John M. Hall Photographs 1972-2014

John M. Hall (1952-2019) was a photographer of architecture, interiors, and gardens, working for such magazines as House and Garden, Architectural Digest, Elle Decor, and Veranda. He was also the photographer for numerous books, including Biedermeier, Greek Revival America, Adventures with Old Houses, Designing Women, and Private Gardens of Connecticut. His photography also appeared in The New York Times and the Wall Street Journal. His work has been exhibited in many museums including the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Yale University Art Gallery, and the Museum of Fine Arts Houston.

Hall was born in 1952 and raised in Hurdle Mills, North Carolina, the son of a tobacco farmer. In 1975 he received a BFA degree in architecture with high honors from the College of Design at North Carolina State University, then attended the North Carolina School of the Arts. He then went on to the American Ballet Theatre School in New York City on a full scholarship. In 1977 he moved to Europe and worked as a model in Paris, Milan, and London. In 1981 he returned to New York City and established John M. Hall Photographs. John M. Hall and John C. Waddell were partners for 37 years and were married in 2017. Hall passed away at the age of 66 in 2019.

Hall's classically oriented philosophy of clean lines and symmetry is evident in his photography. When describing a good architectural photograph, Hall said it "always has to read clear, like a good sentence" (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5EPuUUxTR3c, accessed 01/24/2022).

The John M. Hall Photographs Collection contains different photographic formats including slides, transparencies, prints, oversized prints, framed prints, and digital media. Divided into four series, this collection is organized alphabetically and explores topics such as architecture, interior design, abstract art, travel, and private gardens. The collection features Hall's work with Architectural Digest, Elle Decor, Veranda, Designing Women, and others and spans from the 1970s to 2005.

A majority of the collection documents Hall's work with interior design, architectural styles that dominate the South, private and public gardens, and floral details. The scope of this collection is geographically situated in a global context. While a majority of the photographs are situated within the United States, Hall also completed international assignments. There are photos that extend as far as Russia and India, but also Montana and Antigua. This collection covers fifty years, spanning the 1970s to 2014. Topics included in the collection are architecture, interior design, floral details, private gardens, portraits, landscapes, and art. There is also a photo book that contains personal photos of John Hall throughout his life.

Series 1 - The Slides and Transparencies series is comprised of material documenting Hall's work with Designing Women, architecture, and private gardens. Through these slides and transparencies he was able to capture the essence of different architectural styles, private gardens, floral details, and a mixture of individual portraits. In this series viewers can find photographs of colonial style homes, cities traveled to, and individual portraits. This series is arranged alphabetically from architecture to last names and are housed in albums. This series of the collection extends from August 1977 to June 2005.

Series 2 - The 4x5 Color Transparencies series is comprised of material highlighting Hall's work with Veranda, southern architectural styles, interior design, and more individual portraits. In this series, the viewer will find photographs from Elle Decor spreads, Architectural Digest spreads, collaborations with Interior Designer Charlotte Moss, and portraits of individuals and places. This series of the collection extends from 1987 to May 2003.

Series 3 - The Photographic Prints series is a compilation of larger format photographs than the other series. Topics in this series range from travel, architecture, and portraits to abstract art. It includes Indian architecture, abstract photos of sculptures, flowers, and a North Carolina Tobacco barn. This series of the collection spans 1972 to 1995.

Series 4 - The Digital Media series contains CD-ROMs, DVD-ROMs, and hard drives. These media contain TIFF, JPEG, and other file formats of John Hall's various projects.

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[Identification of item], John M. Hall Photographs, MC 00685, Special Collections Research Center, North Carolina State University Libraries, Raleigh, NC

Gift of John C. Waddell, 2020 December (Accession no. 2021.0008)

Processed by: Ari Green, 2021 November; Finding aid written by: Ari Green, 2021 November; Collection proccesed and finding aid updated by Shima Hosseininasab, March 2022; Digital materials processed by Alexander Daniels, 2024 April; File dates updated by William Boyer, 2024 May-July.