Robert Tebbs Photograph Collection
Dublin Core
Title
Robert Tebbs Photograph Collection
Subject
Tebbs, Robert W., 1875-1945
Public buildings - Virginia - Williamsburg
Raleigh Tavern (Williamsburg, Va.)
Capitol (Williamsburg, Va.)
Wren Building (Williamsburg, Va.)
Williamsburg (Va.) - Photographs
Portfolios
Taverns (Inns) - Virginia - Williamsburg
Description
Robert W. Tebbs was a prominent architectural photographer in the New York firm of Tebbs & Knell, 101 Park Avenue, New York, New York. He marketed himself as "Photographer to Architects and Decorators." His pictures are widely available in mid-twentieth century photographic essays concerning architecture and architectural history. He is well-known for his photographic survey of Louisiana plantation homes created in the 1920s. Tebbs photographed the Raleigh Tavern, the Capitol, and the Wren Building at Colonial Williamsburg soon after their restoration on commission for publication in various magazines and newspapers.
In October 1933, he conducted his first photographic survey in Williamsburg and approached the Williamsburg Holding Corporation with a proposal for a "Travelling Exhibition of Williamsburg" featuring his photographs of the exteriors and interiors of completed exhibition buildings. He also suggested that his photos could be marketed to various architectural magazines and newspapers to help promote the new museum. William Graves Perry and Susan Higginson Nash reviewed his portfolios and selected those images they approved for publication use. Tebbs was then allowed to sell and distribute them to various publishers provided the Williamsburg Holding Corporation agreed to the proposed usage. In a letter to Kenneth Chorley, Vice-President of the Williamsburg Holding Corporation, written on December 5, 1933, Bela Norton, Director of Public Relations, noted "Everyone here who has seen the pictures agrees that they have the stamp of quality and professional excellence that we have not yet had."
Tebbs remained in contact with Williamsburg Holding Corporation officials between 1933 and 1934, and returned several times to take more photographs when passing through the area on other assignments. However, he never received a contract from Colonial Williamsburg for more extensive photographic work due to an agreement already in place with Frank Nivison, who served as the official contract photographer for documentation of the Restoration's progress. He approached Colonial Williamsburg officials again in 1939 with a proposal to return and photograph some of the more recently completed structures, noting that his Williamsburg photos from the early 1930s had been exhibited at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Upon his death in 1945, Robert Tebbs left a legacy of architectural photos that are preserved at several other institutions, including the Library of Congress and the Louisiana State Museum.
This collection of ninety-seven photographs encompasses two portfolios, one titled "View of Capitol Building of Reconstructed Colonial Williamsburg" and the other titled "Views of Raleigh Tavern, Williamsburg, Va.," which also includes images of the Wren Building and the President's House at the College of William & Mary. Exterior and interior view of each structure are included, along with detail views of various furnishings and architectural features. Rooms featured in the portfolio of Capitol photos include the General Court, House of Burgesses, Council Chamber, Conference Room, Committee Room, Clerk's Office, and Secretary's Office. The Raleigh Tavern interior views include the Parlor, Reception Room, Tap Room, Daphne Room, Apollo Room, and Public Dining Room. Tebbs also documented the Chapel, Great Hall, and the Blue Room inside the Wren Building.
In October 1933, he conducted his first photographic survey in Williamsburg and approached the Williamsburg Holding Corporation with a proposal for a "Travelling Exhibition of Williamsburg" featuring his photographs of the exteriors and interiors of completed exhibition buildings. He also suggested that his photos could be marketed to various architectural magazines and newspapers to help promote the new museum. William Graves Perry and Susan Higginson Nash reviewed his portfolios and selected those images they approved for publication use. Tebbs was then allowed to sell and distribute them to various publishers provided the Williamsburg Holding Corporation agreed to the proposed usage. In a letter to Kenneth Chorley, Vice-President of the Williamsburg Holding Corporation, written on December 5, 1933, Bela Norton, Director of Public Relations, noted "Everyone here who has seen the pictures agrees that they have the stamp of quality and professional excellence that we have not yet had."
Tebbs remained in contact with Williamsburg Holding Corporation officials between 1933 and 1934, and returned several times to take more photographs when passing through the area on other assignments. However, he never received a contract from Colonial Williamsburg for more extensive photographic work due to an agreement already in place with Frank Nivison, who served as the official contract photographer for documentation of the Restoration's progress. He approached Colonial Williamsburg officials again in 1939 with a proposal to return and photograph some of the more recently completed structures, noting that his Williamsburg photos from the early 1930s had been exhibited at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Upon his death in 1945, Robert Tebbs left a legacy of architectural photos that are preserved at several other institutions, including the Library of Congress and the Louisiana State Museum.
This collection of ninety-seven photographs encompasses two portfolios, one titled "View of Capitol Building of Reconstructed Colonial Williamsburg" and the other titled "Views of Raleigh Tavern, Williamsburg, Va.," which also includes images of the Wren Building and the President's House at the College of William & Mary. Exterior and interior view of each structure are included, along with detail views of various furnishings and architectural features. Rooms featured in the portfolio of Capitol photos include the General Court, House of Burgesses, Council Chamber, Conference Room, Committee Room, Clerk's Office, and Secretary's Office. The Raleigh Tavern interior views include the Parlor, Reception Room, Tap Room, Daphne Room, Apollo Room, and Public Dining Room. Tebbs also documented the Chapel, Great Hall, and the Blue Room inside the Wren Building.
Extent
97 photographs
Rights Holder
Special Collections, John D. Rockefeller Jr. Library, The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation.
