Collections

The Henry M. Wheeler photoprint collection consists of approximately 719 images of colonial architecture and historical locations in Massachusetts from ca. 1889 to 1915.

The Henry M. Wheeler photoprint collection consists of approximately 719 images of colonial architecture and historical locations in Massachusetts from ca. 1889 to 1915. The collection is mainly composed of 10 x 15 cm silver platinum, platinotype, and gelatin silver prints as well as 15 x 20.5 cm cyanotypes. A couple of manuscript notes are also present. Much of the focus is on eastern Massachusetts, centering on Wheeler’s hometown of Worcester. Photographs show residential architecture from the 17th century, unidentified colonial homes, and contemporary architecture from Wheeler's day and age. Many of the historical structures documented here were in danger of vanishing during Wheeler's lifetime, and many have long since been destroyed. Other photographs show natural landscapes, noteworthy trees, country roads, parks, public and educational buildings, farms, monuments, bridges, milestones, and gravestones as well as images of famous paintings, engravings, and lithographs. Also included are a small number of images related to Washington, D.C., Maine, and New Hampshire. Wheeler likely took the vast majority of these photographs, though there are several instances where he credited the original sources of certain images. The collection materials were removed from the original album volumes they were stored in and have been rehoused in three 3-ring binder albums and three flat boxes. Most photographs also have original reference numbers that were used by Wheeler to organize the collection.

In addition to this finding aid, the Clements Library has created the Henry M. Wheeler Photoprint Collection Inventory. This inventory lists items according to volume/box location and includes references to specific page/mat numbers, image descriptions (most of which are derived from captions originally inscribed by Wheeler on photograph versos), and photographic formats.

The Ismailia-Damascus pilgrimage photograph albums consist of a three-volume set containing approximately 260 photographs taken during an Ismailia Shriner pilgrimage trip in 1902 to the western United States and an undated expedition overseas to various places in Greece, Egypt, Turkey, Palestine, Syria, Algeria, Lebanon, and Italy.

Volume 1 (23 x 25 cm) contains approximately 98 photographs pertaining to an overseas Shriner expedition to various locations around the Mediterranean Sea region including sites in North Africa, western Asia, and southern Europe. It is unclear when this expedition took place, though it likely occurred ca. 1902. Many of the sites visited by the group are related to biblical stories, events, and personages. Images of particular interest include the Lion's Gate at Mycenae (pg. 1); the Arch of Hadrian in Athens (pg. 3); the supposed tree under which Mary and Joseph rested in the Land of Goshen (pg.8); ruins from a "last stand" made by European Crusaders (pg. 11); the Plain of Sharon (pg. 12); the Great Pyramid (pg. 14); a "Nilo-meter" on the River Nile (pg. 14); an elevated view of Istanbul (pg. 16); a group of Greek Klephts marching in traditional uniforms (pg. 17); Tiberias (pg. 18); a tour boat conducted by guides of Nassaire, Farajallah & Co. (pg. 19); Jerusalem's Damascus Gate (pg. 21); the bell tower on the Mount of Olives (pg. 24); the Monastery of Choziba (pg. 24); the Mosque of Amr in Cairo (pg. 28); ancient Egyptian ruins at Luxor (pg. 30); the public square in Corinth where Paul was said to have preached (pg. 31); Bisharin villagers near Aswan (pg. 34); a waterfront view of Algiers (pg. 35); Pompeii (pg. 36); Job's Wall in Silwan, Palestine (pg. 40); the Bosporus Strait (pg. 41); Haifa (pgs. 43 & 45); Damascus (pg. 46); Ba'labakk (pgs. 47 & 48); and Hotel Fast in Jerusalem (pg. 49). Many but not all of the images have inscribed captions on their versos. A loose cartoonish engraving/etching of a bald man with a moustache wearing Arabic clothing while riding a camel titled "Dr. Walter D. Greene" is also present inside the front cover. The album is string bound in black leather covers with the word "Photographs" embossed in gold on front.

Volume 2 (18.5 x 27.5 cm) contains approximately 98 photographs related to the Ismailia-Damascus Pilgrimage of 1902. Images of particular interest include a cyanotype of B.W. Rowell (pg. 1); a group portrait of the travelling party at the railroad station in McFarlan, Kansas (pg. 5); scenes from Pikes Peak, Colorado (pgs. 7-23); views of the Garden of the Gods (pgs. 24, 25, 28-36 & 38); the Royal Gorge (pgs. 37, 39, 40, 42 & 44); Glenwood Springs, Colorado (pgs. 47-49, 57 & 58); the Mormon Tabernacle and Salt Lake Temple (pgs. 52-54); Monterey Bay, California (pgs. 64-66 & 67); Santa Barbara, California (pgs. 68-71); Mount Shasta and Shasta Springs (pgs. 73-77); natural landscapes in Oregon (pgs. 81-86); and a ferry boat on the Columbia River (pgs. 91-96). The album is bound in red leather covers with the words "Photographs of the Ismailia-Damascus Pilgrimage 1902; Compliments of B.W. Rowell, Imperial Recorder; To Walter D. Greene" embossed in gold on front.

