Erwin H. Barbour, Papers, Museum Photograph
Series
Title: Erwin H. Barbour,
Papers, Museum Photograph Series
Creator: Barbour, Erwin H., 1856-1947
Collector: University of Nebraska State Museum
Dates: 1889-1938
Quantity: 71 boxes (30 linear
feet)
Collection Number: RG 32-01-01
Language: English
Restrictions: None
Access and Use: For information on access or copyright, please see our guidelines
or email archives@unl.edu.
Historical Records Statement: Please see our statement on historical records and materials.
Preferred Citation: Erwin H. Barbour, Museum Photographs Series (RG 32-01-01). Archives & Special
Collections, University of Nebraska–Lincoln Libraries.
Formats: Photographic prints, film negatives, and glass plate negatives
Biography:
Erwin H. Barbour was born in Springfield, Indiana, on April 5, 1856. He received both
his A.B. in 1882 and Ph.D. in 1887 from Yale University. He worked for the United
States Paleontological Survey from 1882 to 1888 before becoming professor of natural
history and geology at Iowa College in Grinnell, Iowa. In July 1891, he accepted the
position of professor of geology and zoology at the University of Nebraska and
became director of the State Museum. He remained a vital member of the university,
community, and state for more than fifty years.
In 1891, Barbour made his first expedition to western Nebraska where he collected
fossil and geological specimens and studied geological formations. This was the
first of yearly expeditions to build the museum collection and to increase his
knowledge of the state's natural resources. The author of more than 350
publications, Barbour wrote about such topics as paleontology, geology, and economic
geology of Nebraska. He organized and served as the director of the Nebraska
Geological Survey beginning in 1891 until 1921 when it became the Conservation and
Survey Division of the University.
Barbour was responsible for preparing University of Nebraska exhibits for the 1896
Trans-Mississippi Exposition and award-winning exhibits related to education and
natural resources in Nebraska for the Louisiana Purchase Exposition of 1904. He
received numerous additional honors, including a medal from the U.S. Department of
Agriculture for the best designed homemade windmill in 1904 and the Lincoln Kiwanis
Club medal for distinguished service as a teacher, scientist, and citizen in
1935.
Active in his fields of research and in his community, Barbour was a member of
several scholarly and civic organizations. He belonged to the Geological Society of
America, the Association of American Museums, the Paleontological Society, the
American Association for the Advancement of Science, the Nebraska Ornithologists
Union, the Seismological Society, and the Nebraska Academy of Science. Barbour
served on the school board, city park board, cemetery board, and city planning
commission for Lincoln, Nebraska, and was chairman of the court of honor for the
city's Boy Scouts. An artist who illustrated his own publications, Barbour designed
mosaics for the Nebraska state capitol building and was a director of the Nebraska
Art Association.
He was married to Margaret Roxanna Lamson in 1887 and they had one daughter, Eleanor
Barbour. He died in 1947.
Scope and Content:
The materials in the photograph series relate to Barbour's research in paleontology
and geology, his work as director of the State Museum, his civic involvement in
Lincoln, Nebraska, and his personal life.
The images of vertebrate and invertebrate fossils are primarily from Nebraska. They
include scenes of excavations, fossil preparation, and museum displays in addition
to photographs illustrating fossils from various angles against plain backgrounds.
There are also negatives showing fossil leaves and Barbour's sketches of fossils and
animals. Images of fieldwork show aspects of daily life for paleontologists in the
field.
The photographs show landscapes, landforms, bodies of water, and towns throughout
Nebraska, particularly in the sandhills and badlands regions. Photographs of natural
disasters such as tornadoes, floods, and ice jams are included. Many of the
photographs relate to the economic geology of Nebraska and show industries in
various communities, including photographs illustrating the construction and
operations of the Nebraska Portland Cement Company in Superior, Nebraska. Also of
note are photographic prints taken by geologist Nelson Horatio Darton that show
lands in South Dakota and Nebraska.
Images from the University of Nebraska show activities and buildings on campus.
Particularly interesting are photographs documenting the construction of Morrill
Hall, from the plot of land before construction to the mounting of exhibits inside.
The interiors and displays from earlier museums and group portraits of staff in the
geology department are also included.
Photographs related to Barbour's personal life and family include scenes from his
Yale University class reunion and group and individual family pictures. Among those
related to his civic activities are images of Wyuka Cemetery, parks, a school garden
project in Lincoln, Nebraska, and a Boy Scout camp. Street scenes and buildings in
Lincoln, Nebraska, are also included.
