Finding Aid for David M Nolan Photographs and Personal Papers, 1978-2015 | The Sousa Archives and Center for American Music

Title: David M Nolan Photographs and Personal Papers, 1978-2015

ID: 12/9/137

Primary Creator: David M. Nolan (1945-2021)

Extent: 6.7 cubic feet

Arrangement: Materials are arranged into two distinct series: Series 1. Photographs and Series 2. Personal Papers. The first series which highlights Nolan's professional career as a photographer are broken into seven distinct sub-series that highlight his professional interests and are arranged chronologically by subject area, the last of which contains numerous projects and photographs that were discarded in the previous projects, these include: sub-series 1. Fine Art, Nudes, and Nature Stills, 1978-2010; sub-series 2. Danville Manor Nursing Home, 1982-1990; sub-series 3. Illinois Arts Council Vermillion County Life Project, 1985-1988; sub-series 4. Iron Range Community Documentary Project, 1987-1988; sub-series 5. Urbana-Champaign Blues Concerts and Festivals, 1994-2000; sub-series 6. Contact Sheets, 1978-2010; and Photo of the Month, 2014-2016.

Date Acquired: 09/16/2014. More info below under Accruals.

Subjects: Blues-rock music, Champaign County, Illinois, Danville, Illinois, Fine Arts, Photography, Popular Music--Illinois--Urbana-Champaign, Rhythm and blues, Sculpture, Vermilion County, Illinois

Formats/Genres: Photographs

Languages: English

Consists of photographic prints, negatives, and press clippings documenting the work of photographer David M. Nolan of Danville, Illinois. Photographic subjects include blues performances in Champaign, Illinois, daily life in Danville and Vermilion County, Illinois, nature, still life, and human models.

David M. Nolan (May 4, 1945 - June 1, 2021) was born in Warren, Ohio and lived much of his life in Danville, Illinois beginning in 1977. From the age of 12, Nolan held an active interest in photography. At Southern Illinois University Nolan studied geography and design, but he supported his interests in photography as a student by working at the Buckminster Fuller Archive and by working semi-professionally as a wedding photographer. Soon after this he moved to Warren, Ohio to work as a city planner and to assist his father with his trucking company. In addition, while in Warren, Ohio Nolan set up his first darkroom and began filming blues musicians.

While Nolan initially worked as a city planner for Decatur, Illinois, Warren, Ohio, and Danville, Illinois between the mid 1970s and early 2000s, he later worked at the Danville Manor Nursing Home and Crosspoint Human Services as a counselor for the mentally ill.  In 1978, after taking courses with Orville Stokes, Nolan rekindled his interest in photography and began photographing professionally.

Nolan was initially impressed with Depression-era photographs and began modeling his own photographic style on the work of photographer Walker Evans.  Many of his early photographs from the 1970s and 1980s were of people on the streets. In addition, his professional work also focused on fine art and nudes, two subjects that remained a core focus of his later photographic work.

In 1985, he received a grant from the Danville Area Arts Council to capture through film community life in Vermillion County, Illinois. After completing this documentary project, Nolan was accepted into a Minnesota-based workshop in 1987 that culminated in the Iron Range Community Project.  He also continued photographing blues musicians in Danville and Champaign, Illinois through the early 1990s.

Nolan served as a member of the Danville Art League and the board of directors at the Urbana Museum of Photography. At the request of an exhibitor in 2009, Nolan expanded his artistic focus to sculpture and manipulated photographic print processes which eventually lead to his exhibition, “Altered Images.”  In 2015 and 2016 Nolan developed a mail art project which he called "photo of the month."  He also self-published two books, Personal Archaeology,  volume 1 which was published in summer 2012, and a spiral-bound compilation of his 2015 Photo of the Month series.

Blues-rock music
Champaign County, Illinois
Danville, Illinois
Fine Arts
Photography
Popular Music--Illinois--Urbana-Champaign
Rhythm and blues
Sculpture
Vermilion County, Illinois

Repository: The Sousa Archives and Center for American Music

Accruals: Accrual acquired January 22, 2015 from David Nolan, which includes photo of the month, personal archaeology exhibit brochure, and a newspaper clipping.

Acquisition Source: David Nolan

Acquisition Method: Gift