Volume 3 (18.5 x 27.5 cm) contains approximately 63 photographs related to the Ismailia-Damascus Pilgrimage of 1902. Images of particular interest include scenes from Spokane, Washington (pgs. 1-3); geysers at Yellowstone's Norris Basin (pgs. 12-22) and Upper Basin (pgs. 27-36); Yellowstone Lake (pgs. 39-43); Yellowstone's Upper and Lower Waterfalls and Grand Canyon (pgs. 46-51); Shriner Caleb Saunders posing with a haul of fish (pg. 52); and Walter D. Greene posing with his wife Mary L. Greene (pg. 55), an unidentified fellow "manager" of the pilgrimage (pg. 56), and alongside George F. Loder and a man identified as "Gass" (pg. 57). The album is bound in red leather covers with the words "Photographs of the Ismailia-Damascus Pilgrimage 1902; Compliments of B.W. Rowell, Imperial Recorder; To Walter D. Greene" embossed in gold on front.

The Jacob Myers & Sons photograph album contains 80 photographs taken between 1906 and 1912 of various structures including large private residences, institutional buildings, and city dwellings that were built or renovated by prominent Philadelphia-based construction company Jacob Myers & Sons.

The Jacob Myers & Sons photograph album contains 80 photographs taken between 1906 and 1912 of various structures including large private residences, institutional buildings, and city dwellings that were built or renovated by prominent Philadelphia-based construction company Jacob Myers & Sons. The album (30 x 22.5 cm) is hard-bound with a green leather cover and includes photographs showcasing a number of construction projects in various stages of completion. The photographs appear to cover a period of time from 1906 to 1912. No clear identifications are provided regarding who produced the album, however there are indications that the locations represented are primarily in eastern Pennsylvania and that they relate to jobs performed by Jacob Myers & Sons.

The album may possibly have been used as a company sample book by Jacob Myers & Sons in order to attract new customers. In one photograph on pg. 41, there is visible signage indicating that work was being done by "Jacob Myers & Sons, Builders." A sequence of photographs on pgs. 47-75 also shows the construction of Drown Hall at Lehigh University, a project that Myers was known to have bid on in August of 1906. The construction of Drown Hall is documented extensively with photographs taken every few months from foundation to completion. Extensive renovation of an unidentified farmhouse is also photographed from start to finish over a three-month period. Another building shown on pg. 15 has been identified as "Dolobran," the home of Clement Griscom in Haverford, Pennsylvania. While there is no confirmation that Myers ever worked on this house, he was known to have been very active in residential building in that area around the time when Dolobran underwent a major renovation.

The James F. Johnson railroad photograph album contains approximately 115 photographs including technical images related to railroad machinery and the oil industry in Florida and Pennsylvania during the late 1920s.

The James F. Johnson railroad photograph album contains approximately 115 photographs including technical images related to railroad machinery and the oil industry in Florida and Pennsylvania during the late 1920s. The album (14 x 21 cm) is string-bound with black leather covers. Images of particular interest include photographs of trains on what appears to be the Florida East Coast Railway, identified friends and coworkers of album creator James F. Johnson (a railroad test observer in Florida and Pennsylvania during the 1920s), engine components, trials of various engines, and interiors of rail cars and instruction laboratories. Also included are images of drilling for oil and oil storage tanks in both Florida and Pennsylvania, general scenic views of Franklin (Pennsylvania), Saint Augustine (Florida), and the Florida Keys, as well as an image of a Shriners' convention in Miami. An envelope containing 7 additional photos is also laid in.

The Japanese tea production photograph album (15 x 23 cm) contains 12 hand-tinted gelatin silver prints pertaining to tea production in Japan ca. 1910.

The Japanese tea production photograph album (15 x 23 cm) contains 12 photographs pertaining to tea production in Japan ca. 1910. Photographs depict workers at various stages of processing tea, including picking, weighing, drying, transporting, and selling. Men, women, and children are represented performing various tasks. Also included are two photographs showing Japanese women in traditional clothing presenting and drinking tea.

The album has a coarse brown cloth cover with a painted design of two women picking tea and is tied with green string. Housed in gray board wrap with blue cloth spine.

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 Lakefront Michigan cottage photograph album contains approximately 440 images documenting the construction of a family lake cottage likely located in lower Michigan.

The Lakefront Michigan cottage photograph album contains approximately 440 images documenting the construction of a family lake cottage likely located in lower Michigan. The album (18.5 x 29 cm) has black cloth covers. Photographs include views of a work party clearing land for the cottage on May 3 1920; a truck with a load of lumber mired in a rut before being subsequently rescued; three men sealing the bottom of a rowboat which proceeds to sink in shallow water; the framing and roofing of the cottage; the mounting of a sign reading, "Non Nobis Solum" over the cottage; the addition of a dock; and furniture being moved inside. Other activities depicted include a game featuring a blindfolded woman holding a beer stein; the erection of a flagpole and subsequent raising of a flag accompanied by a bugle player and firing of a miniature cannon; swimming in the lake with innertubes; wading in the lake; and rowing in a seaworthy rowboat. A truck from Edgar's Sugar House in Detroit also appears in several photographs related to the construction of the cottage.

