Robert Peterson photographs, approximately 1950-2015
Table of Contents
Overview of the Collection
- Creator
- Peterson, Bob (Photographer)
- Title
- Robert Peterson photographs
- Dates
- approximately 1950-2015 (inclusive)19502015
- Quantity
- 58.85 cubic feet, (50 boxes, including 1 minidvd, 5 d2s, and 55 cds, and 1 oversized folder)
- Collection Number
- PH2023-002
- Summary
- Photographs and personal papers of a photojournalist and commercial photographer
- Repository
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University of Washington Libraries, Special Collections
Special Collections
University of Washington Libraries
Box 352900
Seattle, WA
98195-2900
Telephone: 2065431929
Fax: 2065431931
speccoll@uw.edu - Access Restrictions
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Access to portions of the collection is restricted. Contact University of Washington Libraries Special Collections for details. Analog and digital media is closed until evaluated.
Some material stored offsite; advance notice required for use.
- Languages
- Collection materials are in English.
Biographical Note
Photographer Bob Peterson got his start taking pictures at age 12 when his father built him a darkroom in their Berkeley, California home. In high school he won an Eastman Kodak photo contest, and at age 15 he was already shooting sports for the Berkeley Daily Gazette. While still in his teens, he freelanced for TIME and SPORTS ILLUSTRATED. At 19, as a stringer for UPI, he covered Richard Nixon and John F. Kennedy when they campaigned in Seattle during the 1960 presidential election. Although sports photography was his first love, his priorities changed at 21, especially after interviewing with LIFE picture editor Dick Pollard.
Originally based in New York City, Peterson was assigned to cover many of the top news and feature stories as a contract photographer for LIFE and SPORTS ILLUSTRATED Magazines. He specialized in personality profiles of America's most interesting people. He spent time with some of the most notable individuals of the 20th Century, capturing personal moments in the lives of leaders, creatives, and cultural icons.
A longtime Seattle resident, Peterson studied sociology and graduated from the University of Washington (UW) in 1978. While a student, he worked for The Daily, the student newspaper.
After Peterson moved to his hometown of Seattle he continued to cover stories for the TIME/LIFE organization. When the weekly LIFE ceased to publish in 1972, Peterson focused on the advertising market. In photographing people, Peterson demonstrates his LIFE-trained talent for gaining cooperation from those around him, resulting in relaxed, natural, pleasing poses from his subjects -- whether they are high fashion models, busy executives or sports heroes. In 1976 he also published a book, Seattle Discovered, considered by many to be a classic work on the image and mood of a city. Edgewalking On Pacific Rim, an intimate portrait of twelve Northwest writers, was published in 1994. Peterson also expanded his resume to include television commercial directing.
Peterson's clients included virtually every significant Northwest advertising agency, many national agencies such as Wieden & Kennedy, and international agencies such as Saatchi & Saatchi, Hokuhodo, Inc.,as well as many major corporations. He captured many of the images used on the NIKE posters, including the first "There Is No Finish Line," the dedicated runner's classic. Michael Jordan, David Robinson and Charles Barkley are among some of the sports stars featured on other NIKE posters by Peterson.
Sources: https://fosterwhite.com/collections/bob-peterson-1 ; https://www.thirdplacebooks.com/event/bob-peterson-conversation-tony-angell ; https://magazine.washington.edu/feature/people-person-photographer-bob-petersons-lens-has-seen-it-all/ ; http://photographyinterviews.blogspot.com/2012/09/bob-peterson-old-school-pro-there-is_7.html
Content Description
Photographs, including prints, negatives, contact sheets, and slides, of current events and public figures from the career of a photojournalist and commercial photographer.
Use of the Collection
Restrictions on Use
To the extent that they own the copyright, the donor has transferred the copyright of the materials to the University of Washington; however, copyright in some items in this collection may be held by their respective creators. Users are responsible for researching copyright status before use.
Administrative Information
Return to TopDetailed Description of the Collection
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PH2023-002, Robert Peterson photographs, approximately 1950-2015
58.65 cubic feet, (49 boxes, including 1 minidvd, 5 d2s, and 55 cds, and 1 oversized folder)Gift of Lynn C. Peterson, July 2023
Photographs, including prints, negatives, contact sheets, and slides, of current events and public figures from the career of a photojournalist and commercial photographer. Also includes related materials such as posters, postcards, newspaper clippings, magazines, monographs, brochures, manuals, miscellaneous publications, correspondence, menus, and other ephemera.
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Description: Slides, negatives, contact sheets, prints, and publications
Slides, negatives, contact sheets, prints, and publications related to various subjects, primarily letter A-E.
