Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts

RANDY TRABOLD

PHOTOGRAPH COLLECTION

The life of Peter Randolph Trabold, better known as Randy, spanned 1917-1980. He was the first full-time news photographer of the North Adams Transcript – a career that lasted 44 years and garnered him numerous awards and professional acknowledgements. Not unfamiliar with the art, Randy’s formative years were spent in his father’s (Peter Trabold) portrait studio, where he learned the fundamentals of photography. Unlike his father, Randy was not satisfied with portrait photography and felt it “offered no outlet” for his imagination, so he turned to news photography (Transcript, 8/31/79). Randy’s work ranged from the seriousness of automobile accidents and fires to the lightheartedness of capturing a family enjoying a warm summer afternoon. His specialty was his photos of children, whom he loved to capture on film. He was honored more than once with an exhibition of his work, including an exhibit organized by the MCLA Department of Fine and Performing Arts. Mr. Trabold retired from the Transcript after years of devoted service on August 31, 1979, and died on February 18, 1980 – just six months later.

The Randy Trabold Photograph Collection web pages were written and designed by Andrea Robare as part of an internship project at MCLA. In addition, Andrea has concluded the first state of organizing and cataloging the collection.

ACCESS TO THE COLLECTION