Robert C. May collection, 1900-1993

The Work Prints series consists of 8" x 10" images of animals, buildings, barns, churches, interiors, trees/buildings, exteriors, cemeteries, miscellaneous, people, women, children, men, nature, fences roads, rocks, trees, superimposed trees, plants, water, winter, flowers as well as published images from the book The Robert C. May Photography Collection University of Kentucky Art Museum. The images in Series I are artistic work prints with the majority in black and white. Prints in Box 11 (848-850) and Box 15 (1197-1198) are in color. There are a total of 1,867 8" x 10" work prints that include five color work prints.

The Contact Sheets series include positive prints of negative strips. A contact sheet is created by placing negatives on photographic paper. They are then exposed and the print is processed allowing the photographer to view multiple images on a single piece of photographic paper. Most of the contact sheets are 8" x 10" in size and black and white. The images include sunflowers, trees, people, flowers, plants, vehicles, animals, buildings, roads, cemeteries, trains, cows, horses, fences, dolls, Robert C. May, Dennis "Bones" Carpenter, churches, children, dogs, and cats. There are a total of 84 contact sheets.

The Slides series includes approximately 1,350 35mm color slides with content of Robert C. May, his family, vacations, Ralph Eugene Meatyard, the Lexington Camera Club, and medical slides.

The Works of Various Artists series includes work possibly by Robert C. May and other artists including: Melissa Meatyard, Gerry Dartt, Mating, Cull, Marshall Smith, Walz, Pierson Studio, Cranston C. Ritchie, Mary T. Duffy, Hank Chapman, Culest Bynum, Joe Martin, Diane Blazy, Donna Ruskin, Bob Compton, Liz Osbourne, Jennifer Allen, Kristen Bernhard, Joseph David, Sarah Jones, Stephanie Lind, Virginia Martin, Jessica Samuel, John Scowby, Lara Shostle, Diana Stevie, Joel Wilhelmi. There are approximately 97 items including photographs, drawings, paintings, and sculpture.

The Agricultural Materials series consists of negatives that were originally in an envelope labeled University of Kentucky Department of Public Information Agricultural Experiment Station Lexington, Kentucky. This series contains mostly 6" x 6" black and white negatives, one color transparency, 35 mm black and white negatives, and contact sheets. Four 6" x 6" black and white negatives are identified as Johnson Grass Control Plots. Examples of content include unidentified people, crops and animals.

The Unidentified Negatives series contains twenty-one 4" x 5" black and white negatives, one 6" x 9" black and white negative, one 35mm color slide, and 102 6" x 6" black and white negatives. The negatives are of unidentified people and places.

The Family Photographs series contains images of the family of Robert C. May from 1900-1991. The majority of the family photographs are casual snapshots but it does include one daguerreotype of Will McCormick (as identified by a post-it note that was on the wrapping). The identified locations include the states of Kentucky and Florida. Many of the images have writing on the back that is difficult to read. The identified photographs include: Bobbie Carl South Limestone; Carl, Robert Earl May Nine Months Old; E.B. May; Granny, Mother, Aunt Stella, Uncle Johnny, Willie, Aunt Fannie, and Deborah taken at Granny Gaines home in Alton, Kentucky; Owen May, John Francis Cannon; Charity, a pet lamb, and a Collie; Deborah Leach; Cecil "1910"; Uncle Omer 1947; Mother on South Lime 1949; Deborah December 2, 1951; Aunt Stella in Florida; (Boo) now Buddy October 1951; Mother Deborah; Mother and Byron Wilson August 1948; Billy and his five Grandmothers October 1, 1949; Deborah Leach baby picture; Easter Mother and me Georgetown, Kentucky; Mother Cumberland Trail 1937; Deborah; Bess and Deborah; Aunt Fannie Leach; Gaines Home in Fayette County Betty Gaines, Billy, Mary Louise, born in this home; Granny Gaines, Aunt Stella, Uncle Johnny, Uncle Willie, Aunt Fannie, Mother and Deborah; Bill Leach; Bobby Jones 2nd Class Scout Troop 1953; In my living room on Mothers Day 1972 Pattie and Luther; 1977 Bill and Martha May; Mrs. Flowers Home Christmas Me, Serving Punch; Deborah Group of Friends at Mrs. Flowers; 1967 Florida Princess Martha; Me Florida Princess Martha; 1967 Florida St. Petersburg Princess Martha; Taken at School October 1971 Betty Gaines; Deborah Leach 18 years old.

The Travel Photographs series consist of color photographs and negatives taken during May's travel to Ireland, Japan, and China. The photographs of Ireland are in color and include 53 Polaroid's. The photographs of China and Japan include 20 drug store processed envelopes of color photographs.

The Printed Materials series dates from 1950-1991 and include: the original receipt of collection with lists of contents, family history material, miscellaneous correspondence and newspaper clippings, correspondence of the Lexington Camera Club, research materials for the Camera Club Exhibit, manuscript for Camera Club Exhibit, booklets with photographs by Robert May, photography catalogues featuring the work of Robert May, the 1953 Auratum Henry Clay High School Yearbook, and negatives used in final portfolio.

The Miscellaneous Items date from 1953-1993 and include one photograph of Robert C. May, Robert May's Henry Clay High School Diploma, one painting, one print, one drawing, one metal sculpture and four photographs.

The Films series contains two 16mm films. Film 1 was produced by Kentucky Educational Television and is labeled "Ralph Eugene Meatyard." Film two is unidentified but contains several color films spliced together and appears to be casual scenes and exteriors of buildings.