12/9/137 Guide to the David M Nolan Photographs and Personal Papers Nolan, David M. Photographs and Personal Papers Finding Aid Authors: Nolan Vallier.

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236 Harding Band Building 1103 South 6th Street Champaign, IL, 61820-6223 URL: https://archives.library.illinois.edu/sousa/ Email: schwrtzs@illinois.edu Phone: 217-244-93093 Fax: 217-244-8695
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Guide to the David M Nolan Photographs and Personal Papers The Sousa Archives and Center for American Music Overview of the Collection David M Nolan Photographs and Personal Papers 1978-2015 12/9/137 David M. Nolan, 1945 - 6.70 The Sousa Archives and Center for American Music
236 Harding Band Building 1103 South 6th Street Champaign, IL, 61820-6223 URL: https://archives.library.illinois.edu/sousa/ Email: schwrtzs@illinois.edu Phone: 217-244-93093 Fax: 217-244-8695
Biographical Information:

David M. Nolan was born in 1945 and has lived mainly in Danville, Illinois since 1977. From the age of 12, Nolan held an active interest in photography. At Southern Illinois University Nolan studied geography and design, but he supported his interests in photography as a student by working at the Buckminster Fuller Archive and by working semi-professionally as a wedding photographer. Nolan initially worked as a city planner for Decatur, Illinois, Warren, Ohio, and Danville, Illinois, but since the mid 1970s has worked at Danville Manor Nursing Home as a counselor for the mentally ill. In 1978, after taking courses with Orville Stokes, Nolan rekindled his interest in photography and began to shoot photographs professionally. He was initially impressed with Depression-era photographs and began modeling his own style of photographs on the work of photographer Walker Evans. Many of his photographs from the 1970s and 1980s are of people on the streets. His early professional work also centers around fine art and nudes, two subjects that continue to be at the core of his photography. In 1985, he received a grant from the Danville Area Arts Council to capture through film community life in Vermillion County, Illinois. Soon after completing this project, Nolan was accepted into a Minnesota-based workshop in 1987 that culminated in a project called the Iron Range Community Project. Soon after this he moved to Warren, Ohio to work as a city planner and to assist his father with his trucking company. In addition, while in Warren, Ohio Nolan set up his first darkroom and began filming blues musicians. Nolan continued to photograph blues musicians when he moved back to Danville, Illinois in the early 1990s. Since then Nolan has become a member of the Danville Art League and is a member of the board of directors at the Urbana Museum of Photography. At the request of an exhibitor in 2009, instead of presenting nude portraits Nolan branched out of photography into the realm of sculpture and exhibited a collection called "Altered Images. In 2014 Nolan began a mail art project which he called the "photo of the month" mailing.

Access Terms

This Collection is indexed under the following controlled access subject terms.

Topical Term: Danville, Illinois Photographs Photography Popular Music--Illinois--Urbana-Champaign Vermilion County, Illinois
Administrative Information Acquisition Information:

Gift

Accruals:

Accrual acquired January 22, 2015 from David Nolan, which includes photo of the month, personal archaeology exhibit brochure, and a newspaper clipping.

Arrangement of Materials:

Materials are arranged into two distinct series: Series 1. Photographs and Series 2. Personal Papers. The first series which highlights Nolan's professional career as a photographer are broken into seven distinct sub-series that highlight his professional interests and are arranged chronologically by subject area, the last of which contains numerous projects and photographs that were discarded in the previous projects, these include: sub-series 1. Fine Art, Nudes, and Nature Stills, 1978-2010; sub-series 2. Danville Manor Nursing Home, 1982-1990; sub-series 3. Illinois Arts Council Vermillion County Life Project, 1985-1988; sub-series 4. Iron Range Community Documentary Project, 1987-1988; sub-series 5. Urbana-Champaign Blues Concerts and Festivals, 1994-2000; sub-series 6. Contact Sheets, 1978-2010; and Photo of the Month, 2014-2016.

Scope and Contents

Consists of photographic prints, negatives, and press clippings documenting the work of photographer David M. Nolan of Danville, Illinois. Photographic subjects include blues performances in Champaign, Illinois, daily life in Danville and Vermilion County, Illinois, nature, still life, and human models.

