David Backman collection of photographs
Call Number
Date
Creator
Extent
Language of Materials
Abstract
This collection, assembled and donated by David Backman, contains 10 portraits of Marilyn Monroe by André de Dienes, and 21 photographs by photojournalist Ken Regan.
Biographical / Historical
Ken Regan (d. 2012) worked for over five decades documenting pop culture, sports, foreign conflicts, and other current events. Credited with over 200 magazine covers, Regan was most well-known for a discretion and professionalism which earned him intimate shooting access to famous politicians, musicians, and other celebrities.
Regan also covered major events for magazines such as Time, Sports Illustrated, Life, and Newsweek. In the 1970s he founded Camera 5, an agency of 15 photographers who covered wars, riots and demonstrations, and other national and international hard news and human interest stories.
André de Dienes (1913-1985) was a Hungarian American fashion photographer best known for his early portraits of the actress Marilyn Monroe.
Arrangement
The collection is organized into two series; Series I consists of photographs by Ken Regan, and Series II contains photographs by André de Dienes. The photographs are arranged alphabetically by subject.
Scope and Contents
This collection, assembled and donated by David Backman, contains 10 portraits of Marilyn Monroe by André de Dienes, and 21 photographs by photojournalist Ken Regan.
Subjects
Conditions Governing Access
Available by advance appointment only.
To schedule an appointment, contact the Print Room Librarian at printroom@nyhistory.org.
Photocopying undertaken by staff only. Limited to twenty exposures of stable, unbound material per day. (Researchers may not accrue unused copy amounts from previous days.)
Conditions Governing Use
Application to use images from this collection for publication should be made in writing to:
Department of Rights and Reproductions The New-York Historical Society 170 Central Park West, New York, NY 10024-5194 rightsandrepro@nyhistory.org 212-485-9282
Permission to reproduce or quote text from this collection in a publication must be requested from and granted in writing by the Library Director, The New-York Historical Society, 170 Central Park West, New York, NY 10024-5194.
Preferred Citation
This collection should be cited as: David Backman Collection of Photographs, PR 383, Department of Prints, Photographs, and Architectural Collections, The New-York Historical Society.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Gift of David Backman, 2013 and 2015.
About this Guide
Processing Information
This material was originally included in the finding aid for the Michael Sonnenfeldt Collection of Theatre, Film, and Entertainment Photography PR 305, which was processed by project intern Brynn White in 2014. This material was separated into a discrete collection and finding aid in 2019 by processing archivist Marybeth Kavanagh.
Repository
Series I: Photographs by Ken Regan
Scope and Contents
This series, donated and assembled by David Backman, contains Ken Regan's photographs of musician Keith Richards; politicians Ted Kennedy, John Lindsay, and Ronald Reagan; athletes Jackie Joyner, Oscar Gamble, Gary Player and the 1962 New York Mets baseball team; and news and entertainment personalities Av Weston, Tab Hunter, and Dr. Delano Merriweather.
Ford, Betty, undated, inclusive
Gamble, Oscar, undated, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Baseball player
Graham, Bill, 1974, undated, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Concert promoter. Two images, one with Jim Morrison and Ray Manzarek of the Doors; one of Graham getting a pie in the face.
Hunter, Tab and Zimbalist, Stephanie, 1962, inclusive
Joyner, Jackie, 1989, inclusive
Scope and Contents
also know as Jackie Joyner-Kersee. Photo with the staff of a McDonald's restaurant.
Kennedy, Ted, 1974, undated, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Two images: one ice skating with Ethel Kennedy at Rockefeller Center; one with Jean Kennedy Smith at an Ali-Frazier boxing match
Lindsay, John, undated, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Two images.
Merriweather, Delano, undated, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Physician and former track and field athlete.
New York Mets, 1962, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Two images of players on field during a game.
Player, Gary, 1971, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Golfer.
Reagan, Ronald, 1985, inclusive
Scope and Contents
with Nancy Reagan, Jackie Kennedy Onassis, and John F. Kennedy Jr.
Richards, Keith, 1977, 1989, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Two images.
Weston, Av, 1982-1983, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Journalist, ABC News executive; 3 images, including one with Barbara Walters.
Wyman, Bill, 1981, inclusive
Series II: Photographs by Andre de Dienes
Marilyn Monroe, 1953, undated, inclusive
Scope and Contents
10 portraits.