Burr McIntosh photograph collection, 1898-1910

The Burr McIntosh Photograph Collection consists of 596 glass plate negatives and 3,822 photographic prints dating from 1898 to 1910. Burr McIntosh (1862-1942) distinguished himself in many careers, including those of actor, reporter, publisher, lecturer, cinematographer, and radio pioneer, as well as photographer. While many of these endeavors were short-lived, they gained him prestige and popularity among the stylish set, including prominent figures in the arts, society, and politics, many of whom were his friends and acquaintances. Most of the photographs are celebrity portraits from the first decade of the twentieth century. The collection also depicts society and sporting events, and contains 41 views of Cuba taken around the time of the Spanish-American War, as well as over 80 photographs documenting William Howard Taft's good will trip to the Philippines in 1905. The digitization of the photographic prints in this collection was funded by a grant from the Metropolitan New York Library Council.