Inventory of the Vincent Cianni Photographs, 1983-2004

Rare Book, Manuscript, and Special Collections Library, Duke University

Cianni, Vincent

Vincent Cianni Photographs, 1983-2004

Material in English

21.0 Linear Feet

604 Items

Vincent Cianni is a documentary photographer based in Newburgh, New York.

Arranged in the following series: the Berlin Series features photographs of East Berlin, the destruction of the Berlin Wall, and the reunification of Germany in 1990. The Poughkeepsie Mall Series and the Providence House Men's Shelter Series both document urban culture and decay in the 1980s. The Weddings Series includes Cianni's MFA project, Wedding Rituals, along with other photographs from weddings (including some transgender weddings) during the mid-1980s. Finally, the Brooklyn Series features images from Cianni's book, We Skate Hardcore: Photographs from Brooklyn's South Side, which depict Hispanic American youth and roller blade culture in the Williamsburg neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York, during the mid-1990s. Collection also includes digital files and media related to Cianni's published works.

Collection is open for research and educational, non-commercial use.

However, collection may contain materials to which the Acknowledgment of Legal Responsibilities and Privacy Rights form applies. Patrons must sign this form before using this collection.

Some digital media need reformatting before content can be accessed.

Also, all or portions of this collection may be housed off-site in Duke University's Library Service Center. Consequently, there may be a 24-hour delay in obtaining these materials.

Please contact Research Services staff before visiting the Rare Book, Manuscript, and Special Collections Library to use this collection.

The copyright interests in this collection have not been transferred to Duke University. For more information, consult the copyright section of the Regulations and Procedures of the Rare Book, Manuscript, and Special Collections Library.

[Identification of item], Vincent Cianni Photographs, Rare Book, Manuscript, and Special Collections Library, Duke University.

The Vincent Cianni Photographs were received by the Rare Book, Manuscript, and Special Collections Library in 2008.

Processed by Meghan Lyon and Katy Terrell, January 2009

Encoded by Meghan Lyon and Paula Jeannet Mangiafico, February 2009

This collection is minimally processed: materials may not have been ordered and described beyond their original condition.

Descriptive sources and standards used to create this inventory: DACS, EAD, NCEAD guidelines, and local Style Guide.

This finding aid is NCEAD compliant.

Accession (2007-0072) houses a series of 224 black and white photographic prints depicting roller blade and street culture in the Williamsburg neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York, taken by Cianni during the 1990s and into 2001. Fifteen of the prints appear in Cianni's book, We Skate Hardcore: Photographs from Brooklyn's South Side (2001); and 68 prints are unpublished. Photographs are captioned and signed on the back. Also included are photographs of urban life in the Bronx, NY; and from the baby shower (Queens, NY) and wedding (Fairborn, OH) of a young couple who appear in other images from this series. Finally, the series houses the maquette for Cianni's book (version 1, 2000), and the printer's dummy (versions 2-3, 2001-2004).

Accession (2007-0200) contains 65 black and white, gelatin silver prints and photographic collages of East Berlin, the destruction of the Berlin Wall and the reunification of Berlin, 1990. Prints range from 8x10 to 16x24 and are captioned and signed on back by the photographer.

Accession (2008-0048) contains prints from the Poughkeepsie Mall Series (Poughkeepsie, NY, 1980s) and the Providence House Men's Shelter Series (Newburgh, NY, 1983). Forty-four black and white photographic prints: one 5 5/8 x 8 ½; one 5 7/8 x9; and forty-two 11x14 prints. Poughkeepsie Mall series: twenty-two 11x14 prints, 1980s. Images depict youth culture, African American culture, and urban decay.

Accession (2008-0300) contains 184 prints of weddings, including some transexual weddings, taken by Cianni during the 1980s. This series includes Cianni's MFA project, Wedding Rituals, a group of twenty-four 20x24 prints and one 16x20 print. Photographs in this series are in both color and black and white; many are captioned and signed on the back by the photographer.

Accession (2008-0303) contains an additional twenty-three 8x10 duotone and gelatin silver prints from Cianni's book We Skate Hardcore: Photographs from Brooklyn's South Side. These prints include portraits and other images of Hispanic American youth roller blade culture in the Williamsburg neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York during the mid-1990s.

In addition, the collection contains digital video, stills, and image scans created by Vincent Cianni, all relating to his work We Skate Hardcore. Originals are closed to use. Most files have been mounted to the library server; for access to them, please contact the reference archivist.

Collection was acquired as part of the Archive of Documentary Arts at Duke University.

These are searchable subject entries for this collection. Performing a search on these subjects in the Duke University Libraries online catalog will bring up other related research materials.

Duke University also has a copy of Vincent Cianni's book, We Skate Hardcore: Photographs from Brooklyn's South Side. Please refer to the library catalog for more information.