AUSTIN, TX.- The Dolph Briscoe Center for American History at The University of Texas is pleased to announce the donation of the Christopher Little Photographic Archive, an important addition to the centers internationally significant photojournalism collections.
Littles archive spans his career as an esteemed photojournalist and comprises an expansive photographic portfolio of public figures and international subjects. He is best known for his 21 years with People magazine (19802001). His work also has been published in such major magazines and newspapers as Life, Time, Newsweek, the New York Times, Vanity Fair, Esquire, GQ, Architectural Digest, Town & Country, National Geographic World, and Paris Match.
Christopher Littles collection is a rich and fascinating compendium of public figures and historic moments. We are thrilled he has chosen to donate his lifes work to the center, said Don Carleton, executive director of the Briscoe Center. Little is known for his compelling portraits of notable people from all walks of life. Beyond the glamour of his celebrity images, however, lies a diverse range of subjects with a truly global perspective, which will provide rich material for future research.
Id be disingenuous if I said that watching 40 forty years of work march out the door wasnt bittersweet, said Little. During the four months of packing boxes, however, I had the chance to revisit assignments and storiesand tens of thousands of imageswhich were in many cases but vague memories. I had the personal pleasure of feeling that I had set out to accomplish what Id dreamed about as a child: to be the best photojournalist I could be. Now I have the added pleasure of being recognized for my work by an organization as distinguished and dedicated as the Briscoe Center. And should I be lucky enough that my images give a serious, young photojournalist the opportunity to learn something from me, I will be trebly pleased.
The donation of Littles archive was facilitated by Karen Gaines, the co-founder and executive director of the Photography Collections Preservation Project (PCPP). The PCPP, a nonprofit organization, serves as an advisor and consultant for photographers and helps identify the best institutional partners to ensure collections are properly placed and preserved. The PCPP also assisted with the placement of the John Dominis Photographic Archive at the Briscoe Center.
Christopher Littles lifelong dedication to image-making and his reputation for forming intimate, meaningful connections with his subjects is what makes this acquisition by the Briscoe Center that much more historic, said Gaines. Littles body of work is a wonderful example of the importance of preserving the endangered lifes work of some of the greatest photographers of the twentieth century. Placing such exceptional bodies of work in the best possible institutions is PCPPs reason for being.
Little was drawn to photojournalism from an early age. When he was in high school, he had an unpaid internship in the photo department of the New York Herald Tribune. His mentor there was the Pulitzer Prizewinning photographer Nat Fein. Little graduated from Yale with a B.A. in Psychology, but he found himself committed to photography. His coverage of Yales antiwar protests, student strikes, inner-city riots, and the New Haven murder trial of Black Panther Bobby Seale led to Newsweek giving him regular work. Those assignments resulted in his first major job, which was to photograph the Watergate hearings for Time magazine.
Over the years, the Connecticut-based photographer became known for his ability to charm and befriend his high-profile subjects. Little credits part of his success to the legendary picture editors he worked with, notably People magazines M. C. Marden. Little carried out more than 350 assignments for People magazine, which included portraits of American politicians, celebrities, and so-called ordinary people. His work has appeared in major publications and on more than 300 magazine and book covers.
Littles photography has been featured in critically acclaimed books, including Fallingwater; Racing Through ParadiseA Pacific Passage and Atlantic High with William F. Buckley Jr.; Twenty-five Years in Pictures: The Silver Jubilee of His Highness the Aga Khan; Architecture and Community, a survey of Islamic architecture with Renata Holod; and Elegant New York: The Builders and The Buildings, an architecture book with John Tauranac.
His photography has been shown in exhibitions at the Yale School of Art and Architecture, Boston Public Library, Nikon House, the International Center of Photography/Midtown, the Detroit Institute of Arts, the Dallas Museum of Art, and the National Museum of American History.