Dates: 1960s-2000sContainer: Box PH2023-002 Box 1 -
Description: Slides, negatives, contact sheets, prints, and publications
Slides, negatives, contact sheets, prints, and publications related to various subjects, primarily letter A-O.
Dates: 1960s-2000sContainer: Box PH2023-002 Box 2 -
Description: Slides, negatives, contact sheets, prints, and publications
Slides, negatives, contact sheets, prints, and publications related to various subjects, primarily letter A-O.
Dates: 1960s-2000sContainer: Box PH2023-002 Box 3 -
Description: Mounted prints, prints, and publications
Prints of Victor and Robert Rosellini; personal prints; mounted Seattle Discovered prints; a marked-up cover draft for Seattle Discovered with accompanying publisher materials.
Dates: undatedContainer: Box PH2023-002 Box 4 -
Description: Slides, negatives, contact sheets, prints, and publications
Slides, negatives, contact sheets, prints, and publications related to various subjects, primarily letter G-O.
Dates: 1960s-2000sContainer: Box PH2023-002 Box 5 -
Description: Mounted prints and prints
Assorted prints and mounted prints from show with note "For Ed McDevitt, from Bob Peterson" and black-and-white prints labeled "Old Seattle Sports."
Dates: undatedContainer: Box PH2023-002 Box 6 -
Description: Slides, negatives, contact sheets, prints, and publications
Slides, negatives, contact sheets, prints, and publications related to various subjects, primarily letter L-R. Also includes copies of Sights of Seattle and black-and-white prints from the publication.
Dates: 1960s-2000sContainer: Box PH2023-002 Box 7 -
Description: Slides, negatives, contact sheets, and prints
Slides, negatives, contact sheets, and prints related to various subjects.
Dates: 1950s-1980sContainer: Box PH2023-002 Box 8 -
Description: Slides, negatives, contact sheets, and prints
Slides, negatives, contact sheets, and prints related to various subjects, primarily letter P-W.
Dates: 1960s-1980sContainer: Box PH2023-002 Box 9 -
Description: Slides, negatives, contact sheets, and prints
Slides, negatives, contact sheets, and prints related to various subjects, primarily letter P-Y.
Dates: 1970s-2000sContainer: Box PH2023-002 Box 10 -
Description: Negatives, contact sheets, and prints
Primarily negatives, corresponding to materials in Box 7, and also additional materials originally collected with materials in Boxes 10 and 11.
Dates: undatedContainer: Box PH2023-002 Box 11 -
Description: Slides, negatives, contact sheets, prints, and publications1 minidvd
Slides, negatives, contact sheets, prints, and publications related to various subjects. Also includes an instructional booklet and MiniDVD for a digital camera.
Dates: 1970s-1990sContainer: Box PH2023-002 Box 12 -
Description: Slides, negatives, contact sheets, prints, and correspondence
Slides, negatives, contact sheets, and prints related to various subjects. Also includes some correspondence between Peterson and clients.
Restricted
Dates: 1960s-2000sContainer: Box PH2023-002 Box 13 -
Description: Slides, negatives, contact sheets, prints, publications, and correspondence
Slides, negatives, contact sheets, prints, and publications related to various subjects. Also includes correspondence between Peterson and clients.
Restricted
Dates: 1950s-1990sContainer: Box PH2023-002 Box 14 -
Description: Slides, negatives, contact sheets, prints, and publications
Slides, negatives, contact sheets, prints, and publications related to various subjects.
Dates: 1960s-1970sContainer: Box PH2023-002 Box 15 -
Description: Publications, prints, mounted prints, contact sheets, and negatives
Mostly publications, including some of Peterson's work at LIFE magazine, and miscellaneous prints, contact sheets, and negatives.
Dates: 1960s-2000sContainer: Box PH2023-002 Box 16 -
Description: Slides, negatives, contact sheets, prints, and publications
Slides, negatives, contact sheets, prints, and publications related to various subjects.
Restricted
Dates: 1950s-2000sContainer: Box PH2023-002 Box 17 -
Description: Prints and posters
Mostly prints related to Guy Anderson that correspond to additional materials in Box 49. Also some posters of various subjects.
Dates: undatedContainer: Box PH2023-002 Box OS Folder 1 -
Description: Negatives, contact sheets, prints, and publications
Negatives, contact sheets, and prints of various subjects. Also includes copies of Seattle Discovered with corresponding materials.
Restricted
Dates: undatedContainer: Box PH2023-002 Box 18 -
Description: Slides, negatives, contact sheets, and prints
Slides, negatives, contact sheets, and prints related to various subjects, primarily letter S. Also includes prints, negatives, and contact sheets related to Seattle Discovered.
