Finding Aid for the Earl Brink travel collection 2014.021.r
Finding aid prepared by Madeleine Bachtelle, Norm Lee
Chapman University
One University Drive
Orange, CA, 92866
(714) 532 - 7711
rboyd@chapman.edu
Title: Earl Brink travelogue material collection
Identifier/Call Number: 2014.021.r
Contributing Institution:
Frank Mt. Pleasant Library of Special Collections and Archives, Leatherby Libraries
Language of Material:
English
Container: 1-3
Physical Description:
1.29 Linear feet
(3 boxes)
Date (inclusive): 1950-1970
Abstract: This collection consists of materials related to Earl Brink’s travelogue productions, including his travel notes, still photographs
from his travel movies, brochures and ephemera, his letters, contracts, and agreements.
This collection is arranged by material type and subject matter.
One box folder contains seven folders of materials, including photographs of stills from travel films, letters, contracts,
brochures, and various ephemera documenting Mr. Brink's career as a travelogue cinematographer.
Boxes two & three contain travel notes from Mr. Brink's various travel destinations, including itineraries, descriptions of
various places, ideas for travelogue scenes and voice-over narrations.
Conditions Governing Access note
This collection is open for research.
There are no restrictions on the use of this material except where previously copyrighted material is concerned. It is the
responsibility of the researcher to obtain all permissions.
[Item title / description; Box "n" / Folder "n"], Earl Brink Collection (2014.002.r), Frank Mt. Pleasant Library of Special
Collections and Archives, Chapman University, CA.
Earl Brink grew up in the small Oklahoma town of Buffalo, went to school there, and began a business career in banking. He
was very successful and quickly came to own two banks, a farm, and a Ford dealership. In 1928 he went to Pheonix, Arizona
to work for Mutual of Omaha, and in 1933 moved to Detroit and became the state manager for Mutual of Omaha.
In the late 1930’s, Brink made his first trip to the West Indies and brought along a new video camera, filming his very first
travelogue. He was inspired by his experience and continued to spend a substantial part of each year travelling and filming.
Throughout his career Mr. Brink visited over 100 countries making feature-length, full-color travelogue films of the places
and people that he encountered.
Subjects and Indexing Terms
Brink, Earl -- Pictorial works
Adventure travel.
Austria--Pictorial works
International travel
Nepal--Pictorial works.
Tibet--Pictorial works.
Travel -- adventure series
Travel photography--20th century--Pictorial works.
Travelogues (Motion pictures)
Box 1, Folders 1-4
Series 1, Photographs and film stills
Language of Material:
English
Folders 1-4 contain film stills from Earl Brink's various travelogue movies. The majority of the photographs were taken in
Austria, Nepal, and Tibet, as well as some miscellaneous locations. There are 292 photographs total.
Folder 1 - Stills from Vienna, Austria
5 photographs, “St. Stephens Cathedral—Vienna”
4 photographs, “Hofburg Palace—Vienna”
24 photographs, “Tomb of Maria Theresa—Vienna”
10 photographs, “Zellamzee and Lake—Austria”
21 photographs, “Schonbrunn Palace—Vienna”
11 photographs, “Rathaus—Town Hall”
22 photographs, “Parliament & Statue of Minerva—Vienna”
Folder 2 - Stills from Nepal & Tibet
17 photographs, “Tibetan Priests—Prayer Wheels in Foreground”
19 photographs, “Tiberan with Prayer Wheel”
19 photographs, “Tibetan and Child with Prayer Wheels”
8 photographs, “Mad God: Silva, the Nepalese god of destruction, vents his wrath in the city of Katmandu”
18 photographs, “Devil Dancer”
2 photograph, “Ceremonial Dance: a Tibetan folk group
7 photographs, “Katmandu and the Fiddle”
7 photographs, “Nepalese Beauty”
Folder 3 - Stills from Nepal & Tibet
14 photographs, “Swayambodnath 23 Century Old Buddhist Sanctuary—Nepal”
6 photographs, “The Eyes Have It: Bodnath Stupa
7 photographs, “Ancient Ceremony: A Nepalese bearer deposits a stone offering to the mountain gods”
23 photographs, “A ‘Sherpa’, one of the trained mountain-climbing guides on climbing expedition 17,000 feet high in the Himalayas”
23 photographs, “Kangchenjunga = 28,145 feet high, 2nd highest mountain peak in world”
23 photographs, “A Yak…high in the Himalayas”
Folder 4 - Misc. Stills
1 photograph, Tahitian fisherman
1 photograph, pool party, 1958
Box 1, Folder 5
Series 2, Brochures & travel ephemera
Language of Material:
English
Folder 5 contains various brochures and ephemera from Earl Brink's career, including newspaper clippings, advertisements for
Mr. Brink's film screenings, and pamphlets from his lectures.
