William C. Blizzard Photography Collection , 1967-1994

Access and use

Location of collection:
Radford University
University Archives
McConnell Library
Radford University
P.O. Box 6881
801 East Main Street
Radford, VA 24142
Contact for questions and access:
POC: Bud Bennett
Phone: (540) 831-5694
Phone: (540) 831-5701

Summary

Extent:
6.0 Linear feet
Creator:
William C. Blizzard
Abstract:
This collection contains approximately 10,000 photographic slides taken by William C. Blizzard. Blizzard was a photojournalist who documented many aspects of life in West Virginia and surrounding region. His subjects range from news photography depicting coal miners and the coal industry, to scenic nature photos, to regional arts and crafts. The full collection inventory can be seen here. Portions of this collection have been digitized.
Language:
English

Background

Scope and content:

This collection contains approximately 10,000 photographic slides taken by William C. Blizzard. Blizzard was a photojournalist who documented many aspects of life in West Virginia and surrounding region. His subjects range from news photography depicting coal miners and the coal industry, to scenic nature photos, to regional arts and crafts. Blizzard used the following categories to arrange his slides: Animals, Auto, B.A.S.S., Birds, Children, Cities, Disaster Wrecks, Education, England, Fairfest, Family, Farm, Florida, Holidays, Industrial Business, Ireland, Kentucky, Medical, Miscellaneous, Mudrun, Ohio, Outdoor Recreation, Old File, People (odd folk), Plants, Plants and Animals - Zoobot, Poverty, Russia, Russia Winter, Scenic, Science, Senior Citizens, Social, Society SCA, Sports, Teenagers, Tennessee, U.S. History, Virginia, Workmen, West Virginia Arts and Crafts, West Virginia Historic, WV Homes, West Virginia, West Virginia Parks-Forests, West Virginia Schools, and Young People.

Biographical / historical:

William C. Blizzard (December 22, 1916- December 29, 2008) was a journalist, historian, and photographer. Over the course of his career he worked as a photographer and features writer for the Charleston Gazette, as well as publications such as The Nation and Labor's Daily. He also published articles and photographs in many magazines and newspapers. The narrative that would become When Miners March was originally published as a series of articles in Labor's Daily in the 1950s. Wess Harris worked with William C. Blizzard to publish When Miners March as a book in 2004.Blizzard was educated at West Virginia University and the Columbia School of Journalism. He served in the United States Army Air Corps during World War II where he was a photographer. He had a long career as a journalist and photographer, working for many papers and as a free lance writer.

Acquisition information:
Purchased from Wess Harris in 2011.
Arrangement:

The William C. Blizzard Photography Collection consists of 512 hanging sleeves containing up to 20 slides each. This is the collection of a working freelance photographer who organized and labeled his slides by category, and the file numbers reflect Billizard's original file labels. Individual slides are typically labeled with Blizzard's name and contact information.

Physical location:
The collection is stored in a file cabinet in Room 534, McConnell Library.
Physical description:
.