Andy Hanson Photographs and Papers

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About the Collection

The Andy Hanson collection is an important visual record of Dallas history, circa 1955-2008. The archive of more than 79,000 prints and 373,000 negatives provides a "who’s who" of Dallas residents and notable figures who visited the city during this time period. Hanson’s photographs portray national and local politicians, business leaders, musicians, singers, stage, movie and television stars, comedians, authors, artists, athletes, opera virtuosi, and other noteworthy Dallas visitors and residents.

Andrew “Andy” Anthony Hanson (1932-2008) worked as a press photographer for the Dallas Times Herald newspaper from 1960 until 1991. Hanson’s interest in photography started at age ten with his first camera and a darkroom in the family garage. Andy attended Texas A&I University, Kingsville, Texas (now Texas A&M University, Kingsville), and was editor and photographer of the campus newspaper and yearbook. After completing his B.S. in journalism at the University of Houston, he worked as a full-time photojournalist for the Houston Post. In 1960, Andy moved to Dallas to join the photography staff of the Dallas Times Herald until the newspaper closed in December 1991. Hanson continued working as a freelance photographer in Dallas until his death.