Guide to the Seema Weatherwax photographs and papers

Marueen Carey, Kate Dundon

University of California, Santa Cruz

2018

1156 High Street

Santa Cruz 95064

speccoll@library.ucsc.edu

URL: http://guides.library.ucsc.edu/speccoll

Contributing Institution: University of California, Santa Cruz

Title: Seema Weatherwax photographs and papers

Creator: Weatherwax, Seema, 1905-2006

Identifier/Call Number: MS.154

Physical Description: 7 Linear Feet 6 boxes, 3 framed items

Date (inclusive): 1900-2001

Language of Material: English

Conditions Governing Access

Collection is open for research.

Conditions Governing Use

Copyright for the photographs in this collection is owned by Jason Weston. Reproduction or distribution of any work protected by copyright beyond that allowed by fair use requires permission from the copyright owner. It is the responsibility of the user to determine whether a use is fair use, and to obtain any necessary permissions. For more information see UCSC Special Collections and Archives policy on Reproduction and Use.

Preferred Citation

Seema Weatherwax photographs and papers. MS 154. Special Collections and Archives, University Library, University of California, Santa Cruz.

Biographical / Historical

Seema Aissen Weatherwax was an American photographer. She began her photography career in Boston in the 1920s, and continued her work throughout the United States until her death in 2006. Weatherwax associated and collaborated with artists and activists such as Ansel Adams, Edward Weston, Imogen Cunningham, and Woody Guthrie.

Scope and Contents

This collection primarily comprises photographs from Weatherwax's personal life and professional career as a photographer. Included are a selection of enlargements printed by Jason Weston under Weatherwax's supervision, and a collection of photographs featuring family members and Weatherwax's professional work, including images taken in Tahiti in the 1930s and throughout the United States. Also included is a small amount of personal and professional correspondence; Weatherwax's 1942 employment application to the U.S. Civil Service Commission; and correspondence and other material related to her husband John (Jack) Weatherwax and a publishing project he undertook with Diego Rivera, including correspondence with Upton Sinclair.

Related Materials

The John Weatherwax Papers Relating to Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera are held by the Smithsonian Institution.

Subjects and Indexing Terms

Photographs

Box 1

[View from moving train (Train tracks from Observation Car)] ms0154_pho_0001 undated

Box 1

[Fog below Pt. Lobos] ms0154_pho_0002 undated

Box 1

[Salt flats from a moving Train] ms0154_pho_0003 undated

Box 1

[Mt. Lyell High Sierras] ms0154_pho_0004 undated

Box 1

[House with a tree growing through it] ms0154_pho_0005 undated

Box 1

[Morrow Bay] ms0154_pho_0006 undated

Box 1

[Towne Forum Los Angeles] ms0154_pho_0007 undated

Box 1

[Woody Guthrie placard Los Angeles] ms0154_pho_0008 undated

Box 1

[Woody with guitar Los Angeles - outside his home] ms0154_pho_0009 undated

Box 1

[Homeless couple on the road Shafter Trip - outside Bakersfield] ms0154_pho_0010 circa 1941

Box 1

[Woody with couple and child Shafter Trip 1941- outside Bakersfield] ms0154_pho_0011 circa 1941

Box 1

["Dry Good" store Shafter Trip 1941- outside Camp] ms0154_pho_0012 circa 1941

Box 1

[Outside Housing Shafter Trip - outside Camp] ms0154_pho_0013 circa 1941

Box 1

[Outside Housing Shafter Trip - outside Camp] ms0154_pho_0014 circa 1941

Box 1

[Woody Guthrie and Fred Ross, Shafter Trip entrance to camp] ms0154_pho_0015 circa 1941

Box 1

[Woody alone by car Shafter Trip - entrance to camp] ms0154_pho_0016 circa 1941

Box 1

[Entrance to Shafter Shafter trip - entrance to camp] ms0154_pho_0017 circa 1941

Box 1

[U.S. Dept. of Agriculture (sign) Shafter Trip - inside camp] ms0154_pho_0018 circa 1941

Box 1

[U.S. Mail Shafter Trip - inside camp ms0154_pho_0019 circa 1941

Box 1

[Child in Tent Shafter Trip - Additional Housing] ms0154_pho_0020 circa 1941

Box 2

[Florence Elizabeth Chapman holding painting ada Okalahoma] ms0154_pho_0021 circa 1941

Box 2

[Florence Elizabeth Chapman (portrait) Shafter Trip - inside camp] ms0154_pho_0022 circa 1941

Box 2

[Office at Shafter (kp) Shafter trip - inside camp] ms0154_pho_0023 circa 1941

Box 2

[Inside Camp Houses Shafter trip - inside camp housing] ms0154_pho_0024 circa 1941

Box 2

[Office with Woody playing Shafter Trip - inside camp] ms0154_pho_0025 circa 1941

Box 2

[Three small children outside House (1) Shafter Trip - inside camp] ms0154_pho_0026 circa 1941

Box 2

[Naptime Shafter Trip - inside camp] ms0154_pho_0027 circa 1941

Box 2

[Daycare- Lunchtime, Shafter Trip - inside camp] ms0154_pho_0028 circa 1941

Box 2

[Six Children outside House (2) Shafter Trip - inside camp] ms0154_pho_0029 circa 1941

