Finding Aid to the Photographs from Peoples Temple records, 1959-1982
(bulk 1972-1978), MSP 3800
Finding aid prepared by Denice Stephenson.
California Historical Society
678 Mission Street
San Francisco, CA, 94105-4014
(415) 357-1848
reference@calhist.org
2007
Title: Photographs from Peoples Temple records
Date (inclusive): 1959-1982
Date (bulk): 1972-1978
Collection Identifier: MSP
3800
Creator:
Peoples Temple.
Extent:
7 boxes, 25 albums
(10.5 linear feet)
Contributing Institution:
California Historical Society
678 Mission Street
San Francisco, CA, 94105-4014
(415) 357-1848
reference@calhist.org
URL: http://www.californiahistoricalsociety.org/
Location of Materials: Collection is stored onsite.
Language of Materials: Collection materials are in
English.
Abstract: Consists of photographic prints of various sizes
pertaining to Peoples Temple, including individual and group portraits, publicity
photographs, and snapshots. Includes images of church services, recreational
outings, and Peoples Temple members working at various pursuits, including farming,
cooking, and woodworking. Includes interior and exterior shots of Peoples Temple
churches in the United States, images of Peoples Temple members in Jonestown and
Georgetown, Guyana, and approximately 6500 identification photographs of 3800
Peoples Temple members and others who attended church services in California. Also
includes negatives and two slides. Unidentified Peoples Temple members took the bulk
of the photographs before the deaths in Jonestown, Guyana, in November
1978.
Restrictions on Access
All researchers must sign the Access Agreement form, confirming that they have read
and understood the restrictions outlined in the document Restricted Materials in the
Peoples Temple Records, MS 3800. This document, and the Access Agreement form, are
available at the reference desk or can be sent electronically.
Collection is open for research, with the following exceptions:
Photographs from members' legal papers (Box 4, folder 44b) are restricted.
Restrictions on these photographs may be reevaluated if a researcher can show proof
that the person is deceased or has provided proof of permission by the party named
to CHS. The researcher must locate the individual and present CHS with proof of
permission, either by email or letter.
Photographs from advice correspondence (Box 4, folder 45) and photographs from
medical records (Box 4, folder 46) are permanently sealed and closed.
Restrictions on Reproduction and Use
Passport photographs, membership photographs, and other individual portraits of
former members who are still living require the written permission of that person to
be reproduced or published. The researcher must locate the individual and present
CHS with proof of permission, either by email or letter.
Permission for the use of negatives and slides must be obtained from the Director of
Library and Archives.
Publication Rights
All requests to reproduce, publish, quote from or otherwise use collection materials
must be submitted in writing to the Director of Library and Archives, North Baker
Research Library, California Historical Society, 678 Mission Street, San Francisco,
CA 94105. Consent is given on behalf of the California Historical Society as the
owner of the physical items and is not intended to include or imply permission from
the copyright owner. Such permission must be obtained from the copyright owner.
Restrictions also apply to digital representations of the original materials. Use of
digital files is restricted to research and educational purposes.
Preferred Citation
[Identification of item], Photographs from Peoples Temple records, MSP 3800,
California Historical Society.
Related Collections
Acquisition Information
Photographs from Peoples Temple records were transferred from Peoples Temple records,
MS 3800. The Peoples Temple records were given to the California Historical Society
by orders of the California Superior Court and of the Guyana High Court, facilitated
by Robert H. Fabian, in June 1983.
Additions were made by Stephan Jones in 2003; these photographs were received from
Charles Garry, attorney for Peoples Temple from 1977 to 1978.
System of Arrangement
The collection has been divided into five series: Series 1: General photographs;
Series 2: Membership photographs; Series 3: Passport photographs; Series 4:
Photographs of Peoples Temple facilities and property; and Series 5: Photographs
from correspondence and legal files.
Processing Information
Processed by Denice Stephenson in 2003-2005.
Organizational History
Peoples Temple began as a church founded by Jim and Marceline Jones and a small group
of parishioners in Indianapolis in 1955. As pastor, Jim Jones preached to a
racially-integrated congregation during Pentecostal-based services that included
healings and sermons on integration and class conflicts. Peoples Temple conducted
food drives; opened a "free restaurant" that served thousands of meals to the city's
poor in the early 1960s; operated nursing homes; and hosted weekly television and
radio programs featuring their integrated choir. The church became well known in the
Indianapolis press for the members' integration activities and for their assertions
of their pastor's gifts as a healer. The church became affiliated with the Disciples
of Christ denomination in 1960.
