Preston Holder
Encyclopedia
Preston Holder was an American archaeologist and photographer.
In 1930 he entered the University of California, Berkeley
, to study anthropology
. While there he met photographer Willard Van Dyke
after writing an assignment about his photographs. Van Dyke introduced him to Ansel Adams
, Edward Weston
, Imogen Cunningham
and other photographers around the San Francisco area, and he soon was photographing in a style similar to theirs. In 1932 Holder was present at a gathering at Van Dyke's house in Berkeley in which this group discussed their intention to unite in promotion of their artistic vision, They were searching for a name for their small group, and Holder suggested "US 256", which was then the commonly-used Uniform System
designation for a very small aperture stop on a camera lens. Adams thought the name would be confusing to the public, and he suggested "f/64", which was a corresponding aperture setting for the focal system
that was gaining popularity. From this discussion they formed the now famous Group f/64
. Later that year Holder participated in their first Group f/64 show at the M.H. de Young Memorial Museum, showing four prints.
While photographing part-time, Holder continued his education at Berkeley and received his B.A. in 1935. There is almost nothing written about his photographic career after he graduated. By 1940 he seemed to have drifted away from his photography interests and dedicated himself to becoming a full-time archeologist.
In 1951, he earned his Ph.D. from Columbia University
. With the help of fellow archaeologist Antonio J. Waring, Jr., Preston Holder began excavations at the Irene Mound in September 1937.
Located on the outskirts of Savannah, Georgia
, the mound took nearly two years to excavate. Another excavation Holder conducted at the Saint Simon’s airport on Saint Simons Island, Georgia
revealed a large Late Archaic settlement. The excavation was mentioned briefly in Antonio Waring's, The Waring Papers. In 1938, Holder also wrote Excavations on Saint Simons Island and Vicinity.
His work in this area was additionally published as a journal article
,
and discussed in later publications ,
He died of cancer on June 3, 1980 at the age of 72 in Lincoln, Nebraska
.
In 1930 he entered the University of California, Berkeley
University of California, Berkeley
The University of California, Berkeley , is a teaching and research university established in 1868 and located in Berkeley, California, USA...
, to study anthropology
Anthropology
Anthropology is the study of humanity. It has origins in the humanities, the natural sciences, and the social sciences. The term "anthropology" is from the Greek anthrōpos , "man", understood to mean mankind or humanity, and -logia , "discourse" or "study", and was first used in 1501 by German...
. While there he met photographer Willard Van Dyke
Willard Van Dyke
Willard Van Dyke was an American filmmaker and photographer who believed that photography could have a major influence on the world....
after writing an assignment about his photographs. Van Dyke introduced him to Ansel Adams
Ansel Adams
Ansel Easton Adams was an American photographer and environmentalist, best known for his black-and-white photographs of the American West, especially in Yosemite National Park....
, Edward Weston
Edward Weston
Edward Henry Weston was a 20th century American photographer. He has been called "one of the most innovative and influential American photographers…" and "one of the masters of 20th century photography." Over the course of his forty-year career Weston photographed an increasingly expansive set of...
, Imogen Cunningham
Imogen Cunningham
Imogen Cunningham was an American photographer known for her photography of botanicals, nudes and industry.-Life and career:...
and other photographers around the San Francisco area, and he soon was photographing in a style similar to theirs. In 1932 Holder was present at a gathering at Van Dyke's house in Berkeley in which this group discussed their intention to unite in promotion of their artistic vision, They were searching for a name for their small group, and Holder suggested "US 256", which was then the commonly-used Uniform System
F-number
In optics, the f-number of an optical system expresses the diameter of the entrance pupil in terms of the focal length of the lens; in simpler terms, the f-number is the focal length divided by the "effective" aperture diameter...
designation for a very small aperture stop on a camera lens. Adams thought the name would be confusing to the public, and he suggested "f/64", which was a corresponding aperture setting for the focal system
F-number
In optics, the f-number of an optical system expresses the diameter of the entrance pupil in terms of the focal length of the lens; in simpler terms, the f-number is the focal length divided by the "effective" aperture diameter...
that was gaining popularity. From this discussion they formed the now famous Group f/64
Group f/64
Group f/64 was a group of seven 20th century San Francisco photographers who shared a common photographic style characterized by sharp-focused and carefully framed images seen through a particularly Western viewpoint...
. Later that year Holder participated in their first Group f/64 show at the M.H. de Young Memorial Museum, showing four prints.
While photographing part-time, Holder continued his education at Berkeley and received his B.A. in 1935. There is almost nothing written about his photographic career after he graduated. By 1940 he seemed to have drifted away from his photography interests and dedicated himself to becoming a full-time archeologist.
In 1951, he earned his Ph.D. from Columbia University
Columbia University
Columbia University in the City of New York is a private, Ivy League university in Manhattan, New York City. Columbia is the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of New York, the fifth oldest in the United States, and one of the country's nine Colonial Colleges founded before the...
. With the help of fellow archaeologist Antonio J. Waring, Jr., Preston Holder began excavations at the Irene Mound in September 1937.
Located on the outskirts of Savannah, Georgia
Savannah, Georgia
Savannah is the largest city and the county seat of Chatham County, in the U.S. state of Georgia. Established in 1733, the city of Savannah was the colonial capital of the Province of Georgia and later the first state capital of Georgia. Today Savannah is an industrial center and an important...
, the mound took nearly two years to excavate. Another excavation Holder conducted at the Saint Simon’s airport on Saint Simons Island, Georgia
St. Simons, Georgia
St. Simons is a census-designated place located on St. Simons Island in Glynn County, Georgia, United States. Both the community and the island are commonly considered to be one location, known simply as "St. Simons Island", or locally as "The Island". St...
revealed a large Late Archaic settlement. The excavation was mentioned briefly in Antonio Waring's, The Waring Papers. In 1938, Holder also wrote Excavations on Saint Simons Island and Vicinity.
His work in this area was additionally published as a journal article
,
and discussed in later publications ,
He died of cancer on June 3, 1980 at the age of 72 in Lincoln, Nebraska
Lincoln, Nebraska
The City of Lincoln is the capital and the second-most populous city of the US state of Nebraska. Lincoln is also the county seat of Lancaster County and the home of the University of Nebraska. Lincoln's 2010 Census population was 258,379....
.