Harvey Richards

Harvey Richards (August 22, 1912 – April 20, 2001) was an American photographer and filmmaker. During his career, he produced a total of 22 documentaries of various social and political movements during the 1960s and 1970s. Richards died in April 2001 and his works are part of a collection known as the Harvey Richards Media Archive. Since 1978, his films and photographs have been licensed for use in more than 70 documentaries, books, magazine, exhibits, and television productions.

Early life

Richards was born in Sumpter, Oregon in 1912. He grew up in Eugene, Oregon and left school in eighth grade to work. Richards began his career as a merchant seaman at the age of 18, sailing the Pacific, Atlantic, and Mediterranean seas, taking his first ship across the Pacific to China in 1930.

Career March to Sacramento Begins. March 1966, Delano, California. Photo by Harvey Richards. Richards began photography in the 1950s, beginning with a 35-millimeter still camera. His documentaries captured worker conditions and were later distributed to union organizers. The films were not sponsored by the unions so Richards did all the filming and editing independently. He also documented the rush to implement machinery into farms in anticipation of higher labor costs.

From the late 1950s to mid-1960s, Richards focused his documentaries on the Civil Rights Movement in the United States. He filmed in various locations including San Francisco and the southern United States in places such as Mississippi. He covered protests in the San Francisco Bay Area in support of civil rights. Richards also documented the stories of sharecroppers who fought for voting rights in the State of Mississippi.

Richards filmed a series of documentaries in the 1960s and 1970s dealing with environmental issues, mainly Deforestation in the United States and pollution in the San Francisco Bay. He also covered various protests of the Vietnam War, and documented the founding of Women Strike for Peace in 1961. His documentary Warning Warning was also used to help build support for the nonprofit organization Save the Bay.

Later life and death Richards died in 2001. He was survived by his wife Alice Schott Richards (who died in 2011), and his two sons, Paul and Steffen Richards. Paul also authored Critical Focus, The Black and White Photographs of Harvey Wilson Richards, a book with images of his father's work from the 1960s and 1970s. The book was published in 1987, the same year the photos and films became available for licensing through the Harvey Richards Media Archive.

Since 1978, his film and photos have been licensed for use in more than 70 documentaries, books, magazine, exhibits, and television productions. Two featured films that used his footage include Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas and Eyes on the Prize, a 14-hour PBS Documentary.