P0374 Mac Mizuki Photography Studio Collection Guide to the Mac Mizuki Photography Studio Collection. P0374 EAD by Lauren Sallwasser using ArchivesSpace. Missouri Historical Society, Photographs and Prints Department 2017 Library and Research Center 225 South Skinker Boulevard St. Louis, MO 63105 photo@mohistory.org URL: This finding aid was produced using ArchivesSpace on 2018-09-27 06:25:07 -0500 . English Describing Archives: A Content Standard English Missouri Historical Society, Photographs and Prints Department Mac Mizuki Photography Studio Collection Mizuki, Henry T., 1919- P0374 29 Linear Feet (78 boxes; 45,787 images) 1953 - 1989 Safety Film Negative, Acetate ; Safety Film Negative, Polyester ; Film transparency ; Photographic print, BW ; Photographic print, Color Processing Information Processed by Lauren Pey, 2014. Accrual processed by Lauren Pey, 2015. Immediate Source of Acquisition Collection was donated by Henry T. Mizuki in 1993 and 2015. Biographical / Historical Henry T. Mizuki operated an independent commercial photography studio, Mac Mizuki -Photography, in St. Louis from approximately 1953-1986. He specialized in architectural photography, as well as industrial photography, product shots for advertisements, and portraits. Mizuki was born in Parlier, California in 1919. His interest in photography began as a child, but he did not seriously consider a career as a photographer until after World War II. He began his career by studying at the Brooks Institute of Photography in Santa Barbara. After graduating from Brooks, he studied color photography and printing at the House of Photography in Wichita, Kansas and then moved to St. Louis to work for a color printing company. About 1953, he left this job to pursue freelance photography, opening his own studio under the name Mac Mizuki - Photography. Mizuki operated this studio until his retirement at the age of 67 in 1986. Throughout his career, Mizuki worked with a variety of architects, builders, and engineers in the St. Louis region. Although he did not intend to specialize in architectural photography, early clients such as architects Hellmuth, Obata & Kassabaum and developers Fisher & Frichtel provided word of mouth references to others in their fields, and his client list in this area quickly grew. While architectural photography became his specialty, Mizuki also photographed industrial facilities and products; merchandise and posed shots for advertisements; and individual and group portraits. Mizuki’s one venture away from freelancing came in 1965, when he briefly worked for the commercial art studio Centaur Studios. He did not remain with the company long, as he disliked the strong corporate environment and missed the independence of freelancing. However, he did continue with minimal independent work during this period, honoring commitments to several long-term clients while working for Centaur. Scope and Contents This collection contains material created by Henry T. (Mac) Mizuki in the course of operating his independent photography studio, Mac Mizuki - Photography. The bulk of the collection consists of negatives, although some associated prints and documents are also included. Material from each job assignment was stored together in a single job file, usually including detailed information about the date, client, and subject. Mizuki opened his studio around 1953 and remained in business until his retirement in 1986. Two jobs dated 1987 and 1989 were taken for long-standing clients and may have occurred after Mizuki's official retirement. Mizuki specialized in architectural photography, although the collection also includes industrial photography, product shots taken for advertisements, and portraits of individuals and groups. Much of the collection documents the post-war development and expansion of St. Louis suburbs, especially in North County, West County, and the mid-County area. Images show exterior and interior views of homes, churches, elementary schools, high schools, libraries, department stores, shopping malls, and office buildings. Many of these buildings were designed by architects working in the Modern and Mid-Century Modern styles. Also included are progress photographs documenting the construction of Lambert Airport. Some development within the City of St. Louis is also shown, most notably the construction of the Pruitt-Igoe housing project; interior and exterior views of Pruitt-Igoe, Darst, and Cochran Gardens; and offices and other buildings along Lindell Boulevard. Later images show St. Louis urban renewal projects in areas such as Kingsbury Square, Laclede's Landing, and Lafayette Towne. Mizuki also worked frequently with Smith & Brennan Pile Company to document drilling and pile driving at construction sites throughout St. Louis City and County. Mizuki's clients included prominent St. Louis-based architects such as Hellmuth, Obata & Kassabaum (HOK); Murphy & Mackey; Russell, Mullgardt, Schwarz & Van Hoefen; Smith & Entzeroth; William B. Ittner, Inc.; Ittner & Bowersox; and Eugene J. Mackey, III. The collection also features images showing industrial facilities and workers, product shots for advertisements, and portraits of various individuals and groups. Industrial views show interior and exterior views of facilities such factories, ship yards, and printing plants. Images often show both factory and office employees at work. Companies featured include the Lewis-Howe Company, Inmont Corporation, St. Louis Ship, and Eden Publishing House. Product shots show various products, often arranged against a blank backdrop. Products vary widely and include merchandise from Boyd's and Wagner Electric. Portraits include head shots for IDs and passports, as well as candid shots and posed group portraits. Some individuals are identified, while others are not. A