The U. Roberto (Robin) Romano Papers

Portrait of U. Roberto (Robin) Romano riding a bus in Mexico.

U. ROBERTO (ROBIN) ROMANO

Written by Brooke Foti, University of Connecticut

BIRTH: New York, New York, February 8th, 1956, to Clorinda (Corcia) Romano and WPA muralist Umberto Romano

EDUCATION: Amherst College, BA Interdisciplinary Scholar, 1980

FILM & TELEVISION CREDITS: Stolen Childhoods: Producer, Co-Director, Director of Photography, Stills; Children in the Fields: Producer, Director, Director of Photography; Freedom Awards: Director of Photography, Stills; Fields of Peril: Director, Director of Photography, Still Photographer; The Dark Side of Chocolate: Co-Director, Director of Photography; The Harvest/La Cosecha: Producer, Director, Director of Photography; Shady Chocolate: Co-Director, Director of Photography; The Same Heart: Cinematographer

DEATH: New York, November 1, 2013

U. Roberto (Robin) Romano was an award-winning, prolific human rights documentarian who was fully immersed in the worldwide issues of children’s rights, child labor, and slavery. In addition to the feature-length films that he produced, Robin amassed a substantial collection of still photographs that continue to serve as a vital resource for many – including researchers, NGOs, and educators. He was an educator & lecturer in both the fields of Human Rights and Visual Media (NYU, Columbia, RISD), as well as a vocal children’s rights activist; among his speaking credits are the Frank Porter Graham Lecture (University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill, 2005), the Gene & Georgia Mittelman Distinguished Lecture in the Arts (University of Connecticut, 2006), and a panel discussion on Capitol Hill in 2010 on behalf of the CARE Act. He is remembered as a champion of children’s rights and child labor victims through his legacy of visual documentation and advocacy.

Browse biographical materials in the repository

Browse the complete Robin Romano Chronology & Bibliography Timeline

Featured Blog Posts:

Remembering Robin Romano, B. Pittman
Human Rights Photographer’s Collection Donated to UConn, S. Zack
Archiving Robin Romano’s Work, C. Ortega-Berger The Romano Papers: An Introduction to Archiving The Collection, B. Foti