Box 2

[Eight Children outside House (3) Shafter Trip - inside camp] ms0154_pho_0030 circa 1941

Box 2

[Snowy road to the dark room] ms0154_pho_0031 circa 1938-1940

Box 2

[Dark Cliff and Clouds] ms0154_pho_0032 circa 1938-1940

Box 2

[Ansel [Adams] with a camera] ms0154_pho_0033 circa 1938-1940

Box 2

[Feet firmly planted] ms0154_pho_0034 circa 1938-1940

Box 2

[New growth and old growth] ms0154_pho_0035 circa 1938-1940

Box 2

[Distant Canyon and Clouds] ms0154_pho_0036 circa 1938-1940

Box 2

[Jagged Cliff with Clouds] ms0154_pho_0037 circa 1938-1940

Box 2

[Charis and Bill in the Sienna] ms0154_pho_0038 circa 1938-1940

Box 2

[Seema's Hair Clouds] ms0154_pho_0039 circa 1938-1940

Box 2

[End of Winter] ms0154_pho_0040 circa 1938-1940

Box 3

[Storm in Yosemite] ms0154_pho_0041 circa 1938-1940

Box 3

[Ansel [Adams] with tripod] ms0154_pho_0042 circa 1938-1940

Box 3

[Darkroom in Yosemite- Hibernating] ms0154_pho_0043 circa 1938-1940

Box 3

[Nature's Sculpture #3] ms0154_pho_0044 circa 1938-1940

Box 3

[Natures sculpture] ms0154_pho_0045 circa 1938-1940

Box 3

[Lakshmi Singh] ms0154_pho_0046 circa 1938-1940

Box 3

[Pillsbury's Pictures (stone)] ms0154_pho_0047 circa 1938-1940

Box 3

[Distant half dome with clouds] ms0154_pho_0048 circa 1938-1940

Box 3

[Beginning of Spring] ms0154_pho_0049 circa 1938-1940

Box 3

[El Capitan] ms0154_pho_0050 circa 1938-1940

Box 3

[Sunset over lake] ms0154_pho_0051 circa 1938-1940

Box 3

[Straight snowy road] ms0154_pho_0052 circa 1938-1940

Box 3

[Snowy road to dark room] ms0154_pho_0053 circa 1938-1940

Box 3

[Half dome with moon in sky] ms0154_pho_0054 circa 1938-1940

Box 3

[Deer outside studio] ms0154_pho_0055 circa 1938-1940

Box 3

untitled [Vintage dancers] ms0154_pho_0056 undated

Box 3

untitled [Vintage dancers] ms0154_pho_0057 undated

Box 3

untitled [Vintage dancers] ms0154_pho_0058 undated

Box 3

untitled [Vintage dancers] ms0154_pho_0059 undated

Box 3

untitled [Vintage dancers] ms0154_pho_0060 undated

Outside Shafter (framed) undated

Salt Flats from a Moving Train (framed) undated

Fog below Pt. Lobos (framed) undated

Box 4, Folder 1

Photographs: Russia - England circa 1900-1923

Box 4, Folder 2

Photographs: East and West Coast circa 1923-1937

Box 4, Folder 3

Photographs: Tahiti circa 1931-1932

Box 4, Folder 4

Photographs: "Robinson Crusoe" film production in Tahiti circa 1931-1932

Box 4, Folder 5

Photographs: Yosemite, part 1 circa 1938-1940

Box 4, Folder 6

Photographs: Yosemite, part 2 circa 1938-1940

Box 5, Folder 1

Photographs: Trip to Schfter Farm Worker's Community circa 1941

Box 5, Folder 2

Photographs: Los Angeles circa 1941-1984

Box 5, Folder 3

Original documents: travel to Tahiti 1931-1932

Box 5, Folder 4

Correspondence: Tahiti circa 1931-1932

Box 5, Folder 5

Family history: Russia-England Papers and correspondence circa 1900-1923, 1958, 1987

Box 5, Folder 6

Family history: East and West coast "The Cherubite" circa 1923-1937

Box 5, Folder 7

Family history: Los Angeles correspondence, research materials, clippings circa 1941-1984

Box 5, Folder 8

Miscellaneous snapshots 1935, 1971-2001

Box 5, Folder 9

Biographical materials

Box 5, Folder 10

Collected articles about Weatherwax

Box 6, Folder 1

Exhibit announcements, promotional material

Box 6, Folder 2

Employment application to U.S. Civil Service Commission 1942-1945

Box 6, Folder 3

Correspondence 1941-1987

Box 6, Folder 4

Correspondence: Emmy Lou Packard circa 1980-1994

Box 6, Folder 5

Correspondence: Upton Sinclair and John Weatherwax 1929-1936

Box 6, Folder 6

Research file: Diego Rivera Polpul Vuh and five drawings circa 1960-1988

Box 6, Folder 7

Research file: Diego Rivera and the Polpul cica 1974

Box 6, Folder 8

"The Queen of Montgomery Street" by John Weatherwax (typescript) undated

Box 6, Folder 9

"Prehistory" by John Weatherwax undated