Finding Aid for the Pacific Photo Club records, 1900-1955; Bulk, 1910-1935
Processed by Lena Hicks and Licia Hurst in 2012 with assistance from Jillian Cuellar and Megan Fraser; machine-readable finding
aid created by Caroline Cubé.
UCLA Library Special Collections
Room A1713, Charles E. Young Research Library
Box 951575
Los Angeles, CA 90095-1575
Email: spec-coll@library.ucla.edu
URL: http://www.library.ucla.edu/libraries/special/scweb/
© 2013
The Regents of the University of California. All rights reserved.
Descriptive Summary
Title: Pacific Photo Club records
Date (inclusive): 1900-1955; Bulk, 1910-1935
Collection number: 784
Creator:
Bunn, George R., 1872-1956
Extent:
6 document boxes (3.6 linear ft.)
6 shoeboxes
Abstract: The records consist primarily of black-and-white photographs created by members of the Pacific Photo Club, an organization
of amateur photographers active during the first three decades of the 20th century. The collection was accumulated by George
R. Bunn, a member, and the majority of the photographs represent his work. Also included are club correspondence, personal
correspondence, newsletters, photographic postcards, and albums representing the work of members.
Language: Finding aid is written in
English.
Language of the Material:
Materials are in English.
Repository:
University of California, Los Angeles. Library Special Collections.
Los Angeles, California 90095-1575
Physical location: Stored off-site at SRLF. Advance notice is required for access to the collection. Please contact UCLA Library Special Collections
for paging information.
Administrative Information
Restrictions on Access
Open for research. STORED OFF-SITE AT SRLF. Advance notice is required for access to the collection. Please contact UCLA Library
Special Collections for paging information.
Restrictions on Use and Reproduction
Property rights to the physical object belong to the UC Regents. Literary rights, including copyright, are retained by the
creators and their heirs. It is the responsibility of the researcher to determine who holds the copyright and pursue the copyright
owner or his or her heir for permission to publish where The UC Regents do not hold the copyright.
Processing Note
Processed by Lena Hicks and Licia Hurst in 2012 with assistance from Jillian Cuellar and Megan Fraser.
Preferred Citation
[Identification of item], Pacific Photo Club records (Collection Number 784). UCLA Library Special Collections, Charles E.
Young Research Library, UCLA.
Biography/History
The Pacific Photo Club was an organization of amateur photographers across the United States active from the early 1900s through
at least the 1930s. In addition to U.S. photographers, some participants hailed from Japan, Australia, and other areas.
The collection was accumulated by George R. Bunn, who lived in Los Angeles and who appears to have been an active member of
the photo club.
Members corresponded by mail, exchanging photographs and assembling annotated group albums. The club also organized trips,
such as camping expeditions to Yellowstone and Palm Springs, during which they practiced their avocation, and later exchanged
these photos.
The Pacific Photo Club was one of many such camera and photo societies that emerged at the beginning of the 20th century for
amateur photographers seeking to enhance their technique and the artistic quality of their images. A number of the photographers
in this collection had their work published in amateur photography magazines, including
Popular Photography and
American Photography, among them E. A. Doolittle, Arthur Van W. Eltinge, C. A. Heald, J. W. Jeffers, P. Benson Oakley, G. W. Schinkel, and Elizabeth
B. Wotkyns.
Other similar titles from the era include
Anthony's Photographic Bulletin,
The Photographic Times,
The American Amateur Photographer,
The Photo Beacon,
Camera Notes,
Camera and Darkroom,
Photographic Topics, and
Popular Photography.
In addition to submitting photos for publication, and in some cases commentary, subscribers to these publications would post
classified-style ads requesting exchange. For example, the following appeared in American Photography, Vol. 9 (January - December
1915):
"507. George R. Bunn. 1571 W. First St., Los Angeles, Calif. 3) 4 x 5Y2 prints, all kinds D. O. P. of California mountain
and marine scenery to exchange for artistic scenery preferred."
Scope and Content
The collection consists primarily of black-and-white photographs created by members of the Pacific Photo Club. The bulk of
the images appear to have been taken by George R. Bunn. Also included are club correspondence, personal correspondence, newsletters,
photographic postcards, and albums representing the work of members.
The majority of photographs were taken in the U.S., though some were shot in locations as far away as Japan, India, Australia,
and Europe. Subjects include landscapes, people, street scenes, historic landmarks, civic events (e.g., parades, rodeos, car
shows, and festivals), and artistic still lifes. The bulk of the subjects are nature related, with many photos of the American
West, including national parks and forests. The images also provide insight into the fashions of the times, in particular
women’s hiking garb.
The albums compiled by members, with their attendant correspondence, document the procedures and function of this photo club.
Organization and Arrangement
Arranged in the following series:
- Series 1: Photographs, 1907-1955
- Subseries 1.1: Albums
- Subseries 1.2: Loose photographs
- Subseries 1.3: Grouped photographs
- Series 2: Correspondence, circa 1913-1921
- Subseries 2.1 Bunn, George R.: Personal correspondence, circa 1918-1921
- Subseries 2.2. Bunn, George R.: Club-related correspondence, circa 1913-1921
- Series 3: Publications, 1901-1903
Indexing Terms
The following terms have been used to index the description of this collection in the library's online public access catalog.
