History Custom Car Photographer Marcia Campbell 1932 - 2009

Marcia Campbell passed away in September 2009.

The way I remember her...

I never met her, never actually talked to her. But I know she has been of great importance for all custom car enthusiast. And I want to write a few things about her so that everybody can remember here.

I do remember coming across her name a long time ago in an early issue of Hop Up magazine. I was sort of surprised to find out that a woman took those gorgeous photos of a Barris custom. It was a sort of pleasant surprised feeling, especially since I now started to notice her name as a photographer in more and more early 50's custom car magazines. I was always reading about the man involved in the world of custom cars, and this was really the first time that I read about a girl who must have been heavily involved.
I noticed that she took mostly Barris customs. And they where always photographed with style, the perfect angle, and usually a very nice location as well.

Earlier this year I was lucky to visit the Sacramento Autorama Mercury Gathering, and at this show I met John Barris. Sam Barris his son. He had brought with him a wonderful photo book with step by step photos about Sam Barris chopping the first 1949 mercury ever. On the front of the Album it was typed that Marcia Campbell took the photos. Fantastic photos documenting this historic moment in custom car history. Marcia was there at the right time. I talked with many people at that show and this photo book was a very popular theme. Not to many people where really familiar with Marcia's name. But the die-hard custom car enthusiast all knew here. And some told me that Marcia was always around at the Barris shop, always here camera handy. I think that a lot of inn progress photo's from the Barris workshop where made by her, and of coarse by George Barris. I was told that Marcia and the Barris brothers, and especially Sam where very good friends. Marcia had three cars built by Barris. A '29 Model A, a 1942 Ford and a very well known powder blue 1949 Chevy Convertible.

Scan from Marcia's 1949 Chevy by Barris from one of the Barris books



I "secretly" took photos of the entire book that John had brought with him. I had to work fast and with shaken hands from the excitement holding this book with original Marcia Campbell photo, the photos are not 100% perfect.. but still they are among the most valuable digital material I have.
Once I had returned home I started to write some emails and a friend of mine in Las Vegas, David mentioned he had once met Marcia, not to long ago. My friend e mailed Marcia and told here about the book I had photographed, and gave her a link to where she could see the digital files.
She told him she was thrilled to see it again after all these years. And she even left me a short not on my website. I send here several emails, but unfortunately never got a response back from here. My friend told me I had to understand she was an 77 year old woman now, and the computer was not really here thing. Besides that, she apparently lost interest in custom cars many years ago, and disposed her entire custom car photo archive.

A little over a week ago, I received the new Mad Fabricators DVD with the Photography of Barris Customs. In one of the interviews with George Barris he mentions Marcia Campbell. George claims that Marcia, who was a professional photographer, learned him many tricks, and showed him how to handle the camera, what film he needed to you, and showed him a lot of wonderful locations close to the Barris workshop.

A few days after I heard George talk about Marcia in great respect I received an email from Geoff Hacker that Marcia Campbell had passed away.

Geoff was the driving force behind the Dan Post article that appeared in #45 of the Rodder's Journal. And one of the many people Geoff interviewed for this article was Marcia Campbell. Geoff and Marcia had spoken over the phone about the friend ship she had with Dan Post. Dan Post a pioneer in Custom Car publications, used a lot of photos of custom cars taken by Marcia. Some of these photos are among the most beautiful ever taken. And they where first published in Dan Post's Blue Book of Custom restyling.

Below is a section out of the TRJ article on Dan Post about Marcia.

Marcia Campbell was another Post contributor who was instrumental in book production. Campbell was an 
integral part of the California custom car scene and was well known for her cars and her photography. “I never sold any photos, I gave them away,” she recalls. She was friends with Post and contributed photos of many Barris cars to the Post books. Campbell even had her brand-new ’49 Chevy kustomized by Barris. “George threw his hammer through the windshield one time,” she laughs. “We were very close,” she says of Post, “we used to go to swap meets together.” Post and Campbell once chased down a truck hauling a 1911 Ford to a car dealership and Post talked the dealer into swapping it for Campbell’s 1915 model.

Geoff tried to call Marcia in early November 2009 and ask what she thought of the TRJ article on Dan Post. He reached the answering machine, and left a message. The same day he was called back by a friend of Marcia, and told about here passing a few weeks ago. And that Marcia never got to see the Rodder's Journal article.