Photographs taken on travels include images of college campuses, buildings, parks,
cemeteries, and geological features. Displays and buildings from the Louisiana
Purchase Exhibition and Trans-Mississippi and International Exposition are shown as
well. Images related to Charles Henry Morrill include interiors of his home in
Stromsburg, Nebraska.
Subjects:
Darton, Nelson Horatio, 1865-1948
Morrill, Charles Henry, 1842-1922
Alkali industry and trade
Anthropology
Art
Badlands
Buildings
Camps
Cement
Cement industries
Cemeteries
Cities & towns
Class reunions (Yale University)
Clay industries
Cork industry - Algeria
Daemonelix
Dams
Economic geology
Educational facilities
Erosion
Farms
Floods
Fossils
Geology
Geology - fieldwork
Glacial landforms
Glaciers
Houses
Invertebrates, fossil
Lakes & ponds
Landforms
Landscapes
Leaves, Fossil
Louisiana Purchase Exposition (1904, Saint Louis,
Mo.)
Mills and mill-work
Minerals
Museums
Nebraska State Fair
Oil wells
Paleobotany
Paleontology
Paleontology - Drawings
Paleontology - Fieldwork
Parks
Potash industry and trade
Quarrying
Ranches
Rivers
Rocks
Sandhills (Neb.)
Springs
Stone buildings
Streets
Taxidermy
Tornadoes
Trans-Mississippi and International Exposition (1898:
Omaha, Neb.)
Universities & colleges
Vertebrates, fossil
Waterfalls
Wells
Windmills
Zoological specimens
Bermuda Islands
Black Hills (S.D. and Wyo.)
California
Colorado
England
Florida
France
Glacier National Park (Mont.)
Kansas
Lincoln (Neb.)
Morrill Hall (University of Nebraska Lincoln)
Nebraska
New Orleans (La.)
Oregon
South Dakota
Southern States
Switzerland
University of Nebraska (Lincoln campus)
Utah
Vancouver (B.C.)
Washington (State)
Yellowstone National Park
Barbour family
Cook family (Agate, Neb.)
Series Description:
Series 1: Photograph SeriesThe photograph series consists of black and white photographic prints, glass
plate negatives, and black and white negatives.
The items are arranged by format, and negatives of both types are grouped
according to size. In each format items are arranged chronologically. Within
each year, items with the same alphabetical suffix are grouped together. The
photographic prints are mounted on numbered cards. Each folder number
corresponds to the number of the card inside it.
Subjects for the photographic prints and negatives are available on index
cards. The collection number is located in the upper right corner of each
index card, along with a "P" to indicate a print or an "N" to indicate a
negative. Located on the left, the item number consists of three or four
sets of numbers separated by dashes. The last two digits of an item number
indicate the year from which it dates. Often the item number also contains
an alphabetical suffix. To the right of each item number is the item's
description. The card numbers of mounted prints appear below the description
and are preceded by a pound sign. A print may be located by determining the
card on which it is mounted, selecting the folder of the same number, and
then choosing the print labeled with the correct item number. Volumes and
page numbers listed on the index cards refer to photo albums. Alternate
formats of an image may be noted on the index card.
