Robert Cushman (curator)
Encyclopedia
Robert Cushman was the photography
curator
for the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences
(AMPAS) for 37 years. He is credited with developing and expanding the photographic archives of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Science's Margaret Herrick Library in Beverly Hills, California
. The collection is estimated to consist of more than 10 million images
and photographs as of 2009. Additional images were acquired by Cushman through his solicitation of donations from major Hollywood film studios, individuals and their families during his 37 year tenure with the Academy.
, Indiana
. His initially interest in film began in 1950, when he went to the Rialto Theater
in Fort Wayne, Indiana
, to watch a reissue of the 1939 film, The Wizard of Oz
.
He earned his bachelor's degree
from the University of California, Los Angeles
(UCLA). He also took some post-graduate courses at UCLA.
Cushman worked as a research fellow
with the American Film Institute (AFI). He was also employed by the Los Angeles County Museum of Art
, where he created program notes for the museum's film series
. Cushman held both of these positions prior to joining the Academy.
Under Cushman's guidance as curator
, the Academy developed and organized the Margaret Herrick Library's photographic collection, which now has more than 10 million individual photographs as of 2009. Cushman obtained archival photographic collections from some of the film industry
's most important studios, including the collection from United Artists
. He also solicited donations to the library from individuals including Harold Lloyd
, the family of Douglas Fairbanks
, Buster Keaton
, Katharine Hepburn
and George Cukor
.
Linda Mehr, director
of the Margaret Herrick
Library, credited Cushman with make the library's collection of industry photography more user friendly, "He also developed the protocols of organizing the material so it was accessible.
Cushman developed his own method of cleaning and preserving photographs, which allowed for the retrieval and removal of photos which had been previously adhered to books. Cushman's method, which removed paper, glue
and other chemicals from the photographs proved valuable to the library's efforts to preserve and restore the images. In an interview with the Los Angeles Times
, the library's director praised Cushman's methods as curator, "This cleaning process not only removed them from that paper but also got rid of the residual chemicals, so you could keep them in better shape."
Cushman restored his Los Angeles house, a Queen Anne Victorian home constructed in 1895. The home was named a Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument
in 1979.
, during a trip at the age of 62. He had been attending a wedding in Kentucky and visiting his high school in Fort Wayne, Indiana, when he became seriously ill.
Photography
Photography is the art, science and practice of creating durable images by recording light or other electromagnetic radiation, either electronically by means of an image sensor or chemically by means of a light-sensitive material such as photographic film...
curator
Curator
A curator is a manager or overseer. Traditionally, a curator or keeper of a cultural heritage institution is a content specialist responsible for an institution's collections and involved with the interpretation of heritage material...
for the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences
Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences is a professional honorary organization dedicated to the advancement of the arts and sciences of motion pictures...
(AMPAS) for 37 years. He is credited with developing and expanding the photographic archives of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Science's Margaret Herrick Library in Beverly Hills, California
Beverly Hills, California
Beverly Hills is an affluent city located in Los Angeles County, California, United States. With a population of 34,109 at the 2010 census, up from 33,784 as of the 2000 census, it is home to numerous Hollywood celebrities. Beverly Hills and the neighboring city of West Hollywood are together...
. The collection is estimated to consist of more than 10 million images
Image
An image is an artifact, for example a two-dimensional picture, that has a similar appearance to some subject—usually a physical object or a person.-Characteristics:...
and photographs as of 2009. Additional images were acquired by Cushman through his solicitation of donations from major Hollywood film studios, individuals and their families during his 37 year tenure with the Academy.
Early life
Cushman was born in IndianapolisIndianapolis
Indianapolis is the capital of the U.S. state of Indiana, and the county seat of Marion County, Indiana. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city's population is 839,489. It is by far Indiana's largest city and, as of the 2010 U.S...
, Indiana
Indiana
Indiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region. With 6,483,802 residents, the state is ranked 15th in population and 16th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area and is...
