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George C. Fraser Collection
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Held at: Princeton University Library: Rare Book Collection [Contact Us]
This is a finding aid. It is a description of archival material held at the Princeton University Library: Rare Book Collection. Unless otherwise noted, the materials described below are physically available in their reading room, and not digitally available through the web.
Overview and metadata sections
George C. Fraser was a member of the Princeton University Class of 1893.
The collection consists of twelve diaries (1886-1922) containing typed or hand-written notes, photographs, and postcards of Fraser (Princeton University Class of 1893) relating to his trips to the Southern and Southwestern United States and Canada with different family members and one (1886-1889) from several trips as a youth to Europe and the Middle East. There are approximately 350 glass lantern slides, many of them labeled with location and date information. In addition, there are loose papers removed from the diaries, such as maps, letters, photographs, and printed matter relating to the trips.
This collection is arranged in two series by genre form.
The glass lantern slides were given the Princeton Geology Department by the Fraser family following Fraser's death, and were subsequently transferred to the library.
The collection was transferred to the Rare Books division in 2010.
The composite 1914 map was a gift of Art Christiansen in October 2010.
Finding aid expanded and updated by Valerie Addonizio in 2009 and 2012.
Subject
Place
- Canada -- Description and travel -- 20th century.
- Europe -- Description and travel -- 19th century -- Sources
- Middle East -- Description and travel -- 19th century.
- Southern States -- Description and travel -- 20th century.
- West (U.S.) -- Description and travel -- 20th century.
- West (U.S.) -- Photographs.
- Publisher
- Rare Book Collection
- Finding Aid Date
- 2008
- Access Restrictions
-
This collection is open for research.
- Use Restrictions
-
Single copies may be made for research purposes. To cite or publish quotations that fall within Fair Use, as defined under U. S. Copyright Law, no permission is required. For instances beyond Fair Use, it is the responsibility of the researcher to determine whether any permissions related to copyright, privacy, publicity, or any other rights are necessary for their intended use of the Library's materials, and to obtain all required permissions from any existing rights holders, if they have not already done so. Princeton University Library's Special Collections does not charge any permission or use fees for the publication of images of materials from our collections, nor does it require researchers to obtain its permission for said use. The department does request that its collections be properly cited and images credited. More detailed information can be found on the Copyright, Credit and Citations Guidelines page on our website. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us through the Ask Us! form.
Collection Inventory
This series is arranged chronologically.
This series consists of diaries and a map containing descriptions and particulars of ordinary life and travel, noting historic events and scientific phenomena such as vegetation and soil erosion, on trips covering areas of Utah, Arizona, California, Texas, Mississippi, Louisiana, New Mexico, Kentucky, Tennessee and Ontario, Canada. Seven of the diaries contain approximately 2,110 photographs and photographic postcards, a majority of which are captioned silver gelatin snapshots made by Fraser himself, ranging from 4x5 cm. to 16x25 cm., along with approximately 100 printed postcards.
Physical Description7 boxes
Typescript diary of George C. Fraser, January 1, 1886 to August 1888 in four parts: "Book 1: January 1 to May 17, 1886 in Egypt, The Holy Land, The Eastern Mediterranean, and Constantinople;" "Book 2: May 18 to December 18, 1886, Switzerland, Germany, and London;" "Book 3: March 19 to April 25, 1888, Spain;" "Book 4: August 1888." 200 pages.
Physical Description1 item
Manuscript diary dated January 1 to December 31, 1904, written in a journal intended for 1903. Lacking any entries for May through August. Includes a hand-written Chippawa vocabulary.
Physical Description1 item
Manuscript diary of a summer trip to Temagami, Ontario, Canada, dated July 5 to October 27, 1906. Includes a hand-written Native American vocabulary. 173 pages.
Physical Description1 item
Manuscript diary dated July 24, 1907 to January 31, 1908. 192 pages.
Physical Description1 item
Manuscript diary dated February 1, 1908 to June 21, 1908. 72 pages of text.
Physical Description1 item
Typescript diary additionally titled "Memoranda of trip taken by G.C. Fraser, Sr., and Jr., to Southwestern Utah and Northwestern Arizona." Dated Sunday June 28, 1914 to Thursday, August 6, 1914. Includes approximately 370 silver gelatin snapshots and photographic postcards (ranging from 4x6 cm. to 18x12.5 cm.), and approximately 15 printed postcards. Most of the photographs have type-written or hand-written caption information, which also correspond to a guide to illustrations provided at the front of the diary. Additionally there are clippings, hand-drawn diagrams, etc.
Physical Description1 item
A composite map, made from 4 USGS topographical maps of Arizona/Utah canyon lands (1906 reprint versions of "Saint George," "Kanab," "Mt. Dellenbaugh," and "Kaibab"), cut into 36 squares and mounted on cloth, used by Fraser on his July-August 1914 trip through the area with his son, bearing hand color of geologic features and manuscript notations regarding their route; with digital file of the map. Roughly 31" x 42."
Physical Description1 folder
Small color copy of a composite map, made from 4 USGS topographical maps of Arizona/Utah canyon lands (1906 reprint versions of "Saint George," "Kanab," "Mt. Dellenbaugh," and "Kaibab"), cut into 36 squares and mounted on cloth, used by Fraser on his July-August 1914 trip through the area with his son, bearing hand color of geologic features and manuscript notations regarding their route.
