W. Claudell "Claude" Johnson was a news photographer for Deseret News. As a young man, Johnson served a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints in Sweden in 1934 for eighteen months, which he completed in the Central States Mission. He then served in the United States Army as a second lieutenant in the 22nd Field Artillery, Medical Detachment, during World War II. An avid amateur photographer, Johnson served as the official photographer for the centennial re-enactment of the journey from Nauvoo to Salt Lake City by members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. This experience led Deseret News to hire Johnson as a staff photographer in 1947. Johnson worked for the organization for 33 years, during which he covered many events and people including: the Teton Dam flood in Idaho; presidents John F. Kennedy and Richard M. Nixon; and leaders of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. Claude Johnson died on September 22, 1996.
The Claude Johnson photograph collection contains 61 black-and-white negatives taken by Johnson in the 1970s of events that took place on the University of Utah campus in the 1970s. Subjects include: sports, theater, art at the campus museum, and students and guests outside the J. Willard Marriott Library.
Arranged by subject
Twenty-four hour advanced notice encouraged. Materials must be used on-site. Access to parts of this collection may be restricted under provisions of state or federal law.
It is the responsibility of the researcher to obtain any necessary copyright clearances.
Permission to publish material from the Claude Johnson photograph collection must be obtained from the Special Collections Manuscript Curator.
Donated by David Johnson in 2008.
Processed by Special Collections staff.