Container List:
Box 1. Folder 00-142. Photographic prints, 1900-1904
Box 2. Folder 143-285. Photographic prints, 1904-1906
Box 3 . Folder 286-447. Photographic prints, 1906-1907
Box 4 . Folder 448-603. Photographic prints, 1907-1909
Box 5 . Folder 604-741. Photographic prints, 1910-1911
Box 6 . Folder 742-903. Photographic prints, 1912-1913
Box 7 . Folder 904-1044. Photographic prints, 1913-1914
Box 8 . Folder 1045-1184. Photographic prints, 1914-1916
Box 9 . Folder 1185-1332. Photographic prints, 1916-1920
Box 10 . Folder 1333-1474. Photographic prints, 1920-1926, 1933
Box 11 . Folder 1475-1620. Photographic prints, 1926-1931
Box 12 . Folder 1621-1745. Photographic prints, 1931-1939, undated
Box 13 . Folder 1746-1921. Photographic prints, 1890s, 1912-1914, 1926-1929, 1934,
undated
Box 14 . Folder 1922-2002. Photographic prints, 1889-1892, 1900, 1913-1914, 1938,
undated
Box 15. Glass plate negatives, 1894-1897Nos. 2-15-5-94 UGC to 5-14-5-97, including suffixes UGC and
Cornell
Box 16. Glass plate negatives, 1897-1899Nos. 7-3-7-97 to 9-13-8-99 C, including suffixes Cornell and
C
Box 17. Glass plate negatives, 1899-1901Nos. 10-13-8-99 Cornell to 4-5-2-01, including suffixes Cornell,
C, M, and UGC
Box 18. Glass plate negatives, 1901-1904Nos. 10-5-2-01 Cornell to 4-5-2-01, including suffixes Cornell,
M, A, H, and EHB
Box 19. Glass plate negatives, 1904-1906Nos. 10-18-10-04 to 2-3-4-06 Condra, including suffixes C and
Condra
Box 20. Glass plate negatives, 1906Nos. 9-3-06 Cornell to 3-10-5-06 Cornell, including suffixes
Cornell and Condra
Box 21. Glass plate negatives, 1906-1907Nos. 18-5-06 Condra to 5-9-12-07, including suffixes Condra,
Cornell, S, and D
Box 22. Glass plate negatives, 1908-1929Nos. 24-13-1-08 to 13-15-3-29 Cornell, including suffixes
Cornell, FHS, Keller, and K
Box 23. Glass plate negatives, 1891-1892Nos. 30-6-91 to 5-11-7-92, including suffix B
Box 24. Glass plate negatives, 1892-1894Nos. 2-12-7-92 to 6-7-12-00, including suffixes Cornell and
Barbour
Box 25. Glass plate negatives, 1895-1896Nos. 1-5-95 to 17-23-11-96, including items with suffix
EHB
Box 26. Glass plate negatives, 1896-1898Nos. 18-23-11-96 to 9-18-8-98
Box 27. Glass plate negatives, 1898-1899Nos. 2-19-8-98 to 6-6-4-99
Box 28. Glass plate negatives, 1899Nos. 7-6-4-99 to 2-8-8-99 F, including suffixes EHB, Cornell, C,
and F
Box 29. Glass plate negatives, 1899-1900Nos. 3-8-8-99 F to 3-28-6-00 W, including suffixes F, EFS, UGC,
and W
Box 30. Glass plate negatives, 1900-1902Nos. 4-28-6-00 W to 4-15-11-02, including suffix W
Box 31. Glass plate negatives, 1902-1909, 1912-1914, 1916Nos. 5-15-11-02 to 2-29-10-16 JHB, including suffixes B, EHB, K,
Keller, JBB, and JHB
Box 32. Glass plate negatives, 1900, 1916, undatedNos. 3-29-10-16 JHB to 6-8-10-00, including suffixes JHB,
Whitford, and W
Box 33. Glass plate negatives, 1900-1903Nos. 2-9-10-00 to 5-12-03
Box 34. Glass plate negatives, 1904-1913Nos. 28-3-04 C to 2-20-1-13 G, including suffixes C, JBB, RAG,
EFS, EHB, and G
Box 35. Glass plate negatives, 1913-1914Nos. 22-1-13 G to 1-14-1-14 FHS, including suffixes G, EFS, S,
FHS, and Elmore
Box 36. Glass plate negatives, 1914Nos. 2-14-1-14 FHS to 1-28-10-14, including suffix
FHS
Box 37. Glass plate negatives, 1914-1915Nos. 2-28-10-14 Shoemaker to 25-1-4-15 FHS, including suffixes
Shoemaker, FHS, and ACW
Box 38. Glass plate negatives, 1915Nos. 25-1-4-15 FHS to 39-30-6-15 FHS, including suffix
FHS
Box 39. Glass plate negatives, 1915-1916Nos. 37-30-6-15 to 2-18-9-16 FHS, including suffixes FHS, W,
Keller, K, and EHB
