Guide to the Emerson Shaw Photographic Slide Collection
SJSU Special Collections & Archives
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Library
San José State University
One Washington Square
San José, CA 95192-0028
Phone: (408) 808-2062
Fax: (408) 808-2063
Email: special.collections@sjsu.edu
URL: http://library.sjsu.edu/sjsu-special-collections/sjsu-special-collections-and-archives
© 2010
Trustees of the California State University. All rights reserved.
Guide to the Emerson Shaw Photographic Slide Collection
Collection number: MSS-2010-10-30
SJSU Special Collections & Archives
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Library
San José State University
One Washington Square
San José, CA 95192-0028
Phone: (408) 808-2062
Fax: (408) 808-2063
Email: special.collections@sjsu.edu
URL: http://library.sjsu.edu/sjsu-special-collections/sjsu-special-collections-and-archives
Collection processed by Lisa Zakharova. Finding aid EAD encoded by Lisa Zakharova. Reviewed by Danelle Moon.
© 2010 Trustees of the California State University. All rights reserved.
Descriptive Summary
Title: Emerson Shaw Photographic Slide Collection
Dates: 1939-1958
Collection number: MSS-2010-10-30
Creator:
Shaw, Emerson.
Collection Size:
5 boxes
(3 linear feet)
Repository:
San José State University. Library.
San José, California 95192-0028
Abstract: The Emerson Shaw Photographic Slide Collection consists of over 1800 color slides and the photographer's index. The collection
depicts people, places, and scenery around the Bay Area and the East Coast. The slides provide a rich visual representation
of California and other U.S. cities, landmarks, and tourist destinations. The California slides include views of Capitola,
Carmel, Carmel Mission, China Town, Fisherman's Wharf, San Francisco, Del Monte Lodge, Dorsey's Station, the Golden Gate Bridge,
Half Dome, Lakes Tahoe, Donner, and Angora, aerial views of San Francisco and Oakland, Point Lobos, Sacramento, San Francisco,
San Francisco Bay and Docks, Santa Cruz town and beach, Stanford University, Sutter's Fort, University of California Los Angeles
(UCLA), and Yosemite Park. Other cities represented include Annapolis, Maryland, Atlanta, Georgia, Baltimore, Maryland, Baton
Rouge, Louisiana, Bristol, Rhode Island, Chicago, Illinois, Coolidge Dam, Denver, Colorado, the Hudson River, the Grand Canyon,
the Jefferson Memorial, the Lincoln Memorial, Maine and the Maine Coast, Manhattan, Mount Vernon, New York City, Niagra Falls,
the Painted Desert, Arizona, Quebec, Canada, the Smokey Mountains, the Statue of Liberty, Washington D.C., and West Point.
Physical location: For current information on the location of these materials, please consult the Library's online catalog.
Languages:
Languages represented in the collection:
English
Access
The collection is open for research.
Publication Rights
Copyright is assigned to the San José State University Special Collections & Archives. All requests for permission to publish
or quote from manuscripts must be submitted in writing to the Director of Special Collections. Permission for publication
is given on behalf of the Special Collections & Archives. Copyright restrictions may apply to digital reproductions of the
original materials. Use of digital files is restricted to research and educational purposes.
Preferred Citation
Emerson Shaw Photographic Slide Collection, MSS-2010-10-30, San José State University Library Special Collections & Archives.
Processing Information
Collection processed by Lisa Zakharova. Finding aid EAD encoded by Lisa Zakharova. Reviewed by Danelle Moon.
Biographical History
Emerson Shaw was born in 1914 in Los Gatos. He graduated from Los Gatos High School in 1933 and in 1934 he entered San Jose
State College. Following graduation in 1939 he joined the U.S. Navy, serving during the duration of World War II. Emerson
Shaw married Jeanne Shaw, who is frequently featured in the collection. In 1945, he returned to the Bay Area and was hired
by NACA Ames- National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics, which later was renamed NASA Ames Research Center in 1958. Shaw
spent twenty-five years as an employee of NASA Ames, and in 1970 he retired. His hobbies included camping, fishing, travelling,
and cars. During his retirement, he participated in the Los Gatos Historical Society and the Los Gatos Rotary from 1980-2000.
Shaw died in 2003.
Scope and Content of Collection
The Emerson Shaw Photographic Slide Collection consists of over 1800 color slides and the photographer's index. The collection
depicts people, places, and scenery around the Bay Area and the East Coast. The slides provide a rich visual representation
of California and other U.S. cities, landmarks, and tourist destinations. The California slides include views of Capitola,
Carmel, Carmel Mission, China Town, Fisherman's Wharf, San Francisco, Del Monte Lodge, Dorsey's Station, the Golden Gate Bridge,
Half Dome, Lakes Tahoe, Donner, and Angora, aerial views of San Francisco and Oakland, Point Lobos, Sacramento, San Francisco,
San Francisco Bay and Docks, Santa Cruz town and beach, Stanford University, Sutter's Fort, University of California Los Angeles
(UCLA), and Yosemite Park. Other cities represented include Annapolis, Maryland, Atlanta, Georgia, Baltimore, Maryland, Baton
Rouge, Louisiana, Bristol, Rhode Island, Chicago, Illinois, Coolidge Dam, Denver, Colorado, the Hudson River, the Grand Canyon,
the Jefferson Memorial, the Lincoln Memorial, Maine and the Maine Coast, Manhattan, Mount Vernon, New York City, Niagra Falls,
the Painted Desert, Arizona, Quebec, Canada, the Smokey Mountains, the Statue of Liberty, Washington D.C., and West Point.