. His initially interest in film began in 1950, when he went to the Rialto Theater
Rialto Theater
Rialto Theatre may refer to:in Canada*Rialto Theatre , a former theatre that is a National Historic Site of Canada*Rialto Theatre , 1943-1991; demolished 1991, within one year of acquisition by Cineplex Odeon and renaming as "The Phoenix"...
in Fort Wayne, Indiana
Fort Wayne, Indiana
Fort Wayne is a city in the US state of Indiana and the county seat of Allen County. The population was 253,691 at the 2010 Census making it the 74th largest city in the United States and the second largest in Indiana...
, to watch a reissue of the 1939 film, The Wizard of Oz
The Wizard of Oz (1939 film)
The Wizard of Oz is a 1939 American musical fantasy film produced by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. It was directed primarily by Victor Fleming. Noel Langley, Florence Ryerson and Edgar Allan Woolf received credit for the screenplay, but there were uncredited contributions by others. The lyrics for the songs...
.
He earned his bachelor's degree
Bachelor's degree
A bachelor's degree is usually an academic degree awarded for an undergraduate course or major that generally lasts for three or four years, but can range anywhere from two to six years depending on the region of the world...
from the University of California, Los Angeles
University of California, Los Angeles
The University of California, Los Angeles is a public research university located in the Westwood neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, USA. It was founded in 1919 as the "Southern Branch" of the University of California and is the second oldest of the ten campuses...
(UCLA). He also took some post-graduate courses at UCLA.
Cushman worked as a research fellow
Research fellow
The title of research fellow is used to denote a research position at a university or similar institution, usually for academic staff or faculty members. A research fellow may act either as an independent investigator or under the supervision of a principal investigator...
with the American Film Institute (AFI). He was also employed by the Los Angeles County Museum of Art
Los Angeles County Museum of Art
The Los Angeles County Museum of Art is an art museum in Los Angeles, California. It is located on Wilshire Boulevard along Museum Row in the Miracle Mile vicinity of Los Angeles, adjacent to the George C. Page Museum and La Brea Tar Pits....
, where he created program notes for the museum's film series
Film series
A film series is a collection of related films in succession. Their relationship is not fixed, but generally share a common diegetic world. Sometimes the work is conceived as a multiple-film work, for example the Three Colours series, but in most cases the success of the original film inspires...
. Cushman held both of these positions prior to joining the Academy.
Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences
In 1972, Cushman joined the staff of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and became photographic curator of the Margaret Herrick Library's collection of photographs.Under Cushman's guidance as curator
Curator
A curator is a manager or overseer. Traditionally, a curator or keeper of a cultural heritage institution is a content specialist responsible for an institution's collections and involved with the interpretation of heritage material...
, the Academy developed and organized the Margaret Herrick Library's photographic collection, which now has more than 10 million individual photographs as of 2009. Cushman obtained archival photographic collections from some of the film industry
Film industry
The film industry consists of the technological and commercial institutions of filmmaking: i.e. film production companies, film studios, cinematography, film production, screenwriting, pre-production, post production, film festivals, distribution; and actors, film directors and other film crew...
's most important studios, including the collection from United Artists
United Artists
United Artists Corporation is an American film studio. The original studio of that name was founded in 1919 by D. W. Griffith, Charles Chaplin, Mary Pickford and Douglas Fairbanks....
. He also solicited donations to the library from individuals including Harold Lloyd
Harold Lloyd
Harold Clayton Lloyd, Sr. was an American film actor and producer, most famous for his silent comedies....
, the family of Douglas Fairbanks
Douglas Fairbanks
Douglas Fairbanks, Sr. was an American actor, screenwriter, director and producer. He was best known for his swashbuckling roles in silent films such as The Thief of Bagdad, Robin Hood, and The Mark of Zorro....
, Buster Keaton
Buster Keaton
Joseph Frank "Buster" Keaton was an American comic actor, filmmaker, producer and writer. He was best known for his silent films, in which his trademark was physical comedy with a consistently stoic, deadpan expression, earning him the nickname "The Great Stone Face".Keaton was recognized as the...