Marcia Campbell has been a Photographer for most of her live. And until she passed away she was a professional Arctic wildlife photographer, specializing in polar bears. She was even getting ready to go out on a new expedition to the article until her illness made an end to here plans. Marcia Campbell was born on March 15 1932 and 77 years old when she passed away.

I would like to thank Marcia for the wonderful photos of custom cars she has left for us Custom Car Enthusiasts. Her photos where always very elegant, showed the cars from their most prolific angles. And I guess you can say that she managed to make the cars look more glamourous, than ever before.

I'm still researching Marcia, and when I come across more info on her I will add it to this posting.

A few samples of Marcia's Custom Car Photography.

The Photo book that John Barris took to the Sacramento Autorama show in February 2009.






Samples from the book.




Motor Trend Magazine (note that Sam's pants where retouched in the article photo)






Hop Up Cover Photo by Marcia






Dan Post Blue Book samples






Kolorized Photo of a original Marcia Campbell photo

 

Thanks Rikster.

 

Photo donated by Mark Drews




The Matranga Interior photo above has this stamp on the back...




So far this is the only photo I have found of Marcia on the other side of the camera. (found on the hamb)




Marcia took this photo of Dan Post (driver). (thanks to Geoff Hacker)

 

Great read Rik, thanks.
Of course I'm a girl an we're usually on the romantic side and perhaps read too much into things BUT Marcia was young when she was hanging out with the Barris brothers, and Sam was very handsome. Wouldn't surprise me a bit if she had a crush on him, or perhaps they were dating during that time frame. Do you know if she ever married?

 

I dont know at this moment. I know there where a lot of custom cars photographed by Jack Campbell. I think Jack and Marcia are the same person, but at this moment I cannot confirm this. Perhaps Jack was here husband like some say, but I dont think so. I hope to find out more about this in the next couple of days.

 

Thank you Rikster! great history and pics.

I love the colorized matranga picture.

 

Thanks Rik! It was a great read.

 

Great article....

 

Thanks! Rik always a history lesson when I read your posts! some good info right there keep us posted

Conrad

 

You're the best Rik, RIP Marcia.

 

Ya know Rik, every time I read one of your threads its like another piece of the puzzle has been found, Thank you so much for you non-stop research and history lessons. Slim

 

My thoughts, exactly!

 

Great pics,thanks for sharing them.

 

Marcia Campbell------Boy, that's a giant reach back in time. Thanks.........

 

Many thanks for posting that Rik. So sad to hear that Marcia has passed away, my condolences to her family. The last months I've thought about her influence in kustom photography many times, and then recently, when I read about her in the TRJ Dan Post feature it lit some hope; reading that she was still around I hoped that someone would make a good interview with her. Indeed sad to understand that it never will happen.

 

Very unusual for a woman to be a photographer in those days, especially for Customs, she was excellent and thanks for reminding a lot of folks about her and her work....she needs to be remembered....she was a pioneer.

 

Great story rik! Thanks for posting it

 

Sad to hear of her passing. It was an exciting time and she seemed to enjoy her life.

 

Didn't Jeff Neppl (sp?) say that Jerry Quesnel (sp?) is still around. Maybe Jerry would recall her.

 

Rik - great story. You are THE custom historian.

 

Man that was a great read. Thanks



Godspeed to Ms. Campbell

 

Outstanding, thank you for that.

 

Thanks Rikster! Sorry to say, I wasn't familiar with Marcia Campbell before this post.
But thanks to your efforts, another piece of the puzzle has fallen into place.
Please let us know what else you find out...


Scotty

 

Very nice post, Rik...thank you! rip Marcia.

 

Thanks man!

 

Too bad Marcia Campbell is past,, RIP ! I´m very interested to find out more about her work AND her cars! Does anyone have more info about her and her life/photos? I "might" be mistaking now,, but was it once a picture in an older Rodders Journal of her? Earlier than the #45 w Post publications. Does anyone have better order in their pile of TRJ? I´,m looking in all of them now ,,,seaching for that photo ,, IF I remember right she was leaning on the rear of (her car?)a 32 or A roadster,, w caption saying it was the photograper Marcia Campbell. WELL ?? AM I dreming this up ?? Has anyone else seen that picture??

 

Thanks again Rik.

 

Thanks for letting me know which issue of TRJ is was (#5)

Here is the TRJ photo showing Marcia and her 29 model A Ford, Channeed with sectioned 32 Ford grille

 

Very nice to see her get a little recognition. She was an unsung pioneer of early customs.

 

Thanks Rikster! Great story.

Spike