Chronology of Rondal Partridge

1917

Born September 4, 1917, in San Francisco to photographer Imogen Cunningham and etcher Roi Partridge.

 

1920-36

Raised near Mills College in Oakland, California, where his father teaches art.

 

1922

Begins to spend time in the darkroom with Imogen. Learns to make sun prints.

 

1932

Begins taking photographs and developing, printing, and selling them to his classmates and neighbors.

 

1934

Partridge begins to assist Dorothea Lange occasionally.

 

1936

Graduates from high school in January and follows the California rodeo circuit, photographing the cowboys. Returns to Berkeley and assists Dorothea Lange for wages of one dollar a week, food, and cigarette money.

 

1937-39

Assistant to Ansel Adams in Yosemite National Park and to Horace Bristol, a San Francisco photographer working on magazine assignments. Continues to work with Dorothea Lange.

 

1940

Works for the National Youth Administration, photographing in the western part of the United States. Photographs archived in the National Archives in Washington, D.C. Works as a photojournalist for Black Star Publishing in New York.

 

1941

Marries Elizabeth Woolpert, a University of California law student. Joins the Navy in October and begins service in Navy Intelligence as a photographer.

 

1945

Daughter, Joan, is born. Partridge, discharged from the Navy in the fall, establishes freelance photographic business, primarily magazine and architectural photography. Extensively photographs his family and the urbanization of California.

 

1947

Son, Joshua John, is born.

 

1951

Daughter, Elizabeth, is born.

 

1953

Daughter, Margaret, is born.

 

1962

Son, Aaron, is born.

 

1963-75

Produces and directs many films: a film of the painter Wayne Thiebaud; a film on Yosemite National Park, "Pave It and Paint It Green," an educational film, "They're Your Kids," and a film of water reflections, "The Water Movie." Partridge also co-created and assembled the multi-media exhibit, "The Magic Lantern," a multi-projector presentation of hand-painted slides for the Oakland Museum of California. During this period Partridge photographed growing environmental and pollution problems in California.

 

1972

Lecturer on photography and film at University of California, Santa Barbara.

 

1973-74

Lecturer on photography and film at California State University, Hayward.

 

1976 to present

Continues with his own photographic work and develops in interest in platinum printing.