Collections

The Jerome, Arizona mining photographs consist of 56 photographs (including 33 real photograph postcards) related to mining operations, anti-labor vigilantism, and Arizona scenery.

Most of these images appear to have been taken by an anonymous photographer who referred to himself as "Bob" and who may have been associated with a Philadelphia-based contracting firm, Charles A. Sims & Co., that was hired by the United Verde Mine. Many of the photographs have handwritten captions and bear evidence of having previously been mounted in a scrapbook; many captions have been rendered partially illegible after being affected during the removal process. The captions directly refer to details within the photographs, particularly related to mining operations.

A total of 33 real photo postcards are present, including 14 locally produced images by The Fotoplace and Areldson Studio. Several real photo postcards bear correspondence, and "Bob" appears to have sent some of these images to a woman named "Kitty."

Items of particular interest include at least two photographs depicting J. E. O'Rourke (the superintendent of the United Verde Mine); multiple views of Jerome, Arizona, including street and bird’s-eye views; multiple views of mining facilities and encampments; three images of Native Americans (likely Yavapai); two views of the Montezuma Castle cliff dwellings; a view of stalactites taken from the inside of a cavern; and eight images documenting the expulsion of I.W.W. strikers in Jerome in July 1917 by local citizens who were organized into a vigilance committee. Also present are at least five images taken near present-day Tonto Basin, Arizona, north of the Theodore Roosevelt Dam, which may be associated with another project on which the Charles A. Sims & Co. firm was contracted. While the dam itself does not appear in any of these images, the photographer wrote that the area depicted was to be inundated. Since the dam was constructed by the U.S. Reclamation Service between 1903 and 1911, these images are likely older than those taken in Jerome.

For a complete list of the collection’s contents, see the Detailed Box and Folder Listing section below.

The Shriners' excursion tour photograph albums (2 volumes, each 15.5 x 20 cm) contain 95 photoprints of photographs taken during a cross-country train and ship excursion by a group of Shriners ca. 1898.

The Shriners' excursion tour photo albums (2 volumes, each 15.5 x 20 cm) contain 95 photoprints of photographs taken during a cross-country train and ship excursion by a group of Shriners ca. 1898. Images show a range of different places around the United States, including: St. Joseph, Missouri; Des Moines, Iowa; Big Spring, Texas; Phoenix and Tuscon, Arizona; Redlands, San Francisco, and Los Angeles, California; and Honolulu, Hawaii. The Shriner group appears to have chartered their train as there are photographs documenting a train breakdown in Arizona and stops in various stations show it to be decorated with banners. Several images includes women and young boys wearing fezzes, indicating that families participated in the trip. There are also several photographs of cowboys and Native Americans in Arizona and Texas. Images taken in California include views of Los Angeles rooftops, Golden Gate Park and San Francisco Bay, Mt. Shasta and San Bernadino, and palms and a grapefruit grove at Baldwin's Ranch in Redlands. There are several images of ships including the S.S. Sierra, the committee boat Fearless, a quarantine boat, an Austrian training ship at Honolulu, the American battleship U.S.S. Wisconsin, and unidentified ocean steamers in San Francisco Bay.

The albums are half bound with red leather bindings, have red cloth boards and are housed in light blue boxes.