small clippings file is also present in the collection and contains magazine, newspaper, and other clippings collected by Mizuki to document his published work. Mizuki's clippings file was maintained separately from his job files, and most clippings have not been linked to a specific job. However, it was possible to match certain clippings with their associated job, and notes have been made in the appropriate job records. Clippings have been arranged in the following series, loosely based on the categories established by Mizuki: Advertisement Clippings, featuring advertisements ripped from magazines and newspapers, as well as ad layouts prior to publication; Architectural Clippings, highlighting individual buildings and specific architectural features; Miscellaneous Clippings, including the St. Louis Priory School Journal from December 1963; and P.R./Promotional Clippings, featuring promotional articles for companies and individuals, as well as announcements for openings of schools, offices, and stores. Arrangement Photographer Henry T. (Mac) Mizuki stored all material from a photo shoot together as a single job file, usually including detailed information regarding the date, client, and subject. Material in the collection is arranged according to the job number assigned by Mizuki. Job numbers were assigned in three distinct groups, although all maintain a general chronological order across the collection. For jobs with no number, the Missouri History Museum assigned a number based on date of creation and filed the job in chronological order. Material in each job has been separated and is stored according to physical format. The first group of jobs represents the bulk of the collection. These jobs were assigned a sequential number from 376 through 4781 and cover the period 1953-1976. An exception to this system occurs in 1965, when job numbers begin with a variation of the prefix “Centaur 65” and range from 05 through 30. This prefix indicates that the job assignment took place while Mizuki was working for Centaur Studios, although these jobs were done independently of any work done for Centaur Studios. Chronological order for these jobs has been maintained, and they can be found filed sequentially between jobs 3038 and 3052. Mizuki's final numbering system was implemented in September 1976, and it assigns numbers based on the date of creation. This system begins with job 760905, which is filed after jobs 4781 [last job in previous system] and 19760825 [MHM assigned number]. A separate catalog record has been created for each job, as well as for any images that have been digitized. Catalog records give a brief description of the job or image, as well as any associated subjects, people, or places. Image-level records also include a preview of the scanned image. Each record has been assigned an identification number unique to that job or image, consisting of the following parts: collection number (P0374); job number; unique image number (image records only); and a format code (image records only), ex: P0374-00376 (job) and P0374-00376-02-4a (image). Full catalog records for all jobs and all currently digitized and cataloged images can be searched via the Cross Collections Search on the Missouri History Museum website, available here: http://collections.mohistory.org/resource/140133 . An accrual to the collection was donated in 2015. This material has been filed separately from the first donation, but the arrangement follows the above plan. Material in the accrual represents both new jobs and jobs previously cataloged in the first donation. The collection also includes a small clippings file, which has been divided into the following series: Advertisement Clippings, Architectural Clippings, Miscellaneous Clippings, and P.R./Promotional Clippings. Advertisement Clippings have been arranged by company, while all other series are arranged by date. For undated clippings, associated job files were used to estimate the date. Clippings whose date could not be estimated were placed at the end of the series. Conditions Governing Access The collection is open for research use. Conditions Governing Use Images of individuals without a model release cannot be used for advertising or commercial purposes until fifty years after date of creation. Copyrights to all images taken by Henery T. Mizuki before 1976 are owned by the clients. Copyrights to all images taken by Henry T. Mizuki during or after 1976 have been transferred to the Missouri History Museum. Any use of images must be credited "Mac Mizuki - Photography/Missouri History Museum". Existence and Location of Copies Digital copies of select images can be accessed via the Cross-Collections Search on the Missouri History Museum website ( http://collections.mohistory.org/resource/140133 ). Digitized images were scanned from original negatives or film transparencies and were color-corrected as needed. Master files were saved in TIF format and JPEG viewing files were automatically generated from the master files. Preferred Citation Mac Mizuki - Photography/Missouri History Museum, St. Louis Physical Characteristics and Technical Requirements There are no physical restrictions or technical requirements. Additional Indexes See PDF finding aid for full job index: http://mohistory.org/files/general/file_upload/MizukiFindingAid.pdf . Advertising -- Missouri -- Saint Louis Architectural photography Midcentury modern (Architecture) Modern movement (Architecture) Photographers -- Missouri -- Saint Louis Photography, Industrial Portrait Photographs Eugene J. Mackey & Associates Hellmuth, Obata & Kassabaum Inmont Corporation Russell Mullgardt Schwarz Van Hoefen Smith & Brennan Pile Company Smith & Entzeroth Southwestern Bell Telephone Company Stix, Baer and Fuller William B. Ittner, Inc. Batz-Hodgson-Neuwoehner, Inc.