Subjects
Pacific Photo Club --Archives.
Genres and Forms of Material
Photographs.
Container List
Series 1: Photographs.
Bulk, 1910-1935.
1907-1955.
Scope and Content Note
Photographs are mostly 3x5 or smaller, but range in size and format, including oversize prints, panoramic images, 5x7 prints,
and mounted prints.
Arrangement
The photographs did not appear to be in any specific order when processing began. About two-thirds of them were kept by Bunn
in individual envelopes, often labeled by subject or date. These grouped photos appeared to be primarily photos that Bunn
had taken himself; apparently each envelope corresponded to a roll of film. In processing this collection, the grouped photographs
were kept together in order to reflect their context and respect Bunn's original order of the collection.
About one third of the photographs were loose and not organized by subject or photographer. There were many photos by Bunn
in this set, along with photos by many other club members, which suggests that these were chosen by participating club members
for sharing with one another. Annotations on the back of some photos support this assumption. For example, some include a
list of initials, crossed out, which corresponds with the club's practice of circulating photos among members for feedback.
Since these loose photos apparently represent the club's activity (including Bunn's own selections), they were arranged separately
from the rest of Bunn's photos.
The loose photographs have been arranged by photographer in alphabetical order, when the photographer could be identified.
Photographs by unidentified photographers in Box 3 have been bundled together when related by subject or photographer's handwriting.
Subseries 1.1: Albums.
Undated, 1917-1921.
Scope and Content Note
The club-related albums are three among what was presumably a much larger output, as evinced by their numbering. (Only numbers
6, 20, and 36 are in the collection.) The albums were produced by members of the club and circulated for comments by other
contributors. The contributors' notes, in the form of a sewn sheaf of papers, are included in the folder. (See Scope and Content,
Series 2.) The Japanese Souvenir Album consists of postcards from an unidentified source.
Box 6, Folder 2
Pacific Photo Club, Sequoia Album No. 6.
1917.
Box 6, Folder 3
Pacific Photo Club, Sequoia Album No. 20.
1919.
Box 6, Folder 4
Pacific Photo Club, Sequoia Album No. 36.
1921.
Box 6, Folder 5
Japanese Souvenir Album.
Undated.
Box 6, Folder 7
Bunn, George R..
Undated.
Subseries 1.2: Loose photographs.
Bulk, 1910-1920.
1908-1955.
Scope and Content Note
Note: Color images can be found in Box 2, Folder 6 (P. Benson Oakley) and in Box 5, Folder 5 (oversize prints).
Box 1, Folder 43
Bezzi, Pietro [Miller, Oscar W.].
Undated, 1912-1913.
Box 4, Folder 1
Bunn, George R. (1 of 9).
Undated.
Arrangement
Although the majority of these loose photos (Box 6, Folders 1 through 9) are not identified with Bunn's name, the subjects,
handwriting, and wording of the descriptions on the back indicate that they are most likely his.
Box 4, Folder 2
Bunn, George R. (2 of 9).
Undated.
Box 4, Folder 3
Bunn, George R. (3 of 9).
Undated, 1936.
Box 4, Folder 4
Bunn, George R. (4 of 9).
Undated.
Box 4, Folder 5
Bunn, George R. (5 of 9).
Undated.
Box 4, Folder 6
Bunn, George R. (6 of 9).
Undated.
Box 5, Folder 4
Bunn, George R. (7 of 9).
Undated.
Box 5, Folder 7
Bunn, George R. (8 of 9).
Undated.
Box 9
Bunn, George R. (9 of 9).
1900-1955.
Box 1, Folder 7
Carpenter, Harry E..
Undated, 1919.
Box 1, Folder 8
Chance, Burr E..
Undated.
Box 1, Folder 11
Clark, William H., Jr..
Undated, 1916.
Box 1, Folder 13
Doolittle, E. A..
Undated, 1913.
Box 1, Folder 14
Eltinge, Arthur Van W. (1 of 2).
Undated, 1916.
Box 5, Folder 6
Eltinge, Arthur Van W. (2 of 2).
Undated.
Box 1, Folder 15
Farnsworth, Carl.
Undated, 1912.
Box 1, Folder 19
Gilfillan, Archie.
Undated, 1918.
Box 1, Folder 20
Grofe, Harvey G..
Undated.
Box 1, Folder 21
Hawkins, W. H..
Undated, 1912.
Box 1, Folder 22
Heald, C. A..
Undated, 1915-1917.
Box 1, Folder 24
Held, George C..
Undated, 1913.
Box 1, Folder 26
Hoover, C.G. and Thos. B..
Undated.
Box 2, Folder 30
Identified photographers with single photos.
Undated, 1912-1916, 1919.
Scope and Content
Includes photographs by Lloyd C. Robinson, L. E. Whitford, Geo. W. Teasdale, W. M. Lyon, A. J. Polaski, Otto H. Granz, James
Guy, and Marjorie Hunt, et. al.
