University of Arizona

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Ken Wolfgang Collection

Ken Wolfgang Filming on a Narrow Gauge Train in Austria

Ken Wolfgang Collection, 1959-2010 (bulk 1957-1993). This collection is comprised of the travelogue films and photographs produced by Ken Wolfgang and related materials including film production and promotional materials, correspondence, cultural artifacts, and ephemera. The bulk of the collection relates to his career as a director of travelogue films produced by his own film company, Kensharo Productions based in Sonoita, Arizona. The collection includes completed versions of his films, outtake footage, audio, as well as photographic materials produced while filming on location. The travelogue films Ken Wolfgang produced were renowned for their realistic depictions of cultures from a myriad of regions including Mexico, Austria, India, and Japan. The films documented ordinary citizens engaged in their daily lives using the cinema verite technique. Also included in the collection are photographic materials including scrapbooks which contain ephemera such as film promotional materials, newspaper articles and reviews concerning his films, correspondence discussing the production of his films, and paper production materials such as shot lists, scripts, and production diaries.

The collection consists primarily of 16mm Kodachrome film that contains no audio. Also included in the collection are color and black and white photographic materials, audio materials, promotional paper materials, film production documents, correspondence, and artifacts such as Japanese dolls, ceremonial clothing, and Samurai swords. The collection also contains non travelogue film photographic material shot by Ken Wolfgang including photographic albums documenting various locations around Japan, Austria, Mexico, and Arizona as well as photographic material documenting family and personal history. The Collection also contains research and publication materials from Tucson Then and Now, a manuscript produced by Ken Wolfgang and his wife Dr. Kendra Gaines documenting the history of the Tucson, Arizona region. These materials consist of photographs, newspaper articles, and literature documenting the early history of Tucson, Arizona as well as several manuscripts of Tucson Then and Now.