In the summer of 1965, the Jones family and approximately one hundred Peoples Temple
members relocated to Redwood Valley, a rural community eight miles north of Ukiah in
Mendocino County. Peoples Temple conducted church services and meetings in rented
and borrowed spaces until 1969 when they finished building their own church with a
swimming pool, an animal shelter, gardens, and a community kitchen. By this time,
the church's membership had grown to three hundred.
In 1970, Jim Jones began to preach in cities throughout California. Recruiting drives
in African American communities in San Francisco and Los Angeles increased Peoples
Temple membership to over twenty-five hundred by 1973. Some members lived in
communal housing and worked full time for Peoples Temple. Others contributed
significant portions of their income and property to the church. The church's
operations included real estate management; home care facilities for seniors and
youths; publishing and bookkeeping services; mail order services; and maintenance of
a fleet of buses to transport members to services throughout the state and across
the country. Tens of thousands of people, including politicians and members of other
congregations, attended Peoples Temple services between 1970 and 1977.
The leadership of Peoples Temple voted to establish an agricultural and rural
development mission in Guyana, South America in the fall of 1973. Over the next two
years, members traveled to Guyana to scout a location for the mission; establish a
residence in Georgetown, the capital of Guyana; clear the land; and begin
construction at the site. The building plans for the community which became known as
Jonestown included farm buildings, a large communal kitchen, medical facilities,
schools, dormitory-style housing, small cabins, a day care center and a large
open-air pavilion that became the community's central meeting place.
By 1976, Peoples Temple had moved its headquarters from Redwood Valley to San
Francisco and had become involved in citywide electoral politics. They published
their own newspaper,
Peoples Forum; staged rallies and
events for local and national political figures; and were vocal in their support of
causes such as freedom of the press, affirmative action, and gay rights. In the fall
of 1976, recently elected Mayor George Moscone appointed Jim Jones to the San
Francisco Housing Authority. Jones served as its chairman until he left for Guyana
the following year.
In 1977, former members and relatives organized a group called the Concerned
Relatives to protest Jones's treatment of church members. Child custody issues and
living conditions in Jonestown were at the center of the conflict between Peoples
Temple and the Concerned Relatives. Both sides filed lawsuits, sought public support
through the media, and appealed to government officials for protection. Media
coverage of Peoples Temple practices and political activities led the government to
investigate the church's financial and social welfare programs. Peoples Temple began
to close many of their businesses, sell their properties, and relocate hundreds of
their members to Guyana.
In response to issues raised by the media and former members, California Congressman
Leo Ryan scheduled a trip to Jonestown in November 1978. By this time, more than a
thousand Peoples Temple members were living in Guyana. His staff, members of
Concerned Relatives, Embassy officials, and journalists accompanied Ryan on an
overnight visit to Jonestown. As the congressional party left for the airstrip at
Port Kaituma, sixteen disaffected Jonestown residents accompanied Ryan. As the group
boarded two small airplanes at the airstrip, Peoples Temple members drove up on
tractors and began shooting. They killed Ryan, three journalists, and a Peoples
Temple member. That same day, November 18, 1978, more than nine hundred people died,
most by cyanide poisoning, in Jonestown; four other members died in Georgetown.
More than eighty Peoples Temple members survived the deaths in Guyana: people who
lived through the airstrip shootings; Jonestown residents who left the community
before and during the poisonings; and members who were in Georgetown and on boats.
Hundreds of Peoples Temple members had remained in the U.S., many of them in
California.
After the deaths, Peoples Temple members in San Francisco provided the government
with records to assist in identifying the dead. All Peoples Temple assets were
frozen and placed under court supervision and the process of dissolving Peoples
Temple began. The court oversaw the burial of hundreds of unclaimed and unidentified
bodies from Jonestown. The court also set up a system to handle what would
ultimately total $1.8 billion in claims filed against the Peoples Temple estate.
Claims were filed by the governments of Guyana and the United States; people injured
at the airstrip; relatives of the deceased; and people who had turned over property
to Peoples Temple. In 1979 and 1980, Congress held hearings on the death of
Congressman Ryan and on cult phenomenon in the U.S.
By 1983, the court recovered and disbursed over $13 million, including interest, in
assets recovered from cash found in the U.S. and Guyana, from international accounts
found in Panama, Caracas, Grenada and other countries, and from the sale of Peoples
Temple properties and assets. In June 1983, the court approved the transfer of the
records of Peoples Temple to the California Historical Society.
Scope and Contents
Consists of photographic prints of various sizes pertaining to Peoples Temple,
including individual and group portraits, publicity photographs, and snapshots.
