Manuscript Division Jack Delano Papers

Jack Delano Papers

Collection

Identifier: MSS84274

Scope and Content Note

The papers of Jack Delano (1914-1997) span the years 1927-1995, with the bulk of the items concentrated in the period 1941-1943. From 1939 to 1943, Delano worked as a photographer first for the Farm Security Administration and then for the Office of War Information under the direction of Roy Emerson Stryker. His photographs depicted the Great Depression and documented the railroad industry from Chicago, Illinois, to New Mexico, life in Puerto Rico and the United States Virgin Islands, Acadian farmers in Maine, and the American South, particularly Greene County, Georgia. Delano was often accompanied on these trips by his wife, Irene Delano. Most photographs from the collection are housed in the Prints and Photographs Division, but his notebooks and caption books are contained in these papers. Of interest also is correspondence concerning Delano's photography, an oral history interview conducted by the Archives of American Art, and material related to Elizabeth Kenny.

Dates

Creation: 1927-1995
Creation: Majority of material found within 1941-1943

Language of Materials

Collection material in English

Access and Restrictions

The papers of Jack Delano are open to research. Researchers are advised to contact the Manuscript Reading Room prior to visiting. Many collections are stored off-site and advance notice is needed to retrieve these items for research use.

Copyright Status

Copyright in the unpublished writings of Jack Delano in these papers and in other collections in the custody of the Library of Congress is reserved. Consult a reference librarian in the Manuscript Division for further information.

Biographical Note

1914, Aug. 1: Born Jacob Ovcharov, Kiev, Ukraine
circa 1922: Immigrated to the United States
1939: Married Irene Clara Esser
1939 - 1942: Photographer, Farm Security Administration
1942 - 1943: Photographer, Office of War Information
1944 - 1946: Military photographer, United States Army
1946: Moved to Puerto Rico
1997, Aug. 12: Died, Puerto Rico

Extent

700 items
6 containers
1 oversize
2.4 linear feet

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Additional Description

Abstract

Photographer and illustrator. Correspondence, notebooks, caption books, and an oral history interview relating to Delano as a photographer for the Farm Security Administration and the Office of War Information. Also material related to Elizabeth Kenny.

Arrangement of the Papers

This collection is arranged in a personal file and a professional file and therein alphabetically by topic or type of material.

Catalog Record

https://lccn.loc.gov/mm98084274

Acquisition Information

The papers of Jack Delano, photographer and illustrator, were given to the Library of Congress by Delano in 1996 and transferred from the Prints and Photographs Division to the Manuscript Division in 1998.

Transfers

Some photographs were retained by the Prints and Photographs Division.

Processing History

The papers of Jack Delano were arranged and described by Melinda K. Friend in 1999. The register was revised in 2007. The finding aid was updated in 2023 by Maria Farmer as part of a division-wide remediation project by the Inclusive Description Working Group.