Provided below is information on how to find descriptions of Kubrick’s photographic assignments ("jobs") housed in the Prints & Photographs Division. Also included is information about how to access the limited number of Kubrick’s LOOK images that have been digitized and details about conducting in-person research to view images and other collection documentation that may be helpful.

Online Descriptions and Images

Digitized Images

As researchers purchase digital copies of individual negative frames, those images are added to the online catalog. Some LOOK online records for digitized images contain more information than others. Some have item level descriptions while others include only the LOOK Job number.

• The most comprehensive way to locate Kubrick images that have been digitized is to search the LOOK job number. Some records will have a generic title, "Digital display record..." For instance, images from LOOK - Job 46-2744, Shadow story, can be found by searching "LOOK - Job 46-2744."
• For items that have more extensive item level description, you can also search for Kubrick LOOK and focus the results on those that are online.

Viewing Undigitized Images and Other Resources

Very little of Kubrick’s work for LOOK has been digitized. An on-site visit is generally necessary to conduct comprehensive research.

Depending upon what was received with the collection, LOOK Jobs can include contact sheets and photocopies of article pages that include published images, and/or negatives. Contact sheets and photocopies can be viewed on site in the reading room; no advance appointment is needed. Staff can assist you in submitting a call slip to view the material.

In some instances, a job contains negatives and no corresponding contact sheets. Negatives are stored off-site and are usually not served to researchers in order to preserve the fragile originals. However, if no contact sheets exist:

• if the negatives are listed as safety negatives, arrangements can be made in advance to view the negatives in the reading room; please submit requests at least 14 days in advance to allow time for retrieval from off-site cold storage.
• if the negatives are listed as nitrate negatives they cannot be served because of legal restrictions on transport of nitrate film. The nine Kubrick Jobs listed below do not have contact sheets and consist of nitrate negatives. The only way to view these at present would be to purchase through Library of Congress Duplication Services, which might be able to assist in cutting costs by contact printing strips of negatives; duplication orders involving nitrate negatives can take several months to complete because of the remote location of the materials.
  • LOOK Job 47-A23
  • LOOK Job 47-1139
  • LOOK Job 47-1259
  • LOOK Job 48-G49
  • LOOK Job 48-H60
  • LOOK Job 48-N69
  • LOOK Job 49-O8
  • LOOK Job 49-U20
  • LOOK Job 49-U31

Photographers Log Book

The LOOK Collection includes a log book that was maintained by the magazine: typewritten sheets of paper listing photographic assignments by photographer name. There are two sections of the log book: assignments listed alphabetically by photographer name and assignments filed roughly in chronological order. The chronological section of the log book can show Kubrick’s work in context with the other photographers working at the same time. There are eleven pages listing Kubrick Job assignments. Special arrangements must be made to view the log books.