| Date Span: | 1866-2000 |
| Creator: | Kent, Frederick W. (1894-1984) |
| Extent: | 109.00 linear feet. |
| Collection Number: | RG30.0001.01 |
| Repository: | University of Iowa Archives |
| Summary: | The collection relates to most areas of the University of Iowa, including individuals, departments, and buildings. |
Frederick Wallace Kent (February 3, 1894-July 17, 1984) was a lecturer and instructor in photography at the University from 1923 until 1925. He was the curator of photographic apparatus, and the consulting photographer, from 1936 until 1947. Mr. Kent founded University Photo Service, and was manager from 1947 until 1963. He served as a part-time photographer of special projects with Photo Service for the next twelve years, retiring in 1975.
The importance of Fred Kent's work goes beyond his many years of producing student's graduation photos and recording sporting events. His detailed photographs of the 1922 restoration of Old Capitol on the University of Iowa campus aided in subsequent restorations of the building.
Mr. Kent photographed everyday scenes and the extraordinary. The Daily Iowan newspaper reported on November 23, 1934, that Mr. Kent designed a new camera to quickly and inexpensively photograph material for screen projection, improving upon the Recordak machine. He pioneered the use of stereographs in medicine, producing three-dimensional pictures for doctors. In 1947, Eastman Kodak commissioned him to write the first manual for medical photography. Mr. Kent also holds the honor of first recipient of the Iowa City Historic Preservation Commission Award in 1984 for documenting the growth of the area through his photographs.
Of the tens of thousands of images he created, Mr. Kent considered his most famous to be the now ubiquitous pose of Nile Kinnick ready to pass the football, which Mr. Kent recorded in 1939, the year Kinnick was named All-American.
A portion of Mr. Kent's collection was transferred to University Archives from the Center for Media Production where many of Mr. Kent's sports photos and negatives remain. Additional Kent images of Iowa and Iowa City are located at the State Historical Society of Iowa, Iowa City.
Alternate Extent Statement: Photographs: Entire collection.
Access: This collection is open for research.
Use: Copyright restrictions may apply; please consult Special Collections staff for further information.
Acquisition: A portion of the Frederick W. Kent Collection of Photographs was transferred from University Photo Service to University Archives prior to 1970, with many additional transfers during the 1980s and 1990s. Guide posted to the Internet February 2005; updated January 2008.
Preferred Citation: Frederick W. Kent Photograph Collection, The University of Iowa Libraries, Iowa City, Iowa.
| Repository: | University of Iowa Archives |
| Address: | 100 Main Library University of Iowa Libraries Iowa City, IA 52242 |
| Phone: | 319-335-5921 |
| Curator: | David McCartney |
| Email: | david-mccartney@uiowa.edu |
| Website: | http://www.lib.uiowa.edu/spec-coll/archives |
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