LABAN DEARDORFF COLLECTION, ca

Laban Deardorff collection of visual materials

By Deardorff, Laban, photographer.

Finding Aid for the Collection at the Chicago History Museum, Research Center

By Maureen O'Brien Will; rev. by D. Rinder

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Title: Laban Deardorff collection of visual materials [graphic]

Main entry: Deardorff, Laban, photographer.

Inclusive dates: ca. 1890-1933, bulk 1893-1903

Size:

Call #: 1984.0480 PPL:

2 boxes of photographic prints : b&w.

3 boxes of non-graphic material.

Call #: 1984.0480 PGN0063:

7 boxes of negatives : glass.

Accession #: 1984.0480

Restriction: To consult the glass negatives in this collection in the Research Center it is necessary to make an advance appointment (email: Research@chicagohistory.org ).

Restriction: Credit photographer.

Description of the collection:

Collection of materials formerly owned by Laban Deardorff, founder of the L. F. Deardorff and Sons camera company. Includes primarily glass plate negatives (ca. 1890s-1900) taken by Laban Deardorff, mostly documenting the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition, but also showing the Samuel Trude residence, the Iroquois Theater Fire, a man performing bicycle stunts, and assorted views of Chicago. Most of these glass negatives were stored in boxes marked "Cramer's Lightning Gelatin Plates" and "Cramer's Isochromatic Plates." Three boxes of photographic magazines, 1894-1895, and one box of photographs (including 36 snapshots of the Century of Progress) complete the collection.

Gift in 1984 of Merle S. Deardorff, the son of Laban Deardorff (1984.0480). Mr. Deardorff also donated to the Berwyn Historical Society several glass plate negatives showing Berwyn, including the house where he lived as a child.

Some copy photoprints made from the glass plate negatives were filed into the central Image File by topic at Chicago History Museum, Research Center.

Storage: Box Lot (5 8x10 in. negative boxes, 2 5x7 in. negative boxes, 4x5 in. negative box, 11x14 in. horizontal box, and 3 11x14 in. vertical boxes)

List of online catalog headings:

Deardorff, Laban

Iroquois Theater (Chicago, Ill.) -- Fire, 1903.

World's Columbian Exposition (1893 : Chicago, Ill.)

Century of Progress International Exposition (1933-1934 : Chicago, Ill.)

Photography -- Equipment and supplies

Photography -- Periodicals.

Bicycles & tricycles.

Photographers.

Chicago (Ill.)

Dry plate negatives.

Photographic prints.

Silver gelatin prints.

Periodicals.

Container list of box and folder numbers and titles:

Call #: 1984.0480 PGN0063:

Box 1 Views of the World's Columbian Exposition

1 Administration Building

2 Electricity Building (positive on glass)

3 Palace of Fine Arts

4 Palace of Fine Arts, detail

5 Fisheries Building

6 Fisheries Building

7 General view, copy

8 General view, copy

9 General view, copy

10 General view, copy

11 Gun boat

12 Gun boat

13 Idaho State Building

14 Illinois Building

15 Indiana Building

Box 2 Views of the World's Columbian Exposition

16 Kansas State Building (positive on glass)

17 Machinery Building

18 MacMonnies Fountain

19 Maine State Building

20 Manufacturers Building

21 Manufacturers Building

22 Manufacturers Building

23 Manufacturers Building

24 Mines and Mining Building

25 "Republic" statue

26 Transportation Building

27 Wisconsin State Building

28 U.S. Government Building

29 U.S. Government Building

Box 3 Views of the World's Columbian Exposition and unidentified views

30 Palace of Fine Arts

31 Detail WCE building

32 Statue detail, WCE building

33 Unidentified building interior

34 Unidentified building

35 Fisheries Building

36 Unidentified view

37 Unidentified building, WCE?

38 Detail of building, WCE

39 Unidentified interior of building, WCE?

40 The German Building, WCE

41 Unidentified building

42 Unidentified rural view

43 Unidentified park bridge

Box 4 Views of the World's Columbian Exposition

44 Agriculture Building interior?

45 Agriculture Building interior?

46 Agriculture Building interior?

47 Brazil Building

48 Costa Rica Building

49 Electricity Building

50 Electricity Building

51 Electricity Building

52 Fisheries Building and Illinois Building

53 Gun boat

54 Gun boat

55 Horticulture Building

56 Machinery Hall

57 Machinery Hall

58 Manufacturers Building and Electricity Building

59 South Canal View

60 South Canal View

61 Viking Ship

62 Unidentified WCE view

63 Unidentified WCE view

Box 5 Assorted views of Chicago

64a Liberty Bell flower arrangement in park (Broken)

64b Crocker Chair Company, 228 Wabash Avenue

65 Electric Photo Company, 1610 Wabash Avenue

66 Hayes & Tracy (bicycle tires), 39 Dearborn St.

67 Jackson Park?

68 Jackson Park?

69 Jackson Park Pavilion

70 Lake Vista House

71 "Staged" train wreck at 16th and Berwyn

72 "Staged" train wreck at 16th and Berwyn

Box 6 Judge Samuel Trude residence--interior and exterior views, ca. 1890s

73 Interior view (BROKEN)

74 Exterior view

75 Exterior view

76 Interior, library or living room?

77 Interior, library or living room?

78 Interior, dining room

79 Interior, entrance way

80 Interior, staircase

81 Interior, staircase

82 Interior, bedroom?

83 Interior, bedroom?

Box 7 Assorted views

84-91 Mr. Nicolet performing stunts on a bicycle

92 Judge Samuel Trude and family--portrait

93 Judge Trude and family--portrait

94 Iroquois Theater Fire, interior view of damage

95 Iroquois Theater Fire, interior view of damage

96 Auditorium building, exterior

97 Flower arrangement in unidentified park

Call #: 1984.0480 PPL:

Box 8 Photographs

28 photographs of Judge Samuel Trude residence made from the negatives located in box 6.

Box 9 Assorted photographs

36 snapshots of the Century of Progress

Photograph of Nicolet on bicycle

Photograph of an unidentified event, perhaps a parade

Photo-Gravure book "Chicago and the World's Fair"

Box 10 Photographic literature in the Deardorff collection, 1894-95

The Amateur Guide in Photography, by T.H. Blair, 1888.

American Amateur Photographer, November 1894.

American Journal of Photography, September, December, 1894.

Anthony's Photographic Bulletin, April-June, August 1895.

The Canadian Photographic Journal, November 1894; February 1895.

The Developer, A Journal of Amateur Photography, November 1894.

Journal of Amateur Photographic Society of Madras, December 1894.

The Junior Photographer, December 1894; January-March, July, August 1895.

Pacific Coast Photographer, October 1894.

The Photo-American, May, December 1894; January, February, June 1895.

Box 11 Photographic literature in the Deardorff collection, 1894-95

Photo Beacon, October 1894; April-June, August 1895.

The Photogram, June, October 1895.

Photographic Review, A Journal for the Advancement of Photography, November 1894.

Portraits of Authors...Contributors to McClure's Magazine.

The Practical Photographer, December 1894; January-March, June, September, October 1895.

The Professional Pointer, December 1894.

Snap-Shots, September, December 1894.

Box 12 Photographic literature in the Deardorff collection, 1894-95

The Photographic Times, Volume XXIII January-December 1893; Volume XXIV

January-June, November 16, 30, December 7, 21, 28 1894.

Maureen O'Brien Will, March 1985