About

1/2 inch; photographic.
20 gelatin silver prints
1 color print

Collection Description

George Keaton, a professional photographer, was born on October 15, 1933. The son of Lula Mae and Zeno Keaton, he grew up in East Dallas and attended public schools there, graduating from Lincoln High School in 1953. Keaton was introduced to cameras by his uncle and photography during high school, when he worked at Dallas's Anderson Studio under African American photographer Edwin Anderson.

While still in high school Keaton shot high school dances and graduation exercises and received most of his training while working at the Anderson Studio. He was drafted in 1954 and served in the U. S. Army at Fort Bliss during the Korean Conflict. After discharge Keaton worked a factory job during the day and at night photographed musicians and patrons of Dallas nightclubs and dancehalls.

Keaton established his own studio about 1965 and has maintained one since then. Not always able to support himself exclusively through photography, Keaton worked part time during the 1960s as an apartment manager, retail salesman, and as a lifeguard. About 1981 he was able to continue photography on a full-time basis.

An oral history with Keaton and examples of his work appear in Portraits of Community: African American Photography in Texas (Austin: Texas State Historical Association, 1996).

The collection consists of selected examples of Keaton's commercial portraiture, made during the 1970s and 1980s, documenting Dallas, Texas-area musicians and performers. Except for one color print, all are black and white. The bulk of the collection remains with the photographer.

Arrangement: prints arranged alphabetically by subject.

Copyright and permissions: Prints for research and study only. Permission to reproduce required from photographer.

Source: George Keaton

See also: Oral History Collection