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Bruce Mozert photographic collection, 1930s-2010s.
Amount:
40 items 50 video tapes 40000 photographs 300 films
Medium Included:
artifacts VHS tapes films photographic prints photographic negatives
Organization/Arrangement:
Arranged by format, then roughly chronological.
Restrictions:
Terms Governing Use:
Biographical/Historical:
Robert Bruce Mozert was born November 24, 1916 in Newark, Ohio. His career in photography began with his work as assistant to Life magazine photographer Victor de Palma in New York City in the 1930s. In 1938, while working for Pic magazine, Mozert traveled to Florida to take photographs for a story about women's fashion accessories. En route, he learned from the St. Augustine Chamber of Commerce that actor Johnny Weissmuller was filming one of the Tarzan movies at Silver Springs near Ocala in Marion County. Mozert went to Silver Springs, and quickly secured a job from the park's public relations officer, Wilton Martin.
In 1942, Mozert began working at the park as an independent contractor, photographing tourists as they boarded one of Silver Springs' iconic glass-bottom boats and then selling them the photos when they returned to the dock. When visitors' demand for these and Mozert's other photos began to exceed the capacity of the park's souvenir shop, park officials established a separate stand for him, which he operated from 1946 to 1972. Mozert also began accepting freelance assignments from businesses that used Silver Springs as a setting for advertisements.
Mozert pioneered a variety of new techniques and equipment for underwater photography, including submersible cameras and camera housings, as well as specialized lighting that made underwater objects appear entirely motionless, even boat motor propellers moving at 60 miles per hour. He experimented with a wide range of scenes and themes for underwater photographs, including the circus, concession stands, family dinners, household chores and sunbathing. Mozert also shot promotional still photographs for films and television programs made at Silver Springs, including The Yearling (1946) and the 155 episodes of Sea Hunt filmed between 1958 and 1961.
Mozert was Silver Springs' official photographer for more than 40 years before retiring in 1985. He continued freelancing, and maintained a studio in nearby Ocala. Bruce Mozert died on October 14, 2015 at the age of 98.
Summary:
This collection contains photographs, films, documents and artifacts relating to Bruce Mozert's work as a professional photographer from the 1930s through the early 2010s. Included are approximately 25,000 original and copy negatives taken by Mozert, as well as about 15,000 photographic prints, plus more than 40 enlarged, archivally framed prints signed by Mozert. The collection also includes about 300 reels of film, 50 VHS cassette tapes, and digitized copies of some of Mozert's earlier work.
Many of the photographs and film recordings are of Silver Springs near Ocala, as well as Paradise Park, a segregated tourist attraction for African Americans located downriver from the main Silver Springs property. Several hundred photographs from Weeki Wachee Springs, particularly of the attraction's iconic "mermaids," are included.
Notable subjects within these photographs include a number of models, actors and other celebrities prominent from the 1930s through the 1960s, including Jayne Mansfield, Jane Russell, Esther Williams, Ginger Stanley, Arlene Francis, Gregory Peck, Newt Perry, Hugh Downs and Johnny Weissmuller. Promotional production shots from films such as Creature from the Black Lagoon and Tarzan are included.
Artifacts include about a dozen film cameras, 13 underwater camera housings created by Mozert, memorabilia from Silver Springs and several movie cameras.
Documentary records in the collection include news stories and publications written about Mozert and his work. Records relating to the history of organizations to which Mozert belonged, including the Ocala Lions Club, are included.
Finding Aids:
Additional Physical Form:
Reproduction Note:
Location of Originals/Duplicates:
Digitized audio files located on server. These files are first use copies.
Associated Materials:
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Ownership/Custodial History:
Publication Note:
General Note:
Of the 40,000 photographs, approximately 25,000 are negatives and 15,000 are photographic prints.
for detailed listing.