Physical Description1 item
Typescript diary additionally titled "Notes of a journey: June 24th to August 19, 1915, made by George C. Fraser & George C. Fraser, Jr. from New York to San Francisco and return, including a 5 weeks' trip in Southern Utah." Includes approximately 330 silver gelatin snapshots and photographic postcards (ranging from 4x6 cm. to 10.5x23 cm.), and approximately 40 printed postcards. Most of the photographs have type-written or hand-written caption information, which also correspond to a guide to illustrations provided at the front of the diary. Additionally there are clippings, hand-drawn diagrams, etc. 221 pages according to original pagination.
Physical Description1 box
Typescript diary additionally titled "Notes of a journey taken by George C. Fraser and George C. Fraser, Jr., June 24, 1916 to August 3, 1916 to Acoma, Meteor Creater, San Francisco Mountains and through the Navajo Country." Includes approximately 340 silver gelatin snapshots, ranging from 4x5 cm. to 5.5x17 cm. Most of the photographs have type-written or hand-written caption information, which also correspond to a guide to illustrations provided at the front of the diary. Additionally there are clippings, hand-drawn diagrams, etc. 259 pages according to original pagination.
Physical Description1 item
Typescript diary consisting of notes of journeys through the South (March 26th to April 18th, 1917) and the Southwest (June 30, 1918 to July 26, 1918), including the states of Mississippi, Louisiana, Texas, and New Mexico. Includes approximately 140 silver gelatin and albumen snapshots and photographic postcards (ranging from 4.5x7.5 cm. to 12x17 cm.), and 7 printed postcards. Most of the photographs have type-written or hand-written caption information. Additionally there are clippings, hand-drawn diagrams, rubbings, etc.
Physical Description1 item
Typescript diary additionally titled "Notes of journey into Missippi [sic] and Texas, March 23rd to April 15, 1919." Includes approximately 260 silver gelatin snapshots, albumen prints, and photographic postcards (ranging from 4.5x7.5 cm. to 16x25 cm.), and 6 printed postcards. Most of the photographs have type-written or hand-written caption information, which also correspond to a guide to illustrations provided at the front of the diary. Additionally there are clippings, hand-drawn diagrams, etc. 326 pages according to original pagination.
Physical Description1 box
Typescript diary of three separate trips over the span of three years. Includes photographs, postcards, pullman tickets, clippings, printed programs, etc.
First section titled "Notes of journey to Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona, August 4th to September 15, 1920 with Ann C. Fraser." Includes approximately 180 silver gelatin snapshots and photographic postcards (ranging from 4.5x7.5 cm. to 8x13 cm.), and 14 printed postcards. Most of the photographs have numbers which correspond to a list of captions provided at the front of the section. Comprises approximately 100 pages according to original pagination.
Second section titled "Notes of a trip into Kentucky and Tennessee, March and April, 1921." Includes approximately 75 silver gelatin snapshots and photographic postcards (ranging from 4.5x7 cm. to 15x25 cm.), and 15 printed postcards. Most of the photographs have numbers which correspond to a list of captions provided at the front of the section. Comprises approximately 18 pages according to original pagination.
Third section titled "Notes on a Journey to Niagra and Kentucky, March 24th - April 4th, 1922." Includes 17 silver gelatin snapshots (7x11 cm.). Most photographs have type-written caption information, which also correspond to a guide to illustrations provided at the back of the section. Comprises approximately 15 pages according to original pagination.
Physical Description1 box
Typescript diary additionally titled "Notes of a journey, June 23rd to August 11th 1922, with Jane Fraser, Jr. to South Southwestern Utah, Portland, Oregon, Victoria, B.C., Seattle, Washington, and East via C.M. & St. Paul Railway." Includes approximately 400 silver gelatin snapshots, ranging from 4.5x7 cm. to 9x24 cm. Most of the photographs have numbers which correspond to lists of captions provided throughout. Additionally there are clippings, hand-drawn maps, printed matter, etc.
Physical Description1 item
Includes correspondence, maps, diagrams, clippings, printed material, etc. removed from diaries in the collection.
Physical Description1 folder
This series consists of approximately 350 glass lantern slides made by Fraser, possibly to accompany lectures.
This series has been arranged in 4 boxes.
Physical Description4 boxes
The slides in this series appear to have once been stored in an original order that has since been lost. Fraser labeled the slides into series and numbers, some of which appear to match an order that is no longer discernable. Many slides have titles, dates and numbers, but the original order has not survived. The photographs correspond with Fraser's trips to the western United States in 1915, 1916, 1918, and 1919, all of which are documented in diaries in the collection. At least one slide taken in Zion National Park is dated 1921 and another slide in Utah dated to 1923.
Topics include geology, local Native Americans (Navajos), landbridges, cliff dwellings, pueblos, and landscapes. Two images of a rodeo in Payson, Utah are present. Locations include Canyon de Chelly, Monument Valley, Mesa Verde, Acoma Pueblo, Zion, Oraibi Mesa, Bryce Canyon, Meteor Crater, Grand Canyon, Bright Angel canyon, Temple Creek Canyon, landscapes in New Mexico, Arizona, and Utah.
There is a high concentration of images of cliff dwellings and pueblos in box 10.
Physical Description8 boxes