, Katharine Hepburn
Katharine Hepburn
Katharine Houghton Hepburn was an American actress of film, stage, and television. In a career that spanned 62 years as a leading lady, she was best known for playing strong-willed, sophisticated women in both dramas and comedies...
and George Cukor
George Cukor
George Dewey Cukor was an American film director. He mainly concentrated on comedies and literary adaptations. His career flourished at RKO and later MGM, where he directed What Price Hollywood? , A Bill of Divorcement , Dinner at Eight , Little Women , David Copperfield , Romeo and Juliet and...
.
Linda Mehr, director
Executive director
Executive director is a term sometimes applied to the chief executive officer or managing director of an organization, company, or corporation. It is widely used in North American non-profit organizations, though in recent decades many U.S. nonprofits have adopted the title "President/CEO"...
of the Margaret Herrick
Margaret Herrick
Margaret Herrick , was the librarian and director of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Herrick is generally credited with naming the Academy Award an "Oscar", declaring the statuettes "looked just like my Uncle Oscar"...
Library, credited Cushman with make the library's collection of industry photography more user friendly, "He also developed the protocols of organizing the material so it was accessible.
Cushman developed his own method of cleaning and preserving photographs, which allowed for the retrieval and removal of photos which had been previously adhered to books. Cushman's method, which removed paper, glue
Glue
This is a list of various types of glue. Historically, the term "glue" only referred to protein colloids prepared from animal flesh. The meaning has been extended to refer to any fluid adhesive....
and other chemicals from the photographs proved valuable to the library's efforts to preserve and restore the images. In an interview with the Los Angeles Times
Los Angeles Times
The Los Angeles Times is a daily newspaper published in Los Angeles, California, since 1881. It was the second-largest metropolitan newspaper in circulation in the United States in 2008 and the fourth most widely distributed newspaper in the country....
, the library's director praised Cushman's methods as curator, "This cleaning process not only removed them from that paper but also got rid of the residual chemicals, so you could keep them in better shape."
Cushman restored his Los Angeles house, a Queen Anne Victorian home constructed in 1895. The home was named a Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument
Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument
Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monuments are sites in Los Angeles, California, which have been designated by the Los Angeles Cultural Heritage Commission as worthy of preservation based on architectural, historic and cultural criteria.-History:...
in 1979.
Works authored
Cushman contributed writings and photographs to a number of books on Hollywood and the entertainment industry. His contributions included:- "Mary PickfordMary PickfordMary Pickford was a Canadian-born motion picture actress, co-founder of the film studio United Artists and one of the original 36 founders of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences...
Rediscovered: Rare Pictures of a Hollywood Legend" - "Douglas FairbanksDouglas FairbanksDouglas Fairbanks, Sr. was an American actor, screenwriter, director and producer. He was best known for his swashbuckling roles in silent films such as The Thief of Bagdad, Robin Hood, and The Mark of Zorro....
" - Cushman contributed as the book's photographic editorEditingEditing is the process of selecting and preparing written, visual, audible, and film media used to convey information through the processes of correction, condensation, organization, and other modifications performed with an intention of producing a correct, consistent, accurate, and complete... - "Hollywood's Chinese Theatre: The Hand and Footprints of the Stars from the Silents to Star TrekStar TrekStar Trek is an American science fiction entertainment franchise created by Gene Roddenberry. The core of Star Trek is its six television series: The Original Series, The Animated Series, The Next Generation, Deep Space Nine, Voyager, and Enterprise...
" - "Hollywood at Your Feet: The Story of the World-Famous Chinese Theatre," co-written by Stacey Endres.
Death
Robert Cushman died on July 13, 2009, at St. Elizabeth's Hospital in Edgewood, KentuckyEdgewood, Kentucky
There were 3,099 households out of which 44.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 78.4% were married couples living together, 6.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 13.1% were non-families. 11.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 4.5% had someone...
, during a trip at the age of 62. He had been attending a wedding in Kentucky and visiting his high school in Fort Wayne, Indiana, when he became seriously ill.