\u201cWe\u2019re honored that David Muench has entrusted his life\u2019s work to NAU,\u201d Cruz Rivera said.\u00a0 \u201cIt has the potential to provide significant impacts across our strategic priorities, from educating students and informing researchers who will contribute to a more sustainable future to engaging a global audience of people who share an appreciation for the wonders of our world and excellence in photography.\u00a0 We look forward to sharing it with the world.\u201d<\/p>\n Peter Runge<\/strong>, head of Special Collections and Archives, said the collection\u2019s potential impact was evident to Muench when he and his wife, Ruth Rudner, toured the archives, the library and the NAU campus in the summer of 2019.<\/p>\n \u201cAs we toured, we talked about how we could connect his archival legacy to faculty, curriculum and students, and that really resonated with him,\u201d Runge said.\u00a0 \u201cHis eyes just lit up. He wants to inspire student photographers to continue capturing the art of landscape photography.\u201d<\/p>\n Aside from the collection\u2019s potential integration in support of high-quality academics, which is one element of NAU\u2019s mission, it also connects to the university\u2019s commitment to impactful scholarship, creative endeavors and public service.<\/p>\n \u201cAs we dig deeper, the collection also touches other issues in the world today,\u201d Runge said. \u201cDavid has been making photographs for over 70 years. Over the course of that time frame, his work not only documents a landscape in time; it also documents change over time, such as environmental change, changes to Indigenous and ancestral lands, changes brought on by wildfire and water, etc. These issues were not necessarily the intent of these photographs; however, they will have a new impact beyond their aesthetic quality and purpose. That\u2019s one of the many aspects of David\u2019s collection that excites me.\u201d<\/p>\n Though Muench was born in California and now calls Montana home, he has photographed northern Arizona extensively, from the bottom of the Grand Canyon to the top of the San Francisco Peaks, which hold a special place in his heart, Runge said.<\/p>\n \u201cDavid said he comes to the San Francisco Peaks to balance himself and center himself,\u201d Runge said. \u201cHe feels a spiritual connection to the Peaks. Having his archival legacy situated in one of his favorite locations is fitting.\u201d<\/p>\n Special Collections and Archives is already home to the photographic archives of Josef Muench, David Muench\u2019s father, who was a photographer for Arizona Highways <\/em>for more than 50 years.\u00a0 While Josef Muench\u2019s work focused heavily on the Southwest, David Muench\u2019s work includes the Southwest but also demonstrates a global scope, Runge said.<\/p>\n \u201cDavid\u2019s work uses a unique style or technique that he calls \u2018near\/far\u2019,\u201d Runge said.\u00a0 \u201cHe often has an object in the foreground, but frequently it\u2019s the background that\u2019s the important thing.\u00a0 For example, you may have a rock or a tree in the foreground that frames and contextualizes the background.\u201d<\/p>\n The Muench donation encompasses a massive collection of material: transparencies, slides, prints and framed exhibit pieces; digital content; books andother publications. There are even a few cameras.<\/p>\n The collection is being transferred to Cline Library from four locations in three Western states.\u00a0 The materials collected at the first location in New Mexico filled two 18-foot-long box trucks (refrigerated trucks are used to ensure the photographic materials don\u2019t buckle, warp or melt) to the brim. A subsequent trip to a first California location filled a third 18-foot truck to capacity; a final trip to a fourth California location filled a cargo van. The materials from the three trips are now housed in Special Collections and Archives; the final batch of materials\u2014digital files housed in Montana\u2014will be transferred to the archives by the end of the year.<\/p>\n When the last image is transferred, a collection that had been in dispersed locations will then be united in view of the San Francisco Peaks.<\/p>\n As the pieces of the collection are brought into the archives at NAU, archivists are recording baseline information that will help them prioritize and prepare the collection for access. Once the entire collection is onsite, the archivists will be able to fully assess the collection and develop a plan to make it available to users. Student employees and interns will participate in the archival arrangement and description activities that will lead to access to the collection, a once-in-a-lifetime learning opportunity for them.<\/p>\n Dean and University Librarian Cynthia Childrey<\/strong> is excited to see the Muench collection coming together at Cline Library and about the potential that the photographer\u2019s gift holds for the future.<\/p>\n \u201cIt has been one of the most thrilling experiences of my career to watch the David Muench Collection arrive at Cline Library and to have the opportunity to meet him and talk with him about his work,\u201d Childrey said. \u201cWe are honored that he has entrusted us with preserving and providing access to the David Muench Collection for generations to come.\u00a0 We\u2019re also incredibly excited about the learning and research opportunities it brings to our doorstep.\u201d<\/p>\n Given the size and scope of the collection, it will require significant time and effort before it is available for use. Runge anticipates significant demand to access it from far beyond NAU and northern Arizona, which already attracts world-class landscape photographers due to its natural beauty.<\/p>\n \u201cWe anticipate a community forming around it,\u201d Runge said. \u201cIt has the potential to attract photographers, artists and others to Special Collections and Archives to explore the collection.\u00a0 There is a lot that people have not seen.\u201d<\/p>\n Archives staff plan to provide periodic updates as materials are processed and made available to users. For more information, visit the\u00a0David Muench page<\/a> on the Special Collections and Archives website.<\/p>\n You can also make a difference in the lives of Lumberjacks by donating to the NAU Foundation\u2019s\u00a0Special Collections and Archives Fund<\/a>. Your gift will help support the preservation of and accelerated access to The David Muench Photographs.<\/p>\n Laura Rose Taylor | Cline Library<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"![\"A](\"http:\/\/in.nau.edu\/news\/wordpresst\/uploads\/sites\/153\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/P-9407.jpg\")
Connecting a legacy<\/strong><\/h3>\n
Uniting a collection<\/strong><\/h3>\n
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