Jane Reece Photographic Collection

The collection is arranged into two series consisting of negatives and a small amount of supporting materials.

Series I: Negatives, 1903-1944, is the bulk of the collection, consisting of nearly 10,000 negatives, of which 5346 are glass plates, and over 4000 are cellulose nitrate and acetate film negatives. Sizes range from 3”x5”, 4”x5”, 6 ½”x8 ½”, and 8”x10”. Numerous negatives exhibit Reece’s retouching by hand.

The negatives are roughly divided into two portions: the portraits by which Reece made her living; and the creative photographs of her salon. Jane Reece photographed many recognizable names in Dayton’s history, including Milton and Katharine Wright (father and sister of the Wright Brothers), Paul Katz (founder and long-time conductor of the Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra) and his wife Phyllis, Josephine and Hermene Schwarz (founders of the Dayton Ballet), and hundreds of other individuals from the area. Reece also photographed visitors to the area, including the poet Robert Frost.

A card file index created by the collection processor, is maintained with the collection, and the data has also been entered into a Microsoft Access database. Information in the database includes: type of negative and dimensions, portrait description, date, notes, and Dayton Art Institute information.

Series II: Supporting Materials, 1903-1978 (bulk 1903-1928) is a small series of materials housed separately from the negatives during the original processing of the collection. The materials are arranged into five small subseries.

Subseries IIA: Autochrome Reference Negatives and Prints, are of autochromes created by Jane Reece. Autochromes are an early color photographic process using glass plates, which was patented in 1903. The original autochromes from which the reference negatives and prints in this series were made, are physically located at the Dayton Art Institute.

Series IIB: Studio Registers, 1903-1939, are photocopies of Jane Reece’s own record of her studio work. Entry headings include the date ordered and the negative number assigned by Jane Reece. The studio registers also include the client’s address, the number of prints ordered, the kind of prints ordered (specifying size and tone), amount charged, amount paid, balance paid, date promised, date delivered, and remarks. Not all columns are filled in for each entry.

Subseries IIC: Proofs and Items from Negative Boxes, 1913-1919, Undated, contains a limited number of very dark proof prints dating from 1913-1915. In addition, this series includes materials found in two negative boxes. These items include addressed envelopes, notes on scrap paper, clippings on photography, and studio forms.

Subseries IID: Prints and Publications Referencing Jane Reece, 1952-1963, 1978, contains negatives and prints taken by photographer Richard Fullerton of Jane Reece, the renovation of her home and photography studio, and the Jane Reece Park. The majority of these negatives and prints can also be found in MS-185 Jane Reece / Richard Fullerton Collection. Also included in this series are photocopies of articles on or referencing Jane Reece’s work, as well as two exhibition catalogs of Reece’s work, a few photography pamphlets owned by Reece, and Reece’s obituary.

Subseries IIE: Original Photographic Supply Boxes and Blank Plates, contains six empty boxes originally containing sensitized glass plates, acetate film, or photographic paper by major photographic suppliers. Also included in this series are blank glass plates.