Finding aid for Dingman collection, 1911-1986 MVC071
Finding aid prepared by Nicholas Lawrence, 2021.
This finding aid was made possible in part through funding from the County of Ventura and the Heritage Fund at the Ventura
County Community Foundation.
Museum of Ventura County
July 2021
100 East Main Street
Ventura, CA 93001
library@venturamuseum.org
Contributing Institution:
Museum of Ventura County
Title: Dingman family papers
Identifier/Call Number: MVC071
Physical Description:
2.57 Cubic Feet
(2 boxes)
Date (inclusive): 1911-1986
Date (bulk): 1912-1934
Abstract: The Dingman collection consists of photographs, negatives, newspaper clippings, and other ephemera from professional photographer
Waldo Henry Dingman, Sr. (1872-1955) and World War I veteran Waldo Henry Dingman, Jr. (1898-1986). Dingman Sr.'s images represent
life and culture in Ventura County including portraits, weddings, and documentation of local landmarks and areas of interest.
The collection also contains photographs, newspaper clippings, scrapbooks, notes, meeting minutes and correspondence related
to Waldo Henry Jr.'s actions during World War I and afterward as part of the Last Man's Club, so named after a pact made between
the club's 32 members during enlistment for the war.
Physical Location: Stored off-site and advance notice required for timely retrieval. Please contact the Research Library reference desk prior
to your visit.
Language of Material:
English
.
Conditions Governing Access
COLLECTION STORED OFF-SITE: Open for research. All requests to access materials must be made in advance by contacting the
Research Library staff via email: library@venturamuseum.org
Conditions Governing Reproduction and Use
Property rights to the physical object belong to the Museum of Ventura County. Literary rights, including copyright, have
not been determined. Contact the Research Library for further information: library@venturamuseum.org.
Preferred Citation
[Identification of item], Dingman family papers, (Collection MVC071), Museum of Ventura County, Research Library, Ventura,
California.
Provenance/Source of Acquisition
Stephen Dingman; gift; 2007.
Processing Information
Processed by Nicholas Lawrence under the supervision of Krystell Jimenez, 2021.
Our collections are processed using MPLP methods so that we can prioritize access for users and identify potential priorities
for more detailed processing. If while using our collections you think there is something that should be added or amended
in the finding aid, we welcome your input. You can notify staff in the reading room or send us an email at library@venturamuseum.org
Be sure to include the collection number and name and the box number you were working with in your email.
Biographical / Historical
Waldo Henry Dingman, Sr. (1872-1955) was a prominent professional photographer in Ventura County. Born in Iowa, Dingman had
photographic studios in Des Moines and Seattle before settling alternately in Ventura and Santa Paula. Waldo Henry Dingman,
Jr. (1898-1986) served in the Navy during World War I. He was one of 32 young men from Ventura County who enlisted in the
Navy together. The 32 men became known at the Last Man's Club. The club's name came from a pact the members made that the
last survivor was to drink a toast to the others from an unopened bottle of wine and a bottle of Prohibition-era Near Beer
donated to the club. Dingman Jr. was the last surviving member of the club.
Scope and Contents
The collection consists of photographs and negatives from Waldo Henry Dingman, Sr.'s photography business between 1911 and
1959. Images represent life and culture in Ventura County including portraits, weddings, and documentation of local landmarks
and areas of interest. The collection also contains photographs, newspaper clippings, scrapbooks, notes, meeting minutes and
correspondence related to Waldo Henry Jr.'s actions during World War I and afterward as part of the Last Man's Club.
Subjects and Indexing Terms
Photography -- Studios and darkrooms
Fraternal Organizations -- California -- Ventura County
Ventura County (Calif.) -- Photographs
Historic Sites -- California -- Ventura County -- Photographs
Sailors -- California -- Ventura County
World War, 1914-1918
Box 1, Folder 1
Negatives inventory
1911-1959
Box 1, Folder 2
Negatives 40.061-12
1912-1959
Box 1, Folder 3
Negatives 40.071-12
1912-1959
Box 1, Folder 4
Negatives 40.076-12 - 40.086-12
1912-1959
Box 1, Folder 5
Negatives 40.075
1912-1959
Box 1, Folder 6
Negatives 40.062-12 - 40.070-12
1912-1959
Box 1, Folder 7
Negatives 40.072-12
1912-1959
Box 1, Folder 8
Negatives 40.072-12 - 40.073-12
1912-1959
Box 1, Folder 9
Slides, framed photograph, and half tone plates
1912-1959
Box 1, Folder 10
Last Man's Club ephemera
1917-1974
Box 1, Folder 11
Last Man's Club newspaper clippings
1917-1986
Box 1, Folder 12
Fraternal organization ephemera
1933-1934
Box 2
Last Man's Club photographs and ephemera
1917-1934
Scope and Contents
This box contains four photograph albums depicting Waldo Henry Dingman, Jr. during World War I, one scrapbook containing newspaper
clippings and military comic strips, and one certificate from the Dominions of Neptune Rex to Ventura Post Number 339.