1 newspaper clipping, “Introducing: Earl B. Brink, World Traveller” from East Side Shopper, April 23, 1953
1 brochure, World Travel Series, 1966-1967
1 brochure, Explorers Club of San Francisco, 1966-1967
1 newspaper clipping, “Joplin Travel and Adventure Club to Launch 17th Season on October 9” from Joplin Globe, Sept 17, 1967
1 brochure, 1967-68 Lecture Series for The Academy of Science and Art of Pittsburgh
1 brochure, Explorers Club of San Francisco Explorerama 1969/1970
1 advertising circular, Explorers Club of San Francisco Explorerama
1 advertising circular, Earl B Brink’s Tahiti and the Islands Under the Wind
2 brochures, Trekking the Tibetan Border with Earl Brink
2 brochures, Earl Brink Takes You to Yugoslavia
2 brochures, Earl Brink presents Islands of Hawaii
Subjects and Indexing Terms
Tourism--1950-1960.
Box 1, Folder 6
Series 3, Business correspondence
Language of Material:
English
Folder 6 includes letters between Mr. Brink and various business associates and companies.
1 letter, from ‘Round the World Travel Agency to Celebrity Management, applauding Mr. Earl Brink’s film on Nepal, April 14,
1961
1 stapled series of letters between Wayne Short Lecture Management, the Olas Corporation, and Earl Brink, concerning scheduling
and payment for Mr. Brink’s programs. Letters’ dates span from June 25, 1965, to Feb 18, 1966
1 letter, from Olas Corporation to Mr. Earl Brink, concerning payment for Mr. Brink’s programs, Feb 16, 1966
1 letter, from Wayne Short Lecture Management to Mr. Earl Brink, concerning Mr. Brink’s film “Switzerland”, June 21, 1966
1 letter, from Ruder & Finn Incorporated to Mr. Earl Brink, concerning Mr. Brink’s production plans for filming in Greece,
July 15, 1966
1 letter, from Olas Corporation to Mr. Earl Brink, concerning payment for Mr. Brink’s programs, Oct 6, 1966
6 letters, from Town Hall to Mr. Earl Brink, concerning Mr. Brink’s retirement from the Travel Film business, Nov 10, 1966
1 letter, from Town Hall to Mr. Earl Brink, concerning Mr. Brink’s Hawaiian film, Nov 30, 1966
1 series of letters, from Earl Brink to “Scoot” concerning making photographic prints from Mr. Brink’s films, 1967
1 series of letters, from Mr. Lem Baily of Lem Baily Productions to Mr David G. Watrous of Luick & Watrous, concerning a proposition
for a new television show
1 letter, from the Academy of Science and Art of Pittsburgh to Mr. Earl Brink, concerning Mr. Brink’s Hawaii film, May 3,
1967
1 letter, from the Olas Corporation to Mr. Brink concerning contractual arrangements, June 9, 1967
1 letter, from the Explorers Club to Mr. Earl Brink, concerning The Explorers Club’s long-term agreement with the American
Broadcasting Company, Sept 7, 1967
Box 1, Folder 7
Series 4, Contracts and agreements
Language of Material:
English
Folder 7 includes contracts and agreements between Earl Brink and various business entities. The bulk of these agreements
are between Mr. Brink and Bill Burrud Productions concerning film production and viewing rights.
1 contract between Earl B. Brink and Bill Burrud Productions leasing 1000 feet of color film on “Trekking the Tibetan Border”,
Feb 13 1962
1 contract between Earl B. Brink and Bill Burrud Productions leasing 800 ft. 16mm color film on Switzerland, Jan 22 1964
1 contract between Earl B. Brink and Bill Burrud Productions leasing 800 ft. 16mm color film on Nepal, Jan 22, 1964
1 contract between Earl B. Brink and Bill Burrud Productions leasing 800 ft. 16mm color film on Yugoslavia, Jan 22 1964
1 film receipt between Earl B. Brink and Bill Burrud Productions for the films “Golden Isles of Spain” and “Nepal”, Jan 22
1964
1 film receipt between Earl B. Brink and Bill Burrud Productions for the film “Switzerland”, Feb 11 1964
1 certificate with 5 copies from the United States Information Agency certifying the international educational character of
the motion picture “Trekking the Tibetan Border”, Feb 15 1966
2 copies of an agreement between Olas Corporation and Earl Brink giving Olas Corporation full rights to show five programs
(“Roaming through Switzerland”, “The Swiss Alps”, “Golden Isles of Spain”, “Blossom Time in Ireland”, and “The Emerald Isle”)
on television, 5 October 1966
1 producers report from Bill Burrud Productions dictating recoupment and payment for “Tibetan Border” as of March 31, 1967
1 producers report from Bill Burrud Productions dictating recoupment and payment for “Tibetan Border” as of June 30, 1967
1 producers report from Bill Burrud Productions dictating recoupment and payment for “Tibetan Border” as of September 30,
1967
1 lease agreement between Bill Burrud Productions and Earl Brink for the film “Tahiti”, undated
1 blank contract from Bill Burrud Productions, undated
Boxes 2-3
Series 5, Travel Notes
Language of Material:
English
Boxes 2 & 3 contain travel notes from Mr. Brink's various travel destinations, including itineraries, descriptions of various
places Mr. Brink traveled to, ideas for travelogue scenes and voice-overs, etc. Locations include Hawaii, Tahiti, Switzerland,
Sweden, Arizona, Alaska, Belgian Congo, Bermuda, Brazil, Guatemala, India, Ceylon, Italy, Majorca, Ireland, Mexico, Nepal,
Japan, China, Austria, Bali, Norway, Portugal, and Saudi Arabia.