opportunity to travel in Germany, France and Spain, photographing street scenes, portraits, and bull fights. After returning to New York, he purchased a new camera and enrolled in the New York Institute of Photography. In 1955 he began journaling, a habit he would maintain for the rest of his life.
In 1957 Aptecker married Sandra "Sandie" Bender; their daughter Diana was born in 1964 followed by Andrea "Annie" born in 1968. During this time he wrote and contributed articles to U.S. Camera Magazine, Camera 35 Magazine, and Modern Photography Magazine. He also exhibited his work at the Village Camera Club, Underground Gallery, and the Metropolitan Museum of Art. His photographs appeared in print for the New York Times and N.Y World Telegram. The family purchased a house in Brooklyn, but Aptecker was soon unemployed and looking for work. In 1973 he began driving a New York City taxi, recording his experiences in his photography work and journals. He then began work as a night watchman at the Metropolitan Museum of Art while maintaining a small business collecting and dealing fine art photography. The family moved to New Jersey in 1975.
Aptecker's book, Beyond Despair, a collection of symbolic photographs and quotes about the Holocaust was published in 1980 with a foreward by Elie Wiesel. Aptecker's second book, Passing Through, was not published. He continued to exhibit his work in New York City and New Jersey, and in 1981 was named Director of Development for the Jewish Reconstructionist Foundation. Aptecker and Sandy divorced in 1984. In the 1990s Aptecker's eyesight began to deteriorate and he stopped making photographs. He died on June 3, 2018 at the age of 87. His work is in the permanent collections of the Museum of Modern Art, the Brooklyn Museum, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and several private collections.
Arrangement
This collection is arranged in six series:
Series 1: Writing is arranged by format, with items arranged chronologically.
Series 2: Personal and Correspondence is arranged chronologically. Correspondence is grouped in folders 1-6, all other items are housed in folders 7-12 with a separate chronological arrangement.
Series 3: Exhibits and Ephemera is arranged chronologically.
Series 4: Photograph Collecting and Dealing is arranged chronologically.
Series 5: Books is arranged by title.
Series 6: Photographs is arranged in four sub-series by format. Items in each sub-series maintain the original order and numbering system imposed by George Aptecker. Box and binder numbers assigned and arranged by the Archivist.
Scope and Contents
This collection consists of materials documenting the life and work of photographer George Aptecker. The bulk of the collection includes photographic negatives and prints created between 1952 and 1990. All film is 35mm or medium format black-and-white, with most negative sheets paired with a corresponding contact sheet print. Aptecker's numbering system has been maintained to label negative sleeves, although numbers are not consistent. Numbers appear out of order, numbers are often duplicated, and some sheets were left unnumbered. Most negatives were not dated or titled.
Subjects include photographs of Aptecker's honeymoon in Europe, portraits of friends and family, classrooms, boxers, and museum visitors. Street scenes show Manhattan, Brooklyn, and presumably the Bronx, as well as the Coney Island beach and boardwalk. Also included are negatives and prints for Aptecker's books, Beyond Despair and Passing Through. Most prints were created from negatives in sub-series 6.1 and are black-and-white, although some have been hand colored.
Also included in this collection is Aptecker's journals, dating 1955-2014. Entries vary in length, covering day-to-day observations, poems, photography notes, relationships with friends and family, and general musings. His journal concerning Beyond Despair is housed with the Books series. Other items in the Books series include promotional materials, original layouts, reviews, and copies of Beyond Despair. Also included is notes and layouts for Passing Through, which was not published. Items in the Exhibits and Ephemera series cover promotional materials and reviews for Aptecker's photography exhibits. This series also includes a scrapbook created by Aptecker containing clippings, correspondence, and copies of articles he contributed to U.S. Camera magazine. Drafts of these articles can be found in the Writing series.
Correspondence is personal and professional; correspondence concerning Beyond Despair is housed with the Books series. Personal items include certificates, family photographs, and a USB containing a copy of In the Darkroom, a short film about the life of George Aptecker created by his daughter, Andrea Aptecker. Items in the Photograph Collecting and Dealing series concern Aptecker's side business as a fine art photography dealer. Photographer contracts, biographies, notes, and clippings concerning the collecting market are included.
Prior to donation, Andrea Aptecker included notes with some items to provide context. These notes have not been removed.
Subjects
Topics
Access
Open to researchers without restriction.
Conditions Governing Use
Copyright to items in this collection is held by Andrea Aptecker. Reproduction rights for educational and non-commercial use is at the discretion of the Center for Brooklyn History.
Preferred Citation
Identification of item, date (if known); George Aptecker Collection, CBMH.0003, Box and Folder number; Brooklyn Public Library, Center for Brooklyn History.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
This collection was donated by Andrea Aptecker in 2021.
About this Guide
Processing Information
Preservation photocopies were made of all of the newspaper clippings. Originals were discarded.
Scrapbook was removed from its binder and pages were rehoused in a folder.
