The collection came to the Berea College Special Collections and Archives in four separate parts over a period of time from August 2000 to January 2013.  The photographs and records were roughly arranged upon arrival to the Archives.  During processing, original order was preserved when possible and the photographs and records and were processed into the following nine series:

Series 1: Berea College and Community

Series 2: War on Poverty

Series 3: Mountain Churches

Series 4: Mill Creek

Series 5: Marie Cirillo “In Our Own Way”

Series 6: Save the Children

Series 7: Kentucky Craft Guild

Series 8: Identifying Family Strengths in Appalachia

Series 9: Literature, Supporting Documents, and Interview

A small sample of his photos have been digitized and are available here: https://berea.access.preservica.com/archive/sdb%3Acollection%7Ce8e71911-60cf-48d1-b0d4-0bae5f8d15f0/

Warren Brunner (1928 -   ) is a professional photographer known for his portraits of the Appalachian people and region.   A native of Wisconsin, Brunner took his first photography job at age sixteen with the Eau Claire Leader-Telegram, leading to an apprenticeship with a Master Photographer and studies at the Winona Institute of Photography in Indiana. Brunner moved to Berea in 1954 to operate a photography studio owned by Mrs. Mattson, which he then took ownership of in 1960.  Brunner has lived and worked in Berea ever since, dividing his time between the family photography studio and his travels documenting life in the farther Appalachian region.   Brunner’s wife Patricia “Pat” Parker Brunner, an artist and native of Western North Carolina, accompanied him on his travels and the couple approach photography as a team effort.  

Warren Brunner is best known for his 1960s photographs documenting the War on Poverty and the work of Appalachian Volunteers, which have been published in TIME Magazine and displayed at the Smithsonian Institution.   Known for the cultural sensitivity reflected in his photographs and his personal commitment to the Appalachian people, Brunner has worked with over thirty government and nonprofit agencies, including the Save the Children Federation, Christian Appalachian Project, Kentucky Guild of Artists and Craftsmen, Appalachia Science In The Public Interest, the Hindman Settlement School, the Council of Southern Mountains, the Mountain Association for Community Economic Development, the Sierra Club, and Kentuckians For The Commonwealth.   Brunner has collaborated with numerous Appalachian scholars and activists including Al Fritsch, Deborah Vansau McCauley, Marie Cirillo, Cratis Williams, Gurney Norman, Bob Gates, Loyal Jones and Tom Boyd.  Warren Brunner is the recipient of the 2007 Lifetime Achievement Award presented by the Southern Highland Craft Guild.   Appalachian author James Still wrote that "Brunner has helped Appalachia see and remember itself.” 

As of 2015, Warren and Pat Brunner still live in Berea and are organizing their collection of photos for publications and posterity.  Warren continues to travel in the mountains and photograph community life.  The Brunners volunteer at the family photography studio, now owned and operated by their daughter Kara Beth Brunner, when needed.