Dates: 1970s-1990sContainer: Box PH2023-002 Box 19 -
Description: Slides, negatives, contact sheets, prints, correspondence, notes, and publications
Continuation of Box 19 slides, negatives, contact sheets, and prints related to various subjects, primarily letter S. Also includes miscellaneous commercial and personal materials.
Dates: 1960s-2010sContainer: Box PH2023-002 Box 20 -
Description: Slides, negatives, contact sheets, prints, notes, and publications
Slides, negatives, contact sheets, prints, notes, and publications organized by U.S. state.
Dates: undatedContainer: Box PH2023-002 Box 21 -
Description: Slides, negatives, contact sheets, prints, notes, and publications
Slides, negatives, contact sheets, prints, notes, and publications related to various subjects. Includes some continuation of U.S. state materials from Box 21.
Dates: 1960s-2000sContainer: Box PH2023-002 Box 22 -
Description: Slides, CDs, and D2s18 cds, 5 d2s
Slides, 18 CDs, and 5 D2s related to various subjects.
Dates: 1970s-1990sContainer: Box PH2023-002 Box 23 -
Description: Slides, negatives, contact sheets, prints, posters, drawings, and publications
Slides, negatives, contact sheets, prints, and publications related to various subjects, primarily from the 1960s. Also includes some posters, and previously framed drawings and restaurant menus.
Dates: 1960s-1990sContainer: Box PH2023-002 Box 24 -
Description: Slides, negatives, contact sheets, prints, and CDs30 cds
Continuation of Box 24 slides, negatives, contact sheets, and prints related to various subjects, primarily from the 1960s. Also includes 30 CDs in a continuation of Box 24. Additionally includes miscellaneous prints and sides.
Dates: 1960s-2000sContainer: Box PH2023-002 Box 25 -
Description: Slides, negatives, contact sheets, prints, CDs, correspondence, and ephemera1 cd
Slides, negatives, contact sheets, prints, correspondence and ephemera related to various subjects. Also includes 1 CD.
Dates: approximately 1990sContainer: Box PH2023-002 Box 26 -
Description: Slides, negatives, contact sheets, prints, notes, correspondence, and publications
Slides, negatives, contact sheets, prints, notes, correspondence, and publications related to various subjects, primarily letter S-Z. Also includes Peterson's slides and speech notes from a 2001 presentation to the American Society of Media Photographers.
Dates: undatedContainer: Box PH2023-002 Box 27 -
Description: Slides, negatives, contact sheets, prints, publications, and newspaper clippings
Slides, negatives, contact sheets, prints, publications, and newspaper clippings related to various subjects. Also includes continuation of both "Norm Dicks" and "Vicki, Nicky, Jeff" materials from Box 27. Mostly prints.
Dates: undatedContainer: Box PH2023-002 Box 28 -
Description: Slides, negatives, contact sheets, prints, notes, correspondence, and ephemera
Slides, negatives, contact sheets, prints, notes, correspondence, and ephemera related to various subjects.
Dates: 1980s-2000sContainer: Box PH2023-002 Box 29 -
Description: Slides, negatives, contact sheets, prints, and newspaper clippings
Slides, negatives, contact sheets, prints, and newspaper clippings related to various subjects.
Dates: 1970s-2000sContainer: Box PH2023-002 Box 30 -
Description: Slides, negatives, contact sheets, prints, brochures, correspondence, and publications
Slides, negatives, contact sheets, prints, brochures, correspondence, and publications related to various subjects, but primarily Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center and the Seattle Sounders.
Dates: 1990s-2000sContainer: Box PH2023-002 Box 31 -
Description: Slides, negatives, contact sheets, prints, brochures, correspondence, and CDs1 cd
Slides, negatives, contact sheets, prints, brochures, correspondence related to various subjects. Also includes 1 CD.
Dates: 1960s-2000sContainer: Box PH2023-002 Box 32 -
Description: Slides, negatives, contact sheets, prints, notes, and CDs5 cds
Slides, negatives, contact sheets, prints, and notes related to various subjects, primarily from the 1990s and 2000s. Also includes 5 CDs.
Restricted
Dates: 1990s-2000sContainer: Box PH2023-002 Box 33 -
Description: Slides, negatives, contact sheets, prints, clippings, and publications
Slides, negatives, contact sheets, prints, clippings, and publications related to various subjects.
Dates: undatedContainer: Box PH2023-002 Box 34 -
Description: Slides, negatives, contact sheets, and prints
Mostly prints of various subjects.
Dates: undatedContainer: Box PH2023-002 Box 35 -
Description: Slides, negatives, and contact sheets
Mostly slides of various subjects, but also includes slides, negatives, and contact sheets related to Peterson's work for LIFE magazine, subjects I-M.
