Mary Engel, Archivist/Consultant/Filmmaker

Mary Engel is a consultant, award winning filmmaker, director of the Orkin/Engel Film and Photo Archive, and founder of the American Photography Archives Group, APAG.

Photo by Rita Rivera

Mary Engel has been the director of the Ruth Orkin Photo Archive since its inception in 1985. She is the author of “THE PHOTO ARCHIVE HANDBOOK: What You Need To Know” which is the only handbook that exists for managing photography archives. 

She handles the management of the Orkin/Engel Film and Photography Archive (which incorporated her father Morris Engel’s archive on his death in 2005) including sales, licensing, marketing, legal issues, preservation and social media. Engel works with photography galleries, museums and auction houses in the United States and abroad. She has published four catalogs of photography. Mary recently wrote the introduction and served as co-editor on Ruth Orkin: A Photo Spirit, published in 2021. 

Engel’s first film “Ruth Orkin: Frames of Life” premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in 1996, and went on to screen at many other festivals. The film was selected by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences as one of the “Outstanding Documentaries of 1996.” Her film “Morris Engel: The Independent” premiered on Turner Classic Movies, TCM in 2009. Engel is also a contributing producer of “Ordinary Miracles: The Photo League’s New York” released in 2011. 

 

In 2022, Engel lectured at the National Arts Club and she also gave zoom presentations during for her alma mater, Washington University in St. Louis and the East Bay Photo Collective. 

She has participated on panels at POWarts and Photoville, and has lectured at Harvard University, New York University, Brooklyn Historical Society, St. Louis Art Museum, Central Park Conservancy, and has appeared at the Avon Theater, (Stamford, CT), Loews Jersey (Jersey City, NJ) Film Forum (New York, NY) and the Egyptian Theater (Park City, Utah). She has been published in The New York Times, the American Society of Media Photographers magazine, Photo District News and Film Comment.

Engel is the 2017 recepient of the Griffin Museum of Photography – Focus Spotlight Award. She also completed the 2017 Seminar on Strategy for Artist-Endowed Foundation Leaders presented by the Aspen Institute Artist-Endowed Foundations Initiative (AEFI).

Engel is also a consultant to archives and photography studios for legacy management and planning the future of where archives will end up. 

 

  • Productions
  • Ruth Orkin: Frames of Life (Writer, Producer, and Director) 1995 premiered at Sundance
  • “Ordinary Miracles: New York’s Photo League” (Contributing Producer) 2011
  • “Living Liberty: The Life Story of Jennifer Stewart” (Writer, Producer, and Director) 2007 Unreleased
  • “Morris Engel: The Independent” (Writer, Producer and Director) 2004 premiered on TCM
  • “Little Fugitive” -remake (Producer) 2004
  • “A World History of Women Photographers” (Contributing Producer) 1988 premiered at the NYPL

Education

  • Washington University in St. Louis, B. A. 

Awards

  • Griffin Museum of Photography – Focus Spotlight Award, 2017 – for Mary Engel/APAG 
  • “Ruth Orkin: Frames of Life” selected OUTSTANDING DOCUMENTARY OF 1996 by the ACADEMY OF MOTION PICTURE ARTS AND SCIENCES; Premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in 1996 and over 20 other festivals around the world; First Prize, Long Island Film Festival; Silver Plaque, Documentary, Chicago Film Festival

Affiliations

AFTRA/SAG; ARTtable; ASMP; POWart

Consulting

I have consulted with over 30 photographers and archives to assist placing their work with  galleries and museums world wide. I spend time reviewing an archive first, so  I’m well versed in what their needs might be, such as  how to begin, how much they should spend on archive resources, when to get involved with auctions, how to go after copyright infringements, legal issues that arise, database solutions, social media and any other relevant issues. 

I work directly with a photographer or archive on whatever they need assistance with. If their desire is to create a book, have an exhibit, meet a curator, find a dealer, get into the auction market, or work on a comprehensive strategic  plan. It is important to begin legacy planning while a photographer is alive. There are also 10 tips I suggest be done immediately, which includes signing every single print in an archive. 

My comprehensive experience is evident by the sucess with my mother Ruth Orkin’s archive.  We have had a major NYC show for her centennial, and now have three exhibitions in Europe, and four new books this year.  I work with curators at many major museums, dealers all over the country, auction houses, do licensing and promote the work in many other ways. 

I have compiled a small group of trusted and experienced archive and photography professionals who assist me in the challenges of saving, preserving and promoting the legacy of a photography archive. 

 

Archive and Legacy Planning Assistance:

Licensing Guidance: To generate revenue and promote the archive, I will provide licensing advice. This will include identifying potential clients for commercial use, establishing licensing agreements and negotiating fair terms on behalf a photographer’s work.

Galleries, Museums, and Auctions: To generate revenue and promote the archive, I will provide advice and collaborate with reputable galleries and art institutions to facilitate exhibitions featuring works from the photographer’s collection. Since a key objective is to secure placements within prestigious museums and cultural institutions. I will also work with curators and museum professionals to place photos in their collections.

Legal and Appraisal Advice: Navigating legal matters and getting fair appraisals are paramount in protecting the archive and getting the most value out of it. I will refer attorneys who can ensure the archive’s rights are safeguarded, licensing agreements are correct, and copyright issues are addressed.

Exhibition Planning: Work on a exhibition proposal, and review possible museums and institutions that might be appropriate. 

Book Publishing: Will review the book industry and assist with targeting a specific book project and possible publishers.  Review distribution and explain how to study the market. 

Social Media and Promotion: Develop a social media presence on the top social media sites including Instagram to promote the work, facilitate sales, and cement a legacy in the online world. It is also essential to have a current and relevant website to showcase all the work, bio and press.

Inventory Analysis:  Create an inventory analysis of the archive. This analysis will involve cataloging and assessing the quality, historical significance, condition, and value of the most important photographs we find.  It can be a summary, or more detailed master list.  However, generally it never needs to include everything in an archive.

Ephemera: It is essential to keep most of the ephemera as it can give you clues to the back story of photographs, dates or people who were in the photos.  Reviewing and deciding what to keep and what to scan or throw away is an essential part of this process.

Creation of a Database: This database will allow for easy access, organization, and retrieval of photographs, by labeling them in the standard format.  It will also give us the ability to track licensing agreements and revenue generated from each image.

Fee Structure: Hourly or  Monthly – please email Mary Engel for further info – mary@maryengel.me