Box 40. Glass plate negatives, 1916Nos. 2a-18-9-16 FHS to 2-24-8-16, including suffixes FHS and
Hans
Box 41. Glass plate negatives, 1916-1918Nos. 1-27-8-16 Hans to 15-7-18 FHS, including suffixes Hans and
FHS
Box 42. Glass plate negatives, 1918-1919Nos. 15-7-18 FHS to 43-1-6-19 FHS, including suffix
FHS
Box 43. Glass plate negatives, 1919Nos. 44-1-6-19 FHS to 94-1-6-19 FHS, including suffix
FHS
Box 44. Glass plate negatives, 1919Nos. 95-1-6-19 FHS to 143-1-6-19 FHS, including suffix
FHS
Box 45. Glass plate negatives, 1919-1920Nos. 144-1-6-19 FHS to 6-25-3-20 FHS, including suffixes FHS and
UGC
Box 46. Glass plate negatives, 1920-1923Nos. 7-25-3-20 FHS to 4-1-2-23 FHS, including suffix
FHS
Box 47. Glass plate negatives, 1923Nos. 5-1-2-23 FHS to 3-1-9-23 FHS, including suffixes FHS,
Cornell, UGC, and Shoemaker
Box 48. Glass plate negatives, 1923-1925Nos. 32-1-9-23 FHS to 2-15-8-25 FHS, including suffix
FHS
Box 49. Glass plate negatives, 1925Nos. 3-15-8-25 FHS to 45-15-8-25 FHS, including suffix
FHS
Box 50. Glass plate negatives, 1925-1926Nos. 46-15-9-25 FHS to 15-19-8-26 FHS, including suffixes FHS and
Shanafelt
Box 51. Glass plate negatives, 1926-1928Nos. 16-19-8-26 to 9-1-8-28, including suffixes FHS and
EHB
Box 52. Glass plate negatives, 1928-1936, undatedNos. 10-1-8-28 to 1983-85, including suffixes FHS and
Shoemaker
Box 53. Negatives, 1900-1913, 1922-1936Nos. 2-4-7-05 Cornell to 1-6-3-36 Hale, including suffixes
Cornell, Welch, NP, SP, and Hale
Box 54. Negatives, 1936-1938Nos. 1-7-3-36 Hale to 1938 Hale, including suffix
Hale
Box 55. Negatives, 1893-1911Nos. 22-6-93 to 1-12-7-11 EHB, including suffixes Burnett,
Cornell, Condra, and EHB
Box 56. Negatives, 1911Nos. 2-12-7-11 to 1-11-7-11 EFS, including suffixes EHB, JBB, D,
G, and EFS
Box 57. Negatives, 1911-1912Nos. 1-24-8-11G to 12-8-12 Burnett, including suffixes G, EFS,
EHB, JBB, and Burnett
Box 58. Negatives, 1912Nos. 12-9-12 Burnett to 3-2-12-12, including suffixes Burnett,
EFS, and EHB
Box 59. Negatives, 1912-1913Nos. 4-2-12-12 to 24-26-3-13 EFS, including suffixes EFS, EHB and
G
Box 60. Negatives, 1913Nos. 26-29-3-13 EFS to 6-6-1-13 ACW, including suffixes EFS, DGW,
ACW
Box 61. Negatives, 1913-1914Nos. 1-8-1-13 ACW to A-79-18-3N, including suffixes ACW, W,
Whitford, EHB, EFS, Schramm, FHS, and N
Box 62. Negatives, 1915-1916Nos. 2-29-7-15 CAB to 5-31-12-16 EHB, including suffixes CAB,
EHB, JBB, and HJC
Box 63. Negatives, 1916-1917Nos. 1-8-1-16 JB to 11-11-17 EHB, including suffixes JBB, E,
Ellis, Hager, Richmond, Smith, and EHB
Box 64. Negatives, 1918-1919Nos. 1-6-4-18 EHB to 15-21-8-19, including suffix EHB
Box 65. Negatives, 1919-1920Nos. 23-8-19 EHB to 1-29-7-20 EHB, including items with suffix
EHB
Box 66. Negatives, 1920-1926Nos. 2-29-7-20 EHB to 3-29-26, including suffixes EHB, Whyman,
and Cornell
Box 67. Negatives, 1926-1929, 1981-1983Nos. 1981-1 to 15-5-29 Cornell, including suffixes Cornell and
Colbert
Box 68. Negatives, 1926, 1929Nos. 15-5-29C to 8-20-26 MS, including suffixes C, Cornell, and
MS
Box 69. Negatives, 1926, 1930-1935Nos. 8-20-26 MS to 4-19-8-26 FHS, including suffixes MS, Cornell,
and Welch
Box 70. Negatives, 1926-1936, undatedNos. 5-19-8-26 Cornell to 88-1-12-36, un-numbered negatives of
Barbour sketches, including suffix Cornell
Box 71. Panoramic negatives, undatedItem 1. Nos. 2-8-04-01 to 9-4-1-13 EHB, including suffixes EHB and
B
Related Material and Resources: Many of the photographs in this collection may be found in the Erwin H. Barbour Museum Photograph Series available through the
University Libraries' Image and Multimedia Databases. |