Negatives a Positive for College

by Clare Hopkins

EASTON, Mass.-Stanley Bauman, legendary photographer and community leader, willed his extensive photo collection be given to Stonehill after his death. The collection was moved to the campus this past July so that Bauman’s contributions to the local area will forever be preserved.
“They broke the mold when they sent Stanley down to Earth because he was absolutely one of a kind,” said Martin McGovern, director of communications at Stonehill and a close friend of Bauman.
“He was a good businessmen and an even better human being.”
The collection includes over 500,000 negatives as well as prints, slides, scrapbooks and artifacts from the 1930s- 2003. The collection was moved from Bauman’s home in Brockton after his death on February 9, 2007 at the age of 93.
Bauman willed in the 1990s that his collection of 675 shoeboxes of filed negatives be given to the college after his death. His hope was that future generations of students and local people could benefit from his large photographical documentation of life in Brockton. He had previously kept the shoeboxes in a shed at his home starting when he began his career at The Enterprise in 1930s.
Among Bauman’s collections includes shots of Rocky Marciano, Marvin Hagler, President Franklin D. Roosevelt, Eleanor Roosevelt, John F. Kennedy, Harry Truman, Adlai Stevenson, Wendall Wilkie, John Foster Dulles, and the Hurricane of 1938.
Bauman was born April 25, 1913 and took pictures of Brockton and surrounding areas for more than 70 years.
McGovern said that one of Bauman’s greatest skills was that he saved all his pictures, so anyone could find pictures from years ago if they needed to.
“Not only was he a good photographer, he had great foresight,” said McGovern.
Bauman was very attached to Brockton which he never left. Until his death he lived in the house his parents bought in 1918. He worked for the Enterprise for 40 years as a reporter and photographer. In the 1970’s he worked for the Boston Globe.
Stonehill awarded Bauman a President’s Medal for his contributions to the local area in 1997.
McGovern said that Bauman’s photography celebrates and documents his community, and he was a local historian.
Several years ago, a calendar was created of Stanley’s most famous photographs. Fifty copies sent to the college for distribution, and were snapped up quickly.
Stanley’s photos were significant to local community members because of the history they preserved.
“His photos triggered warm memories, memories of old neighborhoods, high school events, or special family occasions,” said McGovern.
“His photographs captured the fabric of community life.”
Another great contribution Bauman made was giving the local youths jobs. He hired youths to help him, whom he called, “Aces.”
“He taught the Aces skills, and instilled a wonderful work ethic in his young workers,” said McGovern.
Bauman taught the Aces the photography business. Such as putting film in cameras, learning how to take a picture, develop film, and how to print pictures.
According to McGovern, Bauman had about 80 or 90 Aces over his lifetime, who were like sons to him and continued to stand by him throughout his lifetime. When he became old and frail two Aces traveled from Pittsburgh to help him.
Beginning in the early 1970s, Bauman was the official photographer for Stonehill.
As the college’s official photographer, Bauman became a regular to the campus. He photographed commencements, special events, campus buildings, as well as students and faculty members.
McGovern says Bauman was quite a character. When McGovern was new to the area, Bauman gave him guidance.
McGovern recalls one reunion Weekend at Stonehill with Bauman, and how they tried to get everyone together for a class picture.
“Chaos is not the word to describe the scene, but Stanley found a way to impose order. He rented a huge mega-phone and used it to bark out his commands over the din of conversation and music,” said McGovern.
“You can just hear just hear him. ‘Will the bald gentleman at the back, move to the right and will the lady with the big hair stop blocking the people behind her?’ But that was the master at work. He was fun, fearless and determined not just to get his picture, but to get it right.”
Bauman paid close attention to details and devoted much time and energy into his photos. One photo that perfectly exhibits his dedication is a photo of three girls on swings. At the side angle the girls are swinging in one perfect line, one at the top, one in the middle, one on the bottom. McGovern said it took Bauman hours to get this shot. Nowadays this photo could be made digitally, but Bauman just waited for the perfect photo.
The collection may remain closed to the public for up to two years so it can be catalogued. Each negative will be put in a 4-inch by 5-inch envelope made of pH neutral paper. It will then be stored in a buffered board box. The negatives must be handled with cotton gloves and be kept in climate controlled conditions. They also must be kept in darkness or under UV filtered lighting. The indexes will then be made part of a computer system to become a searchable database by date and subject. Photos of particular historical significance and interest will be picked out and scanned into a digital format. People will eventually have the opportunity to purchase a print copy or purchase a photo print and the funds will go towards preserving the collection.
“We are committed to preserving his legacy, his wonderful archive of photos, with care and professionalism so that future generations will appreciate his window on our word,” said McGovern.

chopkins@student.stonehill.edu