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Guide to the Jeffrey Kliman Photographs, 1942-2014, AIS.2023.18

Arrangement

Repository
ULS Archives & Special Collections
Title
Jeffrey Kliman Photographs
Collection Number
AIS.2023.18
Extent
12 Linear Feet
Date
1942-2014
Abstract
Jeffrey Kliman (b.1942) is a jazz photographer based in Baltimore, Maryland. After spending his early career working in advertising as a producer Kliman began photographing rock musicians at night where his photography appeared in magazines including Rolling Stone and Zygote. Between 1986 and 2012 Kliman began photographing jazz fulltime, becoming a significant figure in the documentation of jazz. During his career, Kliman captured notable and upcoming artists for major jazz magazines including JazzTimes, produced cover and session photographs for record labels, and photographed numerous performances at jazz festivals, clubs, and concerts at the John F. Kenndey Center for Performing Arts. The collection includes negative strips, contact sheets, prints, slides, posters, CD covers, festival and concert programs all related to Kliman's photographs. It also includes various ephemera, letters, and objects relating to Kliman work and business.
Language
The material in this collection is in English
Publisher
ULS Archives & Special Collections
Address
University of Pittsburgh Library System
Archives & Special Collections
Website: library.pitt.edu/archives-special-collections
Business Number: 412-648-3232 (Thomas) | 412-648-8190 (Hillman)
Contact Us: www.library.pitt.edu/ask-archivist
URL: http://library.pitt.edu/archives-special-collections

Processing Information

This collection was processed by Miriam Meislik and Lukas Elisii on September 2023.

Acquisition Information

Jeffrey Kliman in July 2023.

Biographical / Historical

Jeffrey Kliman was born in Everett Massachusetts on March 5, 1942, to Harry Kliman and Jannette Harris. Throughout high school, Kliman would spend much of his time listening to a variety of different musical genres but had a special interest in Rhythm and Blues. He would often listen to the Symphony Sid radio show after school and was even a part of a four-man signing group known as "The Del Chords" with three of his close friends. In 1956 Kliman got a job at a record store and was introduced to jazz by his manager who would often send Kliman home with records by famous jazz musicians like Charles Mingus, Duke Ellington, and Gerry Mulligan initiating a life-long appreciation of the genre. After graduating from Boston University's Communication School, Kliman left for New York City in 1964 to begin his career in television production and advertising. In 1965, with a borrowed camera, he began working as a freelance photographer, shooting musicians during their performances at the Filmore East for various rock magazines like Rolling Stones and Zygote. Kliman kept this routine for the next 20 years until moving to Baltimore, Maryland and embarking on a new adventure to photograph jazz musicians full time.

Kliman was frequently published and, in 1994, he co-curated an exhibition with Herman Leonard. At this show, Kliman was asked by archivist Scott Schwartz from the Smithsonian's Museum of American History if he would be interested in starting an archive of his work; to which Kliman agreed.

Kliman would spend the rest of his career freelancing for jazz magazines including JazzTimes as well as photographing jazz musicians at festivals, clubs, and performances all over the country in rehearsals and sound checks where he could witness the process of making music take place.

Scope and Contents

The Jeffrey Kliman Photographs document the jazz scene in cities like Baltimore, Washington DC, New York, and New Orleans during the late 1980s to the early 2000s. The collection consists of over 52,000 negatives, 3,000 35mm slides, 2,300 photographic prints and proofs of varying sizes both mounted and unmounted, 1,000 contact sheets, and other jazz-related ephemera which capture behind the scenes views and festivals held over many years like the Mary Lou Williams Women in Jazz Festival at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, the Chambers Jazz Society concerts, JazzTimes conventions, and more. Additionally, ephemera, letters, correspondence, and samples of works incorporating his photography including performance programs and CD booklets, personal notebooks, as well as passes and IDs for festivals are also included.

Preferred Citation

Jeffrey Kliman Photographs, 1942-2014, AIS.2023.18, Archives & Special Collections, University of Pittsburgh Library System

Copyright

All rights reserved. University of Pittsburgh.

Access Restrictions

No restrictions.

Container List

Non-Jazz Photographic Prints, 1970

Scope and Contents

Mounted photographic prints and one oversized contact print of rock musicians Frank Zappa, Johnny Winter, Rahsann Roland Kirk, Larry Coryell, Bobby "Blue" Bland, Tony Williams, B. B. King, Randy Joe Hobbs, Big Mama Thornton.

Series II. Oversized Framed and Matted Prints
Containers
box 32-35