The Lancisco Hill collection consists of one full-length studio portrait of Pima Indian Lancisco Hill as well as three letters sent by Hill to a white American woman named Frances W. Anderson Gillette between April 1908 and July 1911.

The Lancisco Hill collection consists of one full length studio portrait of Pima Indian Lancisco Hill as well as three letters sent by Hill to a white American woman named Frances W. Anderson Gillette between April 1908 and July 1911.

The studio portrait is a gelatin silver print on a near cabinet card size mount (14.5 x 10.5 cm). Hill can be seen wearing traditional Plains Native American clothing while holding a tomahawk. The clothing and tomahawk were possibly studio props supplied by the unidentified photographer. A contemporary ink inscription on the verso reads "To Mrs. Wm. H. Anderson from Lancisco Hill 12/23th/05."

The first letter (ALS, 4 pages) is dated April 24, 1908, and is addressed to "Mrs. Frances W. Anderson, #254 N. Soto Street Los Angeles, California c/o Mrs. Ward Chapman." Hill asks Anderson if she would be able to locate the C. G. Conn's store and procure three baritone springs for him while she is in Los Angeles. Hill also describes recent weather and indicates that Anderson's horses (including "Joe" and "Alice") are doing well, that he purchased a new bag of hen feed, and that a former neighbor stopped by and will soon be calling on Anderson when they visit Los Angeles.

The second letter (ALS, 3 pages) is dated May 2, 1908, and is also addressed to "Mrs. Frances W. Anderson, #254 N. Soto Street Los Angeles, California c/o Mrs. Ward Chapman." In this letter, Hill lists several chores he has recently completed at Anderson's estate, including taking a book to an unnamed woman, shoeing horses, and letting the hens out. Hill also thanks Anderson for sending him lyrics for a song and states that he thinks he can "sing it for you now at any time we get some one to play for me. I go to the Arizona School of Music now and I know I am learning it right."

The third letter (ALS, 6 pages) is dated July 24, 1911, and is addressed to "Mrs. E. G. Gillette, #414 Andover Street, Lowell, Mass." Hill discusses goings on at the Phoenix estate including recent rainy weather, the birth of a bull calf, the cats being in good health, repair work that needed to be done following a storm, and his inviting a woman named "Ms. Howsel" over for meals regularly since she is "not very busy this summer." Hill also touches on how he borrowed a total of $100 from "Ida Larson" and "Walter" to pay for a musical instrument he named "Comet," and that he would appreciate it if Frances and her husband could assist him in clearing this debt.

The Liberty Bell Tour photograph album contains approximately 580 photographs depicting the journey of the Liberty Bell from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, to the Panama-Pacific International Exposition in San Francisco, California, and back again in 1915.

The Liberty Bell Tour photograph album contains approximately 580 photographs depicting the journey of the Liberty Bell from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, to the Panama-Pacific International Exposition in San Francisco, California, and back again in 1915.

The album (40 x 28 cm) has black paper covers and 305 pages, 14 of which do not contain any photographs. The photographs are generally arranged in chronological sequence and depict loading the Liberty Bell onto parade floats and train cars, celebratory parades, gathered crowds, and individuals and groups posing with the Liberty Bell. Numerous pictures include captions referencing the locations in which they were taken. The album also contains two small maps, each showing one of the routes of the cross-county trips that the Liberty Bell took, as well as landscape photographs of scenes in the western United States. Notable persons photographed with the Liberty Bell include Thomas Edison, members of the Daughters of the American Revolution, and groups of Native Americans in Cayuse, Oregon. Landscapes pictured include views of Wyoming, Pulpit Rock, Bear River Canyon, Mount Shasta, Shasta Springs, Horseshoe Curve, Royal Gorge, the Rockies, Salt Lake, and Feather River Canyon.

The Louisiana Purchase Exposition collection contains 16 items, most of which are related to the 1904 Louisiana Purchase Exposition in St. Louis, Missouri, including 14 photographs, 1 letterpress halftone, and an illustrated book cover.

The Louisiana Purchase Exposition collection contains 16 items, most of which are related to the 1904 Louisiana Purchase Exposition in St. Louis, Missouri, including 14 photographs, 1 letterpress halftone, and an illustrated book cover.

• The front cover of an illustrated handbook (22 x 15 cm) about the fair by Dr. Charles M. Kurtz titled Saint Louis World's Fair, Commemorating the Acquisition of the Louisiana Territory
• A platinum print portrait (mount 35 x 28 cm) of Dr. Kurtz by Hollinger & Co. of New York, likely produced around the time of the exposition
• A letterpress halftone portrait (mount 28.5 x 21 cm) of Dr. Kurtz including an autograph from a later period
• A gelatin silver photograph (19 x 15 cm) by Carl Peter Ording of the sculpture titled North Dakota by Bruno Zimm depicting a semi-nude woman in classical garb
• Twelve gelatin silver photographs (23.5 x 18 cm) of exhibit halls showing framed paintings hanging on draped walls; these are likely views of the exhibition of American and international artists curated by Dr. Kurtz