Detailed List of Contents id176273 Photographs 1978-2015 Scope and Contents

This series encapsulates Nolan's career as a photographer and is arranged chronologically by project type.

id176274 Fine Art, Nudes, and Nature Stills ca. 1978-2010 Scope and Contents

This subseries includes human figure images and nature stills that have been filmed and edited using a variety of different methods and techniques. Some of these techniques include: black and white images, motion bluring, bracketing, kinetic photography, long exposure shots, multiple exposure shots, short focus shots, infra red photographs, hand colored photographs, mixed-media photographs (namely photographs with added copper and colored paper), and photographs printed on handcrafted paper. The nudes within this subseries reflect both Nolan's experiemental work with photography and his desire to portray a wide social landscape.

id176291 1 1 Matted Fine Art and Nudes ca. 1990s-2010 id176292 1 2 Matted Fine Art ca. 1990s-2010 id176293 1 3 Matted Fine Art and Nudes ca. 1989-2010 id176298 2 1 Matted Nudes undated id176299 2 2 Nudes and Fine Art ca. 1992 id176300 2 3 Matted Nudes ca. 1996 id176304 2 4 Matted Fine Art and Nudes undated id176306 3 1 Matted Nudes 1989-2010 id176307 3 2 Matted Fine Art and Nudes 1978-2010 id176310 3 3 Matted Fine Art and Nudes ca. 1989-1992 id176320 4 4 Matted Fine Art and Nature Stills ca. 1990-2010 id176321 4 5 Fine Art and Nature Stills ca. 1990-2010 id176309 10 1 People and Nudes ca. 1978-2010 id176311 10 2 Nature and Still Life Photographs ca. 1978-2010 id176354 12 19 Winter abstracts (ice on windows) negatives undated id176355 12 20 Infra Red Landscape negatives undated id176356 12 21 Wide angle negatives undated id176357 12 22 Landscape negatives undated
id176275 Danville Manor Nursing Home ca. 1982-1990 Scope and Contents

This subseries features images of residents at the Danville Manor Nursing home and events they participated in. The images in this subseries were never shown in a gallery, yet show Nolan's interests in documenting the social landscape of the nursing home.

id176295 5 1 Matted Danville Manor Nursing Home Photographs 1982, ca. 1980s id176296 5 2 Matted Danville Manor Nursing Home Photographs ca. 1980s id176335 11 8 Danville Manor Nursing Home Photographs id176359 12 23 Danville Manor contact sheets ca. 1982-1987 id176360 12 24 Danville Manor photo negatives 1982-1987
id176276 Illinois Arts Council Vermillion County Life Project 1985-1988 Scope and Contents

This subseries includes images relating to the Illinois Arts Council Vermillion County Life project, which was a documentary project that aimed to photograph the social landscape of Vermillion County. The series captures local events, customs, ceremonies, and parades as well as images of ordinary life, street images, images of farm life from mid 1980s. Certain images of interest within this subseries include photographs of Danville's reaction to the Iranian Hostage Crisis, two photographs of members of the Ku Klux Klan, and images of the Allerton Centenial Celebration.

