Alex Harris is a documentary photographer, author, and professor emeritus at the Center for Documentary Studies in Durham, North Carolina. The subjects in the over 600 black-and-white and color photographs that span his career include the landscapes and peoples of Alaska, the American South and New Mexico, and Cuba; they also include portraits of older reading volunteers and students in Philadelphia, students on strike at Yale University, counter-culture people at a Rainbow Gathering in Arizona, a boy tethered to electronic technology, elderly people living on their own; and the interior of author Reynolds Price's home. The gelatin silver and inkjet prints range in size from 8x10 inch reference prints to 24x36 inch exhibit prints. Harris's professional papers document his collaborations with other photographers and writers on books and exhibitions, including anthropologist Gertrude Duby Blom, naturalist E.O. Wilson, and South African photographers; they also cover his long career at Duke University, as teacher, author, and co-founder of the Center for Documentary Studies and its publication,
DoubleTake. In addition to the paper records, there are many recorded oral histories and interviews. Acquired as part of the Archive of Documentary Arts at Duke University.
The over 600 black-and-white and color photographs in the collection date from Harris's earliest photographic work as a graduate student at Yale University, to his more recent work documenting the American South. They are organized into the following series: The Last and First Eskimos; Southern Color; North Carolina; The Idea of Cuba; Game Boy; May Day, 1970: Yale on Strike; Red White Blue and God Bless You: A Portrait of Northern New Mexico; New Mexico in Black and White; River of Traps (New Mexico); Rainbow Gathering; Philadelphia Experience Corps; Old And On Their Own; Mobile, Alabama; and Dream of a House. The subjects range widely, and include the landscapes and peoples of Alaska, the American South and New Mexico, and Cuba; portraits of older reading volunteers and students in Philadelphia; students on strike at Yale University; counter-culture people at a Rainbow Gathering in Arizona; a boy tethered to electronic technology; elderly people living on their own in central North Carolina; and views of the art-filled interior of author Reynolds Price's home. The gelatin silver and inkjet prints range in size from 8x10 inch reference prints to 24x36 inch exhibit prints; for large prints there are smaller viewing copies to facilitate research access.
The remaining series house Harris's papers, which document his many collaborations with other photographers and writers, including noted photojournalist Gertrude Duby Blom and naturalist E.O. Wilson, and South Africa photographers; they also document his long career at Duke University, as a teacher, author, and co-founder of the Center for Documentary Studies (CDS) and its serial publication, DoubleTake magazine. The Publicity and Audiovisual Materials Series contains recordings of lectures as well as publicity for exhibits and publications. The Correspondence Series includes not only Harris's letters but also grant applications, research notes, drafts and proofs, print materials, and some photographs. The DoubleTake files consist mainly of materials generated during the planning stages and early years of the magazine's existence. Materials on Harris's extensive collaborations on other publications, documentary projects, and related exhibitions make up the large Project Files Series, which includes many oral histories and interviews related to his projects, mostly on cassette tapes (use copies must be made for access). The Teaching Materials Series comprises syllabi, student writings and slides, and other materials from classes taught by Harris mainly through the CDS at Duke University. Finally, the Proof Prints Series contains a small number of proof prints related to various projects.
Acquired as part of the Archive of Documentary Arts at Duke University.