Len Prince collection

Collection

Identifier: MS-2022-04

Staff Only

Scope and Contents

This collection includes original silver gelatin and polaroid prints by photographer Len Prince, as well as posters and other reproductions of original artwork. Also included are auction and sale records, magazine clippings, media, periodicals that include Prince’s photographs, correspondence, exhibition files, biographical material, photographic slides, and related research materials.

Dates

1990 - 2019

Biographical / Historical

Len Prince is an American photographer whose work includes portraiture, celebrity photography, fashion, nudes, still life, and botanicals. Prince was born in Detroit, Michigan in 1953 and has since lived and worked internationally. Prince has been working in photography since the age of nine and studied at the School of Visual Arts. Prince has collaborated with celebrities in fashion, theater, and film and is also known for his artistic partnership with Jessie Mann. Prince’s photography has been featured in temporary exhibits and permanent collections of museums across the United States, including Florida institutions such as the Tampa Museum of Art, Florida Museum of Photographic Arts, and The John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art.

Extent

3 boxes

1.5 Linear Feet

Language of Materials

English

Additional Description

Abstract

This collection is comprised of a series of original photographs and supporting documents tracing the career of Len Prince, an American photographer. Included are documents related to Prince’s photographic exhibitions across galleries and museums of the United States, including marketing campaigns for A.I.D.S. awareness and relief fundraising. Clippings and periodicals showcase the use of Prince’s photography in marketing campaigns and career highlights in both fine art and lifestyle magazines. Also included is correspondence with the artist, as well as buyers, dealers, and exhibitors of Prince’s photographs. Cataloged alongside the archival materials are a series of books featuring Len Prince’s photographs, as well as select catalogs of exhibits.

Arrangement

Collection is arranged according to material type and chronology. When able, the donor’s original order and file level labels were maintained.

Separated Materials

Oversized materials are shelved separately. Books related to the archival collection are cataloged individually and shelved in the Queer Literature Collection. Titles and links to the catalog record are available on this finding aid via the Cataloged Publications series.

Subjects

Gay artists Subject Source: Local sources
HIV/AIDS awareness Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
LGBTQ+ artists Subject Source: Local sources
Photograph collections Subject Source: Lcnaf
Photography Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
Photography of the nude Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
Photography, Erotic Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings