The Center for Creative Photography at the University of Arizona has received a significant donation consisting of the complete photographic archive of renowned Life magazine photographer Benn Mitchell, along with a substantial $1 million gift. The generous contribution was made by Esther Mitchell, the photographer's widow, who donated her late husband's entire body of work to help preserve the legacy of an artist who captured American vitality throughout the mid-20th century.
The $1 million donation will be used to establish the Benn and Esther Mitchell Endowed Collection Fund, which will support the long-term preservation and accessibility of the archive. Esther Mitchell explained that she had been carefully searching for the right institution to house her husband's work when she learned about the Center for Creative Photography's outstanding reputation for preserving photographic archives. "They don't just store photographs. They study them, teach with them and share them with the public. That combination really made me feel it was the right place," Esther said.
The comprehensive archive includes Benn Mitchell's original negatives and prints, along with newspaper clippings and publications featuring his work, as well as some of his professional photography equipment. Through this donation, the Center for Creative Photography now holds the copyright to Mitchell's extensive body of work, which will be made available for educational purposes, public exhibitions, and scholarly research.
Todd Tubutis, director of the Center for Creative Photography, expressed his gratitude for the donation, stating, "The Center for Creative Photography is the ideal home for Benn Mitchell's archive, and we are extremely grateful to Esther Mitchell for choosing the CCP to be the steward of Benn's legacy. Esther understands the critical importance of collections care, and her endowment gift will help ensure we are able to maintain best practices in preserving our collection and making it accessible to everyone."
Benn Mitchell was born in New York in 1926 and received his first camera at the age of 13, marking the beginning of what would become a distinguished career in photography. His talent was recognized early when he sold his first photograph to Life magazine at just 16 years old. The image was a classic weather photograph showing his younger brother trying to stay cool during a heatwave by sitting on a block of ice while eating ice cream. Life magazine paid him $25 for the photograph, a sum that made a lasting impression on the young photographer. "He thought he was a rich, successful photographer right then. From that point on, he was always looking for the next picture," his widow Esther recalled.
At 17, Mitchell relocated to Hollywood, where he photographed notable celebrities including Humphrey Bogart. His career was briefly interrupted when he served two years as a photographer in the U.S. Navy. After completing his military service in 1951, he returned to New York and established a commercial photography studio with Esther. From their New York base, Mitchell pursued various types of photography, creating stunning Manhattan street scenes and documenting American Indian culture, while also taking on commercial assignments in advertising and stock photography.
Esther Mitchell described her husband's meticulous approach to his craft, noting his exceptional patience and dedication to achieving the perfect image. "Benn had the patience to wait for the right day, the right light and the right moment for the perfect picture," she said. "He could spend hours – sometimes all night – in the darkroom making sure the print matched the image he envisioned." This attention to detail and artistic vision is evident throughout Mitchell's body of work, which captures iconic moments and scenes from American life during a pivotal period in the nation's history.
The donation represents a significant addition to the Center for Creative Photography's collection and ensures that Mitchell's important photographic documentation of mid-20th century American life will be preserved and accessible for future generations of students, researchers, and photography enthusiasts.
