Collection Information
Size: 8.8 Linear feet
Summary: The papers of photographer and curator Mary Swift measure 8.8 linear feet and date from 1973-2004. The bulk of the collection contains photographs that Swift took while working for the Washington Review . The images consist of photographs, contact sheets, and negatives, along with 3 photograph albums of artists and art events in Washington, D.C. Also included are some personal papers; two video recordings of art events in Washington, D.C.; research material and a manuscript from Swift's M.A. thesis "Howard William Mehring, 1931-1978: Washington Color Painter" from George Washington University; and 107 sound recordings and two VHS videocassette tapes of interviews conducted by Swift, radio programs and panel discussions.
Biographical/Historical Note
Mary Swift (1929-2022) was a photographer and curator in Washington, D.C. She received her B.A. from Vassar College in 1950 with a major in English History. Swift then moved to London for her husband's work, and did not return to the United States until the 1960s. She received her M.A. from Catholic University's Speech and Drama Department in 1968, and an M.A. in Art History from George Washington University in 1978.
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Provenance
This collection was donated in three installments in 2016, 2018 and 2023 by Mary Swift via her children, Isabel Swift Byron and William Swift.
Language Note
English .
Funding Note
The processing of this collection received Federal support from the Smithsonian Collections Care and Preservation Fund, administered by the National Collections Program and the Smithsonian Collections Advisory Committee.