The Photography at Columbia College Chicago oral history project documents the program taught at the college from the perspective of faculty and alumni. Conducted as part of a larger Columbia College Chicago oral history project focused on capturing oral histories from people who shaped the modern Columbia, these interviews offer personal narrative insights into the evolution and history of the college photography program. Students in the Oral History: The Art of the Interview class taught by Dr. Erin McCarthy, conducted the interviews during two semesters: Fall 2024 and Spring 2025.
The interviews utilized the Columbia College Chicago Oral History Model. While traditional oral history focuses on the individual interviewer and narrator, this model relies on collaboration between oral history faculty and the College Archives and Special Collections. Key components include core interview questions, a digital interview portfolio, and a method to access the oral histories with greater wide access and use by researchers.
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Interview with Peter Fitzpatrick
Alina Yastrebova
Peter Fitzpatrick (he/him), born in Australia, is a photographer and educator. He holds a PhD in Art from Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology University in Melbourne and a Master of Fine Arts from the University of New South Wales, Australia. Before joining Columbia College Chicago in 2011, Fitzpatrick served as Lecturer and Head of Photo Media at the Australian National University. At Columbia, he served as Chair of the Photography Department from 2011- 2019, where he championed mentorship and integrated innovative technologies like artificial intelligence into the curriculum. He teaches photography courses at the college and serves as Special Advisor for Community Engagement. As a photographer, Fitzpatrick has exhibited internationally, exploring themes of cultural identity and photography’s role in storytelling and historical documentation. Length: 78:41. Transcript: 30 pages.
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Interview with Peter Le Grand
Miguel Loza-Sanchez
Peter Le Grand (he/him) is a photographer and professor emeritus at Columbia College Chicago. He was born in Bussum, The Netherlands, and was raised in Naarden, The Netherlands. He received an Associates of Arts from Grand Rapids Community College, a Bachelor of Business Administration from the University of Michigan in Dearborn in Marketing, and a Master of Fine Arts in photography from Governors State University. At Columbia College Chicago, he began as a part-time faculty member and taught photography in 1980, initially teaching Darkroom 101. He then became a full-time faculty member in 1987 and taught Product Photography. In 2011, he became a professor emeritus and has since left the college. He resides in Chicago, still creating photographs, with a focus on nude photography. Length: 84:54. Transcript: 15 pages.
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Interview with Robert Thall
Nathan Worley
Robert (Bob) Thall is a professional photographer and former professor from Columbia College Chicago and was raised in Chicago. He attended the University of Illinois Chicago where he earned a BA in Arts and Design and an MA in Fine Arts in Design and Studio Arts. Thall is known for his several series on Chicago architecture and for his collections on urban Chicago landscapes. These collections have been showcased in dozens of exhibitions all around the world. He began teaching as an adjunct faculty member at Columbia College Chicago in 1978 and became a full time professor in 1983. Thall served as the chair of the photography department at Columbia from 1999-2010. He has since retired but continues his photography career with his collections now focusing on the architecture of all American Cities. Length: 72:12. Transcript: 14 pages.
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Interview with Ross Sawyers
Esai Perez
Ross Sawyers is a professional photographer and educator. He was born in Beaumont Texas and raised in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. He earned a BFA in Photography and New Media at the Kansas City Art Institute and a MFA in Interdisciplinary Visual Art at the University of Washington and has taught at the University of California and at the University of Washington. In 2009, he came to Columbia College Chicago serving as an associate professor in photography at Columbia College Chicago and became interim chair of the department in 2019. His work has been exhibited both nationally and internationally, and is found within numerous public and private collections. As to his philosophy as an education, he states "the most important thing is that a student leaves us with an ability to communicate what they want to communicate through their photographs.” Length: 79:11, Transcript: 27 pages.
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Interview with Stephen Marc Smith
Emonie Coleman
Stephen Marc Smith from Chicago, IL is an accomplished photographer and educator whose career spans more than four decades. A graduate of Pomona College, with a BA in Studio Art, and Columbia College Chicago with an MA in Photography, Stephen has held pivotal roles in photography education. At Columbia College Chicago, he served as the Photo Department advisor, director, and coordinator from 1978 to 1998. He then joined Arizona State University, where he served as a photography professor for 26 years, mentoring generations of new photography artists until he retired in 2024. As a photographer, His work focuses on the richness and diversity of the Black experience as celebrates identity and storytelling through photography. Length: 123:37. Transcript: 48 pages.