Dates: undatedContainer: Box PH2023-002 Box 36 -
Description: Slides, negatives, contact sheets, and prints
Mostly Slides, negatives, and contact sheets related to Peterson's work for LIFE magazine, subjects A-C. Also includes material related to the Seattle Supersonics.
Dates: 1960s-1970sContainer: Box PH2023-002 Box 37 -
Description: Slides, negatives, contact sheets, and prints
Slides, negatives, and contact sheets related to Peterson's work for LIFE magazine, subjects N-Z. Also includes continuation of Seattle Supersonics material from Box 37.
Dates: 1960s-1980sContainer: Box PH2023-002 Box 38 -
Description: Slides, negatives, contact sheets, and prints
Mostly miscellaneous negatives from the 1970s. Also includes continuation of Seattle Supersonics material from Boxes 37 and 38.
Dates: 1960s-1980sContainer: Box PH2023-002 Box 39 -
Description: Slides, negatives, contact sheets, and prints
Peterson's work for various magazines including SPORTS ILLUSTRATED and PEOPLE. Also includes continuation of negatives from Box 39.
Dates: 1960s-1980sContainer: Box PH2023-002 Box 40 -
Description: Slides, negatives, contact sheets, and prints
Mostly miscellaneous negatives from the 1980s. Also includes slides, negatives, contact sheets, and prints related to various subjects.
Dates: 1970s-1990sContainer: Box PH2023-002 Box 41 -
Description: Slides, negatives, contact sheets, prints, publications, and correspondence
Continuation of miscellaneous negatives from Box 41. Also includes slides, negatives, contact sheets, prints, publications, and correspondence related to various subjects. Also includes Peterson's work for LIFE magazine, mostly contact sheets and negatives, subjects C.
Dates: 1960s-1980sContainer: Box PH2023-002 Box 42 -
Description: Slides, negatives, contact sheets
Slides, negatives, and contact sheets for both SPORTS ILLUSTRATED and LIFE, subjects D-H.
Dates: 1960s-1970sContainer: Box PH2023-002 Box 43 -
Description: Slides, negatives, contact sheets, publications, and correspondence
Slides, negatives, and contact sheets for SPORTS ILLUSTRATED. Also includes miscellaneous material for PEOPLE magazine.
Dates: 1960s-1980sContainer: Box PH2023-002 Box 44 -
Description: Slides, negatives, contact sheets, prints, postcards, menus, and correspondence
Slides, negatives, contact sheets, prints, postcards, menus, and correspondence related to the Rossellini family and their restaurants. Also includes slides, negatives, and contact sheets for SPORTS ILLUSTRATED and miscellaneous negatives from the 1960s.
Dates: 1960s-1970sContainer: Box PH2023-002 Box 45 -
Description: Negatives and slides
Mostly negatives related to various subjects.
Dates: 1950s-1960sContainer: Box PH2023-002 Box 46 -
Description: Slides, negatives, contact sheets, prints, brochures, and posters
Slides, negatives, contact sheets, prints, brochures, and posters related to various subjects.
Restricted
Dates: undatedContainer: Box PH2023-002 Box 47 -
Description: Prints, publications, and posters
Mostly prints related to various subjects, particularly sports advertising. Also includes prints, publications, and posters related to various subjects.
Dates: undatedContainer: Box PH2023-002 Box 48 -
Description: Prints, newspaper clippings, and publications
Prints, newspaper clippings, and publications related to various subjects.
Dates: undatedContainer: Box PH2023-002 Box 49
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PH1685-002, Robert Peterson photographs of Pike Place Market, 1965-1986
0.2 cubic feet, (1 box)Photographic prints (B/W) of Pike Place Market in 1965 and color slides of the same location in 1971. There is also one BA Campaign Headshot contact sheet from June, 1986.
Gift of Lynn C. Peterson, 2023-07-26. Additional materials donated 2024-01-29.
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Description: Robert Peterson photographs of Pike Place Market0.21 cubic feet (1 box)
Negatives, contact sheets, original negative sleeves, and black and white prints of Pike Place Market, taken in January, 1965, as well as a copy of the March 1965 issue of Seattle Magazine in which several of Peterson's Pike Place Market photographs were published. There are also color slides of the market, taken by Peterson around 1971. There is also one BA Campaign Headshot contact sheet from June, 1986.
A note written on the original box that housed the black and white prints reads "Normal contrast with cold light"
Dates: 1965-1986Container: Box PH1685-002 Box 1
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Names and SubjectsReturn to Top
Subject Terms
- Visual Materials Collections (University of Washington)