Arrangement
The Emerson Shaw Photographic Slide Collection is arranged into three series: I. California Slides, II. East Coast Slides,
and III. Scenic Slides.The photographer's index are arranged by subject and by date.
Indexing Terms
The following terms have been used to index the description of this collection in
the library's online public access catalog.
Historic Buildings
National Parks and Reserves
History--California
Monuments & memorials
Tourism
Scenery
Boxes 1-2
Series : I
California Slides
1944-1950
Physical Description: 2 boxes
Scope and Content Note
This series consists of color slides depicting California cities, landmarks, tourist destinations, scenery, and includes photographs
of the Shaw family and their friends. Some of the California places of note include: Capitola, Carmel, Carmel Mission, China
Town, Fisherman's Wharf, San Francisco, Del Monte Lodge, Dorsey's Station, the Golden Gate Bridge, Half Dome, Lakes Tahoe,
Donner, and Angora, aerial views of San Francisco and Oakland, Point Lobos, Sacramento, San Francisco, San Francisco Bay and
Docks, Santa Cruz town and beach, Stanford University, Sutter's Fort, University of California Los Angeles (UCLA), and Yosemite
Park. Shaw did not annotate the dates for all of the slides represented.
Arrangement
This series is aranged by date.
Box 1, Slide 1
Carmel Mission
1944
Physical Description: 1 slide
Box 1, Slide 7
Point Lobos
1944
Physical Description: 1 slide
Box 1, Slide 44
Sutter's Fort
n.d
Physical Description: 1 slide
Box 1, Slide 76
Weed, California
1944
Physical Description: 1 slide
Box 1, Slide 78
Shasta Dam
n.d
Physical Description: 1 slide
Box 1, Slide 94
Yosemite Valley
undated
Physical Description: 1 slide
Box 1, Slide 115
General Sherman Tree
undated
Physical Description: 1 slide
Box 1, Slide 130
San Juan Capistrano
undated
Physical Description: 1 slide
Box 1, Slide 144
Army Day
1940
Physical Description: 1 slide
Box 1, Slide 183
Emerson's First Picture
undated
Physical Description: 1 slide
Box 1, Slide 197
Geisenhoff Ranch
undated
Physical Description: 1 slide
Box 1, Slide 204
World's Fair
undated
Physical Description: 1 slide
Box 1, Slide 218
Golden Gate Park
undated
Physical Description: 1 slide
Box 1, Slide 223
Golden Gate Bridge
undated
Physical Description: 1 slide
Box 1, Slide 239
Coit Tower on Telegraph Hill from "Russian Hill"
undated
Physical Description: 1 slide
Box 1, Slide 241
Legion of Honor Art Gallery
undated
Physical Description: 1 slide
Box 1, Slide 263
San Francisco Aerial Views
undated
Physical Description: 1 slide
Box 1, Slide 283
Napa Valley
undated
Physical Description: 1 slide
Box 1, Slide 300
Sonoma Mission
undated
Physical Description: 1 slide
Box 1, Slide 308
Western Pacific
undated
Physical Description: 1 slide
Box 2, Slide 336
San Juan Town and Mission
undated
Physical Description: 1 slide
Box 2, Slide 410
Desolation Valley
undated
Physical Description: 1 slide
Box 2, Slide 449
Road Races
1951
Physical Description: 1 slide
Box 2, Slide 519
Hollywood Hills
September 1951
Physical Description: 1 slide
Box 2, Slide 533
Mt. Waterman
undated
Physical Description: 1 slide
Box 2, Slide 563
San Simeon
undated
Physical Description: 1 slide
Box 2, Slide 584
Route 1 Half Moon
undated
Physical Description: 1 slide
Box 2, Slide 593
Saratoga Summit
1948
Physical Description: 1 slide
Box 2, Slide 684
Fort Ross
1950
Physical Description: 1 slide
Box 2, Slide 698
Trinity County
undated
Physical Description: 1 slide
Box 2, Slide 723
Virginia City
undated
Physical Description: 1 slide
Boxes 3-4
Series : II
East Coast Slides
1940-1945
Physical Description: 2 boxes
Scope and Content Note
In 1939 and 1947 Emerson Shaw and his wife traveled to the East Coast. This series visually documents their travel and includes
scenic views of the Southwest and Midwest, photographs of cities, monuments, parks, and other tourist destinations across
the country. The highlights include : Atlanta, Georgia, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Bristol, Rhode Island, Chicago, Denver, Colorado,
the Grand Canyon, Grand Lake, Colorado, the Hudson River, Illinois, Coolidge Dam, Jefferson Memorial, Lake Michigan, Lincoln
Memorial, Maine and Maine Coast, Manhattan, New York, Mount Vernon, the National Art Gallery, Niagra Falls, Norris Dam, Tennessee,
Rocky Mountain National Park, the Smokey Mountains, the Statue of Liberty, University of Chicago, Valley Forge, Washington
DC, and West Point.
Arrangement
This series is aranged by date.
Box 3, Slide 2
Chicago
1939
Physical Description: 1 slide
Box 3, Slide 8
University of Chicago
1939
Physical Description: 1 slide
Box 3, Slide 20
Bridges, Barges, and Boats
1939
Physical Description: 1 slide
Box 3, Slide 70
Niagra Falls
1939
Physical Description: 1 slide
Box 3, Slide 74
Statue of Liberty
1939
Physical Description: 1 slide
Box 3, Slide 96
Hudson River
1939
Physical Description: 1 slide
Box 3, Slide 97
West Point
1939
Physical Description: 1 slide
Box 3, Slide 105
Norris Dam, Tennessee
1939
Physical Description: 1 slide
Box 3, Slide 120
Painted Desert, Arizona
1939
Physical Description: 1 slide
Box 3, Slide 141
Superstition Mountain
5/24/1947
Physical Description: 1 slide
Box 3, Slide 142
Coolidge Dam
5/25/1947
Physical Description: 1 slide
Box 3, Slide 146
Baton Rouge, Louisiana
5/28/1947
Physical Description: 1 slide
Box 3, Slide 152
New Orleans, Louisiana
5/28/1947
Physical Description: 1 slide
Box 3, Slide 162
Atlanta, Georgia
6/1/1947
Physical Description: 1 slide
Box 3, Slide 171
Warm Springs, Georgia
6/5/1947
Physical Description: 1 slide
Box 3, Slide 177
Cherokee Indian Chief
6/9/1947
Physical Description: 1 slide
Box 3, Slide 180
Smoky Mountains
6/9/1947
Physical Description: 1 slide
Box 3, Slide 192
Lincoln Memorial
6/12/1947
Physical Description: 1 slide
Box 3, Slide 197
Jefferson Memorial
6/15/1947
Physical Description: 1 slide
Box 3, Slide 204
Mount Vernon
6/13/1947
Physical Description: 1 slide
Box 3, Slide 216
Washington Monument
1947
Physical Description: 1 slide
Box 3, Slide 232
Valley Forge
6/20/1947
Physical Description: 1 slide
Box 4, Slide 242
New London, Connecticut
6/22/1947
Physical Description: 1 slide
Box 4, Slide 256
Maine
1947
Physical Description: 1 slide
Box 4, Slide 263
Lake Chocorua and Mt. Chocorua
6/25/1947
Physical Description: 1 slide
Box 4, Slide 270
Scituate Harbor
7/2/1947
Physical Description: 1 slide
Box 4, Slide 282
Bristol, Rhode Island
7/4/1947
Physical Description: 1 slide
Box 4, Slide 296
New York City- Central Park
7/17/1947
Physical Description: 1 slide
Box 4, Slide 307
Statue of Liberty and New York Skyline
7/18/1947
Physical Description: 1 slide
Box 4, Slide 317
Niagra Falls
7/28/1947
Physical Description: 1 slide
Box 4, Slide 322
Boston
1947
Physical Description: 1 slide
Box 4, Slide 333
Plymouth, Massachusetts
7/23/1947
Physical Description: 1 slide
Box 4, Slide 338
Cranberry Bog
7/23/1947
Physical Description: 1 slide
Box 4, Slide 351
Hudson River Looking North
7/26/1947
Physical Description: 1 slide
Box 4, Slide 361
Niagra Falls
7/28/1947
Physical Description: 1 slide
Box 4, Slide 377
Barberton, Ohio
7/30/1947
Physical Description: 1 slide
Box 4, Slide 401
Chicago and Lake Michigan
8/3/1947
Physical Description: 1 slide
Box 4, Slide 425
Rocky Mountain National Park
8/9/1947
Physical Description: 1 slide
Box 5
Series : III
Scenic Slides
1952-1957
Physical Description: 1 box
Scope and Content Note
This series of slides consists of seasonal scenic views of California taken during Shaw family vacations. Many of the images
depict family camping, fishing, and ski trips. Ski locations include the Lake Tahoe region and feature Squaw Valley. Scenic
views include Angora Lake, where the Shaw Family had a summer cabin, Lake Tahoe, rivers, streams, lakes, forests, sunsets,
Echo Summit, Rubicon Valley, Yosemite, and Lake Hellen.
Arrangement
This series is aranged by date.
Box 5, Slides 1-481
Lake Tahoe and Lake Angora, seasonal scenic views
1952-1957
Physical Description: 481 slides