id176282 6 1 Matted Vermillion County Life Photographs ca. 1985-1988 id176283 6 2 Matted Vermillion County Life Photographs ca. 1985-1987 id176285 7 1 Matted Vermillion County Life Photographs ca. 1985-1987 id176286 7 2 Matted Vermillion County Life Photographs ca. 1985-1987 id176288 8 1 Matted Vermillion County Life Photographs ca. 1985-1987 id176289 8 2 Matted Vermillion County Life Photographs ca. 1985-1987 id176313 10 3 Vermillion County Life Photographs 1985-1987 id176314 10 4 Vermillion County Life Photographs 1985-1987 id176315 10 5 Vermillion County Life Photographs 1985-1987 id176326 11 1 Vermillion County Life Photographs: David Nolan Portraits 1985-1987 id176328 11 2 Vermillion County Life Photographs: American Servicemen 1985-1987 id176329 11 3 Vermillion County Life Photographs: People on the Street 1985-1987 id176330 11 4 Vermillion County Life Photographs: Bars and Restaurants 1985-1987 id176331 11 5 Vermillion County Life Photographs: Ku Klux Klan and Protest 1985-1987 id176332 11 6 Vermillion County Life Photographs: Farming Life 1985-1987 id176333 11 7 Vermillion County Life Photographs: Parade 1985-1987 id176362 12 25 Iran Hostage Crisis Danville negatives ca. 1980 id176363 12 26 Turtle Races negatives 1985 id176364 12 27 Couple smiling by truck negatives 1985 id176365 12 28 Man in white hat negatives 1985 id176366 12 29 Bicentennial Tree, Oakwood, IL negatives 1985 id176367 12 30 Clowns and Ridge Farm negatives undated id176368 12 31 Patomic Horse Show negatives 1985 id176369 12 32 St. Patrick's Day, O'Leary's negatives 1986 id176370 12 33 Hoopston Halloween Parade negatives and contact sheets 1982 id176371 12 34 Skinner's Farm and Steam Days negatives undated id176372 12 35 Vermilion County Fair Queen negatives 1985 id176373 12 36 War Memorial negatives 1985 id176374 12 37 Horse trader negatives 1985 id176375 12 38 July 4, 1985 negatives 1985 id176376 12 39 Plastic cows negatives undated id176377 12 40 The Great Pumpkin and Save the Farmer negatives 1985 id176378 12 41 Psychic Fair and bean harvest negatives undated id176379 12 42 People in a wading pool negatives 1985 id176380 12 43 Allerton Centennial Parade negatives and contact sheets 1986 id176381 12 44 Alex at Rendezvous negatives 1988 id176382 12 45 Mr. Magic and Joyce K. and friends negatives undated id176383 12 46 People behind trees negatives undated id176384 12 47 Danville Street negatives undated id176385 12 48 Vermilion County Life photo negatives ca. 1984-1985
id176277 Iron Range Community Documentary Project 1987-1989 Scope and Contents

This Subseries includes photographic materials that Nolan submitted as an entry for the Iron Range Community Project, a community documentary project in Minnesota's Iron Range that included photography, visual art, and poetry from the region.

id176386 12 49 Iron Range Community Project submission 1987 id176388 12 50 Iron Range Project submission negatives 1987
id176278 Urbana-Champaign Blues Concerts and Festivals 1980-2000 Scope and Contents

This subseries includes blues artists performing in various locations near the Urbana-Champaign area, Danville, and Rantoul including the following named performers: Johnny "Clyde" Copeland, Anson Funderburgh and the Rockets, Sam Myers, Robert Lockwood Jr., James Cotton, Dave Weld, "Honeyboy" Edwards, Koko Taylor, Debbie Davis, Sleepy LaBeef, Little Ed and Dave, Duke Robillard, Sonny Rhoades, Saffire-Uppity Blues Women, Mighty Blue Kings, Keith and Kathy Harden, Susan Hoeffer, Carla Payton, Lonnie Brooks, Pinetop Perkins, Muddy Waters, Jimmy Rogers, Chubby Carrier, Eddie Snow Band, Chico Banks, Willie Smith, Junior Wells, Mighty Joe Young, Little Milton, Big Daddy Kinsey, and the Blind Boys of Alabama. These named composers can be found in Nolan's blues negatives.

id176302 9 1 Matted Blues Photographs ca. 1980s Scope and Contents

Includes: James Cotton, The Blind Boys of Alabama, Ronny Baker Brooks, Honeyboy Edwards, Robert Lockwood Jr..

id176303 9 2 Matted Blues Photographs ca. 1980s Scope and Contents

Includes: Sam Myers, Sleepy LaBeef, Mighty Blue Kings, Little Milton, Big Daddy Kinsey, Eddie Clearwater, Robert Lockwood Jr., Big Daddy Kinsey.

id176317 10 6 Blues Photographs ca. 1994-2000 Scope and Contents

Includes: Mighty Joe Young, Little Milton, and the Blind Boys of Alabama.

id176318 10 7 Blues Photographs ca. 1994-2000 Scope and Contents

Includes: Sam Myers, Big Daddy Kinsey, Sleepy LaBeef, Sonny Rhoads, Jr. Wells, Pinetop Perkins, Jonny Copleland and Son, Johnny "Clyde" Copeland, and James Cotton.

