Wells-Shaw family photograph collection, ca. 1870-1920

 

Descriptive Inventory for the Collection at the Chicago History Museum, Research Center

 

© Copyright 2017, Chicago Historical Society, 1601 North Clark Street, Chicago, IL 60614-6038

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Title: Wells-Shaw family photograph collection, ca. 1870-1929, bulk 1880-1899

Main entry: Shaw, Frances Wells, 1872-1937

Inclusive dates: ca. 1870-1929, bulk 1880-1899

Accession #: 1980.0019

Extent:

Call #: 1980.0019 PPL

2 albums (156 photographic prints) ; 30 x 24 cm. (11 3/4 x 9 1/4 in.) or smaller.

3 albums (89 cartes de visite, 5 photographic prints, 4 tintypes) ; 16 x 14 cm. (6 1/4 x 5 1/4 in.) or smaller.

61 photographic prints : b&w ; 23 x 32 cm. (9 x 12 1/2 in.) and smaller.

18 photographs : cabinet card ; 11 x 17 cm. (4 1/4 x 6 1/2 in.)

16 photographs : carte de visite ; 7 x 11 cm. (2 1/2 x 4 1/4 in.)

1 photograph : tintype ; 8 x 11 cm. (3 x 4 1/2 in.)

1 photomechanical print : col. ; 15 x 18 cm. (7 1/4 x 5 3/4 in.)

1 drawing : ink drawing ; 18 x 17 cm. (7 x 6 1/2 in.)

Call #: 1980.0019 PNN:

26 negatives : cellulose nitrate negative ; 4 x 5 in.

Call #:1980.0019 PPN-0086:

1 negative : b&w ; 5 x 7 in.

 

Restriction: To examine the tintypes, it is necessary to make an advance appointment by email to Research@chicagohistory.org or by U.S. mail to the Research Center. Tintypes may be handled only by conservation staff of Chicago History Museum.

Restriction: Nitrate negatives restricted from access, see reference copies instead.

Alternative format available: Nitrate reference copies available online http://collections.carli.illinois.edu/cdm/ref/collection/chm_pp/id/1442.

 

Summary: Cartes de visite albums include portraits of Chicago area residents, members of the Wells, Shaw, and Searls families. Photoprint albums show a house party for Martha Wells at Lake Geneva (Wis.). Includes group portraits of guests, a horseback riding excursion, scenes of the lake and local railroad platforms. Collection also includes snapshots of Howard Van Doren Shaw family, presumably taken in the Chicago area. Loose photoprints are primarily portraits of members of the Wells and Shaw families plus friends, Ragdale estate in Lake Forest, and Howard Shaw's living quarters as a student at Yale (ca.1890). A large rolled photograph shows a panoramic view from the veranda of the Mountain Meadows Inn in Asheville (N.C.). Nitrate negatives depict a Canadian camping trip. One photonegative has a portrait of Frances Wells Shaw. The ink drawing is a page decoration for a book.

 

Organization: box: 1-2. Cartes de visite albums, box 3-4. Photograph albums, box 5. Loose photographs, box 6. Rolled photograph.

 

History: Howard Van Doren Shaw, architect, and Frances Wells Shaw, writer, had 3 daughters: Evelyn Shaw McCutcheon, 1894-1977 (married John T. McCutcheon), Sylvia Shaw Judson Haskins, 1897-1978 (married Clay Judson and after his death, Sidney Haskins), and Frances Theodora Shaw King (known as Theodora), 1913-1996 (married John Lord King).

 

Provenance statement:

Gift of Alice Ryerson, 1979 (1980.0019).

 

Related material:

Related materials at Chicago History Museum, Research Center, include cased images from this accession that are individually cataloged, the Shaw-Wells family papers, and the Sylvia Shaw Judson Haskins papers.

 

List of online catalog headings:

The following headings were placed in the online catalog for this collection.