Box 1, Folder 31
Jessup, Ray [R. H. J.].
Undated, 1932.
Box 1, Folder 32
Johnston, H. F. E..
Undated, 1912-1913.
Box 1, Folder 35
Krückemeier, Aug.
Undated.
Box 1, Folder 6
Leipziger Presse-Büro.
Undated.
Box 1, Folder 36
Locke, E. L..
Undated, 1912-1913.
Box 2, Folder 1
Miller, Oscar W. (1 of 2).
Undated, 1910-1913.
Box 2, Folder 2
Miller, Oscar W. (2 of 2).
Undated, 1906, 1909-1913.
Box 5, Folder 8
Mounted Unknown.
Undated.
Box 2, Folder 5
Nicholson, George M..
Undated.
Box 2, Folder 6
Oakley, P. Benson (1 of 2).
Undated.
Scope and Content Note
Box 2 Folder 6 contains color images by Oakley.
Box 5, Folder 6
Oakley, P. Benson (2 of 2).
Undated.
Box 2, Folder 9
Pitman, Arthur B..
Undated.
Box 2, Folder 10
Preston, A. W. (Mrs.).
Undated.
Box 2, Folder 11
Rice, Frank A..
Undated, 1910, 1913.
Box 2, Folder 3
Richardson, A. J..
1913, 1915.
Box 2, Folder 12
Sadler, H. [A.].
Undated.
Box 2, Folder 14
Shinkle, [G. W.].
Undated.
Box 2, Folder 15
Smith, Ralph R..
Undated, 1912, 1916.
Box 2, Folder 16
Soderstrum, Arthur.
Undated, 1898.
Box 2, Folder 18
Stradford, M. T..
Undated, 1914.
Box 2, Folder 31
Unidentified photographers (1 of 5).
Undated.
Box 3
Unidentified photographers (2 of 5).
Undated, 1907, 1910-1918, 1945.
Box 5, Folder 1
Unidentified photographers (3 of 5).
Undated.
Box 5, Folder 2
Unidentified photographers (4 of 5).
Undated.
Box 5, Folder 5
Unidentified photographers (5 of 5).
Undated.
Box 2, Folder 23
Wahlgreen.
Undated, 1918-1919.
Box 2, Folder 24
Weber, P..
Undated, 1912.
Box 2, Folder 26
Wolf, W. H..
Undated, 1912, 1915.
Box 2, Folder 27
Wotkyns, Elizabeth.
Undated.
Box 2, Folder 28
Wright, Harold A. and Karl S..
Undated.
Subseries 1.3: Grouped photographs.
1907-1937.
Arrangement
Grouped photographs represent photos that were housed together, primarily in envelopes, some of which were mailed to Bunn.
The vast majority were not mailed, and are presumably Bunn's personal photographs as indicated by dates, subjects, and camera
roll numbers. Some other photographers' images were also grouped alongside Bunn's. Those envelopes are labeled with the photographers'
names, and have been sorted as dated and undated.
General note
Note: Some color-tinted photos are found in this subseries.
Box 7
Undated (1 of 4).
Undated.
Box 8
Undated (2 of 4).
Undated.
Box 9
Undated (3 of 4).
Undated.
Box 10
Undated (4 of 4).
Undated.
Box 9
Dated (1 of 2).
1913-1934.
Box 11
Dated (2 of 2).
1911-1938.
Series 2: Correspondence.
1913-1921.
Scope and Content Note
Personal and club-related correspondence sent to Bunn. Club correspondence includes the written documentation that accompanied
the three annotated group albums the club members produced that are in the collection. Each album was circulated with a notebook
in which members commented on each others' work. In addition, letters from the club secretary and other members regarding
their joint activities form part of these notebooks.
Also included are letters from club members to Bunn containing photographs, as part of the club's custom of exchanging images.
There are two letters from the editor of
Camera Craft magazine responding to questions regarding techniques and chemicals for photo development processes.
Personal correspondence consists of holiday greetings, wedding invitations, and a high school graduation invitation.
Subseries 2.1: Personal Correspondence.
circa 1918-1921.
Box 12, Folder 1
Bunn, George R..
1917-1921.
Subseries 2.2: Club-related correspondence.
circa 1913-1921.
Box 12, Folder 2
Bunn, George R.: Club-related.
Undated, 1914-1923.
Box 12, Folder 3
Bunn, George R.: Club-related with photos (1 of 2).
Undated, 1915-1927.
Box 12, Folder 4
Bunn, George R.: Club-related with photos (2 of 2).
Undated, 1919, 1924, 1935.
Series 3: Publications.
1900-1925.
Scope and Content Note
These are early publications from Southern California camera clubs.
Box 6, Folder 1
Souvenir.
1900.
creator:
Los Angeles Camera Club.
Scope and Content Note
Handwritten note on the cover reads, "1st pub L.A. Camera Club"
Box 6, Folder 1
Fotonotes.
1925.
creator:
Southern California Camera Club.
Box 6, Folder 1
Los Angeles Camera Club News.
1901-1903.
creator:
Los Angeles Camera Club.