id176390 12 51 Blues concert prints 1995-1996 Scope and Contents

Includes: Johnny "Clyde" Copleland, Anson Funderburgh and the Rockets, Sam Myers, Robert Lockwood Jr., James Cotton, Dave Weld, "Honeyboy" Edwards, Koko Taylor, Debbie Davies, and Sleepy LaBeef.

id176391 12 52 Blues concert negatives 1995-1996 Scope and Contents

Susan Hoeffer, Carla Payton, Sonny Rhoades, Lonnie Brooks, Honeyboy Edwards, Jr. Wells, Pinetop Perkins, Muddy Waters Tribute Concert, Mighty Blue Kings, Traci Knaub, Jimmy Rodgers, AC Reed, Sugar Blue, Chubby Carrier, Eddie Snow Band, Lil Ed and Dave, Ronnie Baker Brooks, Little Milton, Cico Banks, Big James, Willie Smith, Dave and Jack, Robert Lockwood Jr., Big Daddy Kinsey, Keith and Cathy Hardin, Zalike Reggae, Trisha, James Cotton, Debbie Davis, Sam Myer, Anson Funderburgh and the Rockets, Johnny Copeland, Duke Rabliard, Coco Taylor, and Saphire-Uppity Blues Women.

id176392 12 53 Blues concert negatives 1986-1998 Scope and Contents

Includes unidentifed blues and rock bands performing in Champaign-Urbana and the surrounding area. Locations include: the Malibu Club, Friendly Tavern, and the Blind Pig.

id176408 1 Oversized Blues Photographs ca. 1996 Scope and Contents

Contains three large photographs, including one of the Blind Boys of Alabama and two of the 1996 Urbana Blues Festival.

id176279 Contact Sheets ca. 1978-2010 Scope and Contents

This subseries contains contact sheets that include a combination of images from the previous subseries as well as unidentified images from other projects Nolan abandoned or did not have printed.

id176394 12 54 Contact sheets (1 of 2) undated id176395 12 55 Contact sheets (2 of 2) ca. 1989-1992
id178090 Photos of the Month 2014-2015 Scope and Contents

This subseries includes a mail art project begun in 2014 that highlights fine art images of sculptures that Nolan created for a fine art sculpture exhibition that took place in lieu of exhibiting nudes in 2010.

id176352 12 16 Photos of the Month 2014 id177822 12 17 Photos of the Month 2015-2016 Scope and Contents

Envelope 1: 2015 Envelope 2: 2016

id176280 Personal Papers 1985-2015 Scope and Contents

This series includes personal papers documenting art exhibits flyers, pamphlets, posters, and program books, financial records of photography projects, newspaper articles, and correspondence.

id176324 4 1 Oversized Posters 1999, undated id176325 4 2 "Seeing Better: Milkweed Chronicle" Volume 7. No. 2 Spring/Summer 1986 id176327 4 3 Oversized Newsclippings 1985, undated id176337 12 1 Vermilion County Life newsclippings and program books 1985 id176338 12 2 Vermilion County Life model releases 1985 id176339 12 3 Vermilion County Life exhibit and interview 1985-1986 id176340 12 4 Vermilion County Life project financial records 1985 id176341 12 5 Danville Art League 1986-1992 id176342 12 6 Iron Range newspaper clippings and exhibit posters 1987-1991 id176343 12 7 Iron Range Community Project members list and correspondence 1987-1991 id176344 12 8 Iron Range Project and Research 1987-1988 id176345 12 9 Mitchell Museum exhibit 1989-1990 id176346 12 10 Photography exhibits 1989-1996 id176347 12 11 Candid photos from art exhibits 1990-1992 id176348 12 12 Gallery leaflets and posters ca. 1992-1995 id176349 12 13 Blue exhibit newspaper clippings and poster 1996 id176350 12 14 Danville Mural Dedication candid photographs 2004 id176351 12 15 Sculpture and photography exhibits newspaper clippings 2005-2010 id177823 12 18 Personal archaeology exhibit 2012