Shaw, Frances Wells, 1872-1937

Subject headings:

1. Acton, Hortense (Hortense Mitchell)

2. Atkinson, C. T.

3. Atkinson, Martha (Martha Wells)

4. Childs, Martha (Martha Searls)

5. Donnelly, Ted.

6. Farmington, Grace (Grace Otis)

7. Searle family

8. Shaw, Frances Wells, 1872-1937

9. Shaw, Howard Van Doren, 1869-1926

10. Haskins, Sylvia Shaw Judson, 1897-1978

10a. McCutcheon, Evelyn Shaw, 1894-1977

11. King, Theodore Shaw, 1913-1996

12. Shaw family

13. Van Doren, William Howard.

14. Wells, Fannie (Frances Searls)

15. Wells, Martha

16. Wells, Moses D.

17. Wells, Nathalie.

18. Wells family

19. Ragdale (Estate : Lake Forest, Ill.)

20. Yale University

21. Camping--Canada.

22. Children--Illinois--Chicago Metropolitan Area.

23. Dwellings--Illinois--Lake Forest.

24. Dwellings--Wisconsin--Lake Geneva.

25. Families--Illinois--Chicago Metropolitan Area.

26. Fathers & children--Illinois--Chicago Metropolitan Area.

27. Horseback riding--Wisconsin.

28. Hotels & taverns--North Carolina--Asheville.

29. Interiors--Connecticut--New Haven.

30. Lakes & ponds--Wisconsin--Lake Geneva.

31. Railroad stations--Wisconsin.

32. Universities & colleges--Connecticut--New Haven.

33. Weddings--Illinois--Chicago Metropolitan Area.

34. Women--Clothing & dress--Illinois--Chicago Metropolitan area.

35. Chicago Metropolitan Area (Ill.)

36. Geneva, Lake (Wis.)

37. Lake Forest (Ill.)--Social life and customs.

38. Lake Geneva (Wis.)--Social life and customs.

 

Form/genre headings:

Albumen prints.

Cabinet card photographs.

Cartes de visite.

Cellulose nitrate negatives.

Film negatives.

Group portraits.

Ink drawings.

Panoramic photographs.

Panoramic views.

Photograph albums.

Photomechanical prints--Color.

Portrait photographs.

Silver gelatin prints.

Tintypes.

 

Added entries:

Shaw, Howard Van Doren, 1869-1926

Wells family

Shaw family

 

Container list of box/folder numbers and titles:

Box 1-2

Carte de visite albums

 

Box 3-4

Photoprint albums

 

Box 5 Loose photoprints:

1 Acton, Hortense (Hortense Mitchell)

2 Atkinson, C. T.

3 Atkinson, Martha (Martha Wells)

4 Book illustration (from Mrs. McCutcheon's Book of Poems)

5 Childs, Martha (Martha Searls)

6 Donnelly, Ted

7 Farmington, Grace (Grace Otis)

8 Ragdale estate (Lake Forest, Ill.)

9 Shaw, Frances L. (Fannie L. Wells)

10 Shaw, Frances L. (Fannie L. Wells)--Wedding

11 Shaw, Frances Theodora

12 Shaw, Howard Van Doren

13 Shaw, Theodore A.

14 Shaw family--Evelyn, Sylvia, Theodora

15 Unidentified:

Photo assemblage of unidentified town and dwelling

Dwelling

Man in garden

Man and woman in boat

Carte de visite inscribed: "Lovingly, Lu" (Atlantic City, N.J.)

16 Van Doren, Willliam Howard

17 Wells, Frances (Fannie Searls)

18 Wells, Moses D.

19 Wells, Nathalie

20 Wells family--Frances and Martha with father Moses

21 Yale University, ca. 1890--Howard Shaw's rooms at Lawrence Hall

 

Box 6 Rolled photo of Mountain Meadows Inn (Asheville, N. C.), ca. 1900

 

B&W negatives 1980.0019 PPN-0086

5 x 7 in. portrait of Frances Wells Shaw (Mrs. Howard Van Doren Shaw)

 

Nitrate negatives 1980.0019 PNN

26 snapshot views of Canadian camping trip, 1907