Includes images of church services, recreational outings, and Peoples Temple members
working at various pursuits, including farming, cooking, and woodworking. Includes
interior and exterior shots of Peoples Temple churches in the United States, images
of Peoples Temple members in Jonestown and Georgetown, Guyana, and approximately
6500 identification photographs of 3800 Peoples Temple members and others who
attended church services in California. Also includes negatives and two slides.
Unidentified Peoples Temple members took the bulk of the photographs before the
deaths in Jonestown, Guyana, in November 1978.
Peoples Temple members who worked in photography or were amateur photographers
included Eugene Chaikin, T. Clancey, Don Jackson, Elmer Mertle, Ken Norton, J.
Randolph, Chris Rozynko, and E. Smith.
Many of the photographs are undated. Dates in the container list and in captions have
been supplied based on information from Stephan Jones and other former Peoples
Temple members who assisted in the identification of photographs.
Subjects and Indexing Terms
Jones, Jim, 1931-1978--Portraits.
Peoples Temple--Pictorial works.
Identification photographs.
Jonestown (Guyana)--Pictorial works.
Negatives.
Photograph albums.
Photographic prints.
Portrait photographs.
Series 1:
General photographs
circa 1959-1978
Physical Description:
1200.0 photographic prints
Scope and Contents
Consists of approximately 1200 photographic prints of various sizes,
including group portraits, publicity photographs and snapshots. Includes
images of church services, recreational outings, and Peoples Temple members
working at various pursuits, including farming, cooking, and woodworking.
Stephan Jones wrote many of the captions on the back of the photographs in
1999-2003. Among the locations pictured in the series are California cities,
including Redwood Valley, San Francisco, and Los Angeles, and locations in
Guyana, including Jonestown and Georgetown. Also includes several scenic
shots and laminated membership cards with identification photographs.
Photographs of Jim Jones in Box 2, folders 17-22, include images from the
Peoples Temple media files and images used in promotional offerings in
direct mail solicitations. Box 3, folders 31-32, contain images of Peoples
Temple members preparing shipments of supplies for transport to Guyana and
at United States and Guyana airports. Box 3, folders 33-39, include images
of Jim Jones, early settlers of Jonestown, Guyanese laborers, and portraits
of Jonestown residents.
Box 1, Folders 1-4
Church services
1972-1976
Box 1, Folder 5
Choir, band, and dance groups
circa 1970-1975
Box 1, Folder 6
Benefit concerts
circa 1976
Box 1, Folders 7-8
Cross country travel
circa 1970-1976
Album 22
Membership cards, church services, members
1972-1976
Box 1, Folder 15
Soviet-American Friendship Society
circa 1976-1977
Box 2, Folder 16
Marceline Jones
1972-1977
Box 2, Folder 19
Jim Jones with children
circa 1972-1976
Box 2, Folder 20
Jim Jones with seniors
circa 1959-1976
Box 2, Folder 21
Jim Jones with public officials
circa 1975-1977
Box 2, Folder 22
Jim Jones with animals
1970-1973
Box 2, Folder 23
Patti Chastain drawings, members’ artwork
undated
Box 3, Folder 31
Preparation of shipments to agricultural mission
1974-1976
Box 3, Folder 32
Members traveling to Jonestown, Guyana
1976-1977
Box 3, Folders 33-39
Members in Jonestown, Guyana
1974-1978
Box 3, Folder 41
Georgetown, Guyana, street scenes
circa 1975
Series 2:
Membership photographs
circa 1974-1977
Physical Description:
3400.0 photographic prints
Existence and Location of Copies
Digital reproductions of photographs of Peoples Temple members who died in
Jonestown may be viewed at http://jonestown.sdsu.edu/.
Scope and Contents
Consists of approximately 3400 small, color identification photographs of
Peoples Temple members and others who attended church services. These
instantly developed photographs were used to create Peoples Temple
membership cards such as those found in Album 22. The bulk of the
photographs were taken after services at churches in Los Angeles and San
Francisco.
System of Arrangement
Arranged alphabetically.
Restrictions on Reproduction and Use
Passport photographs, membership photographs, and other individual portraits
of former members who are still living require the written permission of
that person to be reproduced or published. The researcher must locate the
individual and present CHS with proof of permission, either by email or
letter.
Album 1
Adams-Byrd
circa 1974-1977
Album 2
Cagle-Flanagan
circa 1974-1977
Album 3
Fletcher-Ivy
circa 1974-1977
Album 4
Jackson-Lyons
circa 1974-1977
Album 5
Mack-Pursley
circa 1974-1977
Album 6
Quan-Swinney
circa 1974-1977
Album 7
Tabb-Zachary
circa 1974-1977
Series 3:
Passport photographs
circa 1974-1977
Physical Description:
11100.0 items
System of Arrangement
Albums 8-21 and Boxes 5-7 are arranged alphabetically. Albums 23-25 are
arranged numerically by original binder and negative number.
Existence and Location of Copies
Digital reproductions of photographs of Peoples Temple members who died in
Jonestown may be viewed at http://jonestown.sdsu.edu/.
Scope and Contents
Consists of approximately 3100 black and white identification photographs of
Peoples Temple members and others who attended church services to be used
for passport applications for travel from the United States to Guyana. The
bulk of the photographs were taken after services at churches in Los Angeles
and San Francisco. Many of the images are contact prints developed and
printed by Peoples Temple members. Also includes approximately 3000
duplicate images and three albums of approximately 5000 negatives.
Restrictions on Reproduction and Use
Passport photographs, membership photographs, and other individual portraits
of former members who are still living require the written permission of
that person to be reproduced or published. The researcher must locate the
individual and present CHS with proof of permission, either by email or
letter.
Album 8
Abrams-Boutte, L.
circa 1974-1977
Album 9
Boutte, M.-Carter, M.
circa 1974-1977
Album 10
Carter, M.-Davis, B.
circa 1974-1977
Album 11
Davis, C.-Ewing
circa 1974-1977
Album 12
Fain-Gray
circa 1974-1977
Album 13
Greaves-Ivy
circa 1974-1977
Album 14
Jackson-Jones, Reba
circa 1974-1977
Album 15
Jones, Rome-Lyons
circa 1974-1978
Album 16
Macklin-Monroe, L.
circa 1974-1977
Album 17
Monroe, M.-Pikes
circa 1974-1977
Album 18
Pinkey-Ryles
circa 1974-1977
Album 19
Saddler-Smith, W.
circa 1974-1977
Album 20
Smith, Y.-Tyler
circa 1974-1977
Album 21
Umblas-Young
circa 1974-1977
Albums 23-25
Passport negatives
circa 1974-1977
Boxes 5-7
Duplicate and unidentified passport images
circa 1974-1977
Series 4:
Photographs of Peoples Temple facilities and property
1970-1980
Physical Description:
60.0 photographic prints
Scope and Contents
Consists of approximately 60 photographic prints of Peoples Temple churches
and related buildings in California. Also includes images of landscapes,
vehicles involved in accidents, members' personal real estate properties,
and boats in Guyana.
System of Arrangement
Arranged by location or type of property.
Box 2, Folders 24-26
Redwood Valley, California
1970-1979
Box 2, Folder 27
Mendocino County, California
undated
Box 2, Folder 28
San Francisco, California
1973-1979
Box 2, Folder 29
Los Angeles, California
circa 1972
Box 2, Folder 30
Machinery and trucks
1976
Box 3, Folder 43
Real estate and motor vehicles
circa 1970-1976
Series 5:
Photographs from correspondence and legal files
circa 1972-1982, undated
Physical Description:
40.0 photographic prints
Scope and Contents
Consists of approximately 40 photographic prints separated from
correspondence and legal files in the Peoples Temple records, MS 3800,
including photographs of correspondents seeking advice from Peoples Temple
attorneys and photographs of Peoples Temple members used as evidence in
Peoples Temple of the Disciples of Christ vs. The
Attorney General of California
.
Restrictions on Access
Photographs from members' legal papers (Box 4, folder 44b) are restricted.
Restrictions on these photographs may be reevaluated if a researcher can
show proof that the person is deceased or has provided proof of permission
by the party named to CHS. The researcher must locate the individual and
present CHS with proof of permission, either by email or letter.
Photographs from advice correspondence (Box 4, folder 45) and photographs
from medical records (Box 4, folder 46) are permanently sealed and
closed.
Box 3, Folder 44a
Photographs from
Peoples Temple of the
Disciples of Christ v. Attorney General of
California
1978
Separated Materials
Separated from Peoples Temple records, MS 3800, folder 1634.
Box 4, Folder 44b
Photographs from members' legal papers
undated
Separated Materials
Separated from Peoples Temple records, MS 3800, folder 2200.
Box 4, Folder 45
Photographs from advice correspondence
1972, undated
Separated Materials
Separated from Peoples Temple records, MS 3800, folders 2169 and
2182.
Box 4, Folder 46
Photographs from medical records
1982
Separated Materials
Separated from Peoples Temple records, MS 3800, folder 1606.
