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Photographs in the May 4 Collection: Photographs of Kent State Shootings and Related Events

May 4 Photographs Available Online

The following collections contain photographs that have been digitized and are available online. We hold the original photographs in the Department of Special Collections and Archives for your use, but we encourage you to access these from home through the links below for your convenience and to better preserve the original photographs for future generations.


Annual Commemoration records 

Includes photographs of selected annual commemorations.


Chuck Ayers photographs: Box 189 

The Chuck Ayers collection contains black and white photographs taken on and around May 4, 1970.


Kent State University News Services May 4 photographs: Boxes 28 and 28A 

This collection contains black and white photographs taken by Kent State University News Service, now known as University Communications and Marketing. It consists of photographs taken before, during, and after the Kent State shootings with the bulk taken on May 4, 1970.


William A. Fredrick photographs: Box 29 

This collection contains photographs taken on and around Kent State University campus, during spring 1970, in the time leading up to and including the shootings.


Kent State Shootings Photographs from Various Sources: Box 109 

This collection contains photographs derived from a number of variant sources including images from May 1-4, 1970. This collection includes photographs by the Record-Courier, Ronald P. McNees, Daniel J Smith, Chris Abell, Michael S. Kangas, Jerome P. Stoklas, Larry Shank, and many others.


Ohio State Highway Patrol photographs: Box 191 

This collection contains black and white photographs taken by the Ohio State Highway Patrol during the events leading up to and including the Kent State shootings.


Frank Smith photographs: Box 184 

The Frank Smith photographs collection includes color photographs taken on and after May 4, 1970.


Ralph Solonitz papers and artifacts: Box 73 

The Ralph Solonitz collection contains color photographs taken on and leading up to the Kent State shootings.


Lafayette Tolliver papers and photographs

Lafayette Tolliver was a student photo-journalist at Kent State from 1967-1972. His photography archive contains a large number of image documenting the student protest movement, Black student movement, and May 1970 on campus, among many other subject areas.

May 4 Photographs Not Yet Available Online

The collections listed below contain photographs that you may use in the Reading Room of the Department of Special Collections and Archives, but have not been digitized at this time. For more information on using our collections on-site, consult the Department Info page of our website. For information on accessing these collections from off-site without coming in to our department, please contact us directly at specialcollections@kent.edu to discuss your options with us. 


Emil Dansker May 4 papers: Box 215

The Emil Dansker May 4 papers contain two folders of photographic material. It is important to note that many of these images are copies of photographs taken by Kent State University News Services. To access the Kent State University News Service May 4 photographs collection directly, you can find these images through our Kent State Shootings Digital Archive or view this sub-collection's finding aid


Kent State University Police Department records: Box 81

Contains photographs of demonstrations and rallies leading up to and following the Kent State shootings.


John P. Rowe papers: Box 143

Includes photographs dating from 1970-1990 of May 4 Task Force events, Tent City protests, commemoration events, and related topics.