Finding Aid to the Mary L. Bennett Collection on John Clifford Cowles
MS.1956.004
Rebecca Fenning Marschall
William Andrews Clark Memorial Library
2014
2520 Cimarron Street
Los Angeles 90018
clark@humnet.ucla.edu
Contributing Institution:
William Andrews Clark Memorial Library
Title: Mary L. Bennett Collection on John Clifford Cowles
Creator:
Bennett, Mary L.
Creator:
Cowles, John Clifford, 1861-1951
Identifier/Call Number: MS.1956.004
Physical Description:
1.2 Linear Feet
(2 boxes)
Date (inclusive): 1861-1951
Abstract: Photographs and textual materials generated by artist and writer John Clifford Cowles, documenting his time in Montana and
his career in southern California.
Physical Location: This collection is stored at the Clark Library.
Language of Material:
English
.
Biographical Note
John Clifford Cowles was born in 1861 in Freeport, Illinois and studied in New York City with Albert Bierstadt and others.
He made a career as a painter and photographer in the American west during the 1880s and 1890s, before going to Paris to study
with Albert Besnard and Jean-Charles Cazin. In his writing, some of which is collected here, Cowles asserts that Senator William
Andrews Clark was his patron in the 1890s and that he aided in the growth of Clark's art collection, but the extent to which
this may be true is unclear. Cowles returned to the US in the late 1890s and lived primarily in Los Angeles until his death
in 1951. In 1932, he wrote The whispering buddha, a mystical mystery novel.
Access
Collection is open for research.
Publication Rights
The Clark Library owns the property rights to its collections but does not hold the copyright to these materials and therefore
cannot grant or deny permission to use them. Researchers are responsible for determining the copyright status of any materials
they may wish to use, investigating the owner of the copyright, and obtaining permission for their intended publication or
other use. In all cases, you must cite the Clark Library as the source with the following credit line: The William Andrews
Clark Memorial Library, University of California, Los Angeles.
Scope and Contents
This collection consists mainly of a scrapbook and loose photographs from the estate of John Clifford Cowles. The scrapbook
was not compiled by Cowles himself, but by a woman named Mary L. Bennett, who purchased some of his papers and photographs
after his death in 1951. In a note at the end of the volume, Bennett recounts that after purchasing some photographs from
the Cowles estate at a local store, she went to his former house and rescued more documents and photographs from destruction,
including the manuscript of a fictionalized memoir. The scrapbook she assembled from Cowles' original materials includes photographs,
prints, newspaper clippings, typescripts, and other material like pressed eucalyptus leaves. Many passages from the memoir
are pasted into the album and even more are transcribed in Bennett's hand; it is unclear if they are assembled here in the
correct order or if all of the passages come from the same work by Cowles. The loose photographs largely document Cowles
work as a photographer for hire in Montana and elsewhere in the west and include images of mining operations.
Provenance
This collection was purchased by the Clark Library from Mary L. Bennett, who acquired the material from booksellers and from
Cowles' landlord after Cowles' death in 1951.
Preferred Citation
[Identification of item], John Clifford Cowles Collection, MS.1956.004, William Andrews Clark Memorial Library, University
of California, Los Angeles.
Subjects and Indexing Terms
Scrapbooks -- United States -- 20th century
Black-and-white photographs
Authors, American -- 20th century
Box MS.1956.004 Box 2
Scrapbook assembled by Mary L. Bennett
1861-1951
Box 1, Folder 1
Photograph of unidentified woman, possibly by J.C. Cowles,
ca 1890s
Caption
On verso in hand of Mary L. Bennett: "Neighbor who modeled for John Clifford Cowles - artist - on Waterlook St. LA 1890's
-- John C. Cowles died in his 80's -- when a very young man he was a protege of Sen. Wm A Clark & toured Europe with him --
helping him purchase the fabulous art collection later in the Cochoran [sic] Art Gallery in Wash. D.C. The scrapbk diary
was purchased by the Clark Libr. -- some years back -- 1950s."
In another hand : "Miller gift."
Box 1, Folder 2
Photograph of Egbert Cowles, by J.A. Brush, Minneapolis,
Caption
On verso, in hand of Mary L. Bennett : Egbert Cowles, manager of Flour City Bank.
Box 1, Folder 3
Photograph of J.C. Cowles painting in a grove of trees,
ca 1890s
Note
Caption on verso in hand of Mary L. Bennett: "J. Clifford Cowles -- in his 30's 1890s -- noted scenic artist -- NY - Montana
& Calif - A Protege of Senator Wm A Clarke -- Take on camping trip in Sierras -- 1890s -- died in L.A. in his 80s -- in 1951?"
Box 1, Folder 4
Photograph of David C. Dodge in his Denver greenhouse,
ca. 1896
Note
Caption on verso in J.C. Cowles' hand: "Conservatory, D.C. Dodge." Other notes in a different, later hand (possibly Mary
L. Bennett).
Box Clarkive Pre-1934 10, Folder 4
Copper smelter, Butte, Montana
ca. 1889
Note
Captions on verso of photograph: "Copper smelter, Butte, Montana" and "From John Clifford Cowles
Collection" in hand of Mary L. Bennett.
Box Clarkive Pre-1934 10, Folder 5
Unknown smelter, Montana
ca. 1890
Note
No caption or title on image and no provenance information. Unclear if this is an image by Cowles or if it is unrelated to
him.
Box Clarkive Pre-1934 10, Folder 6
Anaconda Copper Mining Co., Montana
18--?
Note
Title taken from caption written in pencil on verso of photograph; no provenance information. Unclear if this is an image
by Cowles or if it is unrelated to him.
Box Clarkive Pre-1934 11, Folder 3
Deer Lodge, Montana
ca. 1880s
Note
No provenance information. Unclear if this image was taken by Cowles or if it is unrelated to him.
Box Clarkive Pre-1934 11, Folder 4
Phillipsburg, Montana
ca. 1880s
Note
