Collection Summary

Title
Betty Jean Curtis Photograph Collection

Dates
1974-1976

Collection ID
SCRC 102

Creator
Curtis, Betty Jean

Quantity
1.6 linear feet (5 boxes, 3 map case folders)

Repository
Special Collections Research Center, Temple University Libraries

Language
Materials in English.
           
 

Detailed Collection Information

Biographical Note
Betty Jean Curtis (born 1952) was a photographer and student at Moore College of Art and Design in Philadelphia from 1973 to 1977. From about 1974 to 1976, she photographed people and scenes in the Fairmount neighborhood of Philadelphia as well as Eastern State Penitentiary.

Description of Collection
This collection includes black and white photographs and negatives taken by Betty Jean Curtis between 1974 and 1976. The images are of “Fairmount Prison” (Eastern State Penitentiary), portraits of people living in Philadelphia’s Fairmount neighborhood, and of streets and buildings in Fairmount. Additionally, there is a series of “collage” photographs in which Curtis combined images to create a single composition. The photographs and negatives are of various sizes. Some of the images depict use of illegal substances and male nudity.

 

Patron Information

Catalog Record
A record for this collection is available in Temple University’s online library catalog: https://librarysearch.temple.edu/catalog/991037522309703811

Research Access
Collection is open for research. Two folders are restricted until 2026 to protect third-party privacy. The images depict use of illegal substances and male nudity, and are in box 1, folder 15, and box 5, folder 3.

Collections Stored Off-Site
This collection may be housed off-site at the Library Depository, and require up to two business days to retrieve. Please review the finding aid and be prepared to identify specific materials to be retrieved. Contact the Special Collections Research Center in advance of your visit, so that materials may be relocated to the reading room for research.

Publication and Copyright Information
The Betty Jean Curtis Photograph Collection is the physical and intellectual property of the Special Collections Research Center, Temple University Libraries. Researchers are responsible for determining the identity of rights holders and obtaining their permission for publication and for other purposes where stated.

Preferred Citation
[Description and date of item], [Box/folder number], Betty Jean Curtis Photograph Collection, SCRC 102, Special Collections Research Center, Temple University Libraries, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Related Material
Fairmount Prison (Eastern State Penitentiary) (1977-48-5), photograph series. Prints, Drawings, and Photographs, Philadelphia Museum of Art, Philadelphia, Pa.

Administrative Information

Acquisition Information
Donated by Betty Jean Curtis, 2014.

Processing Information
Collection processed and finding aid prepared in January 2015 by Courtney Smerz, Collection Management Archivist, with assistance from Patrick Stalter, Student Worker.

                       
Index Terms

The following headings have been used to index the description of this collection in Temple University’s electronic catalog:

Personal/Family Names:
Curtis, Betty Jean

Subjects:
Prisons

Corporate Names:
Eastern State Penitentiary of Pennsylvania
State Penitentiary for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania

Places:
Fairmount (Philadelphia, Pa.)
Philadelphia (Pa.)

Material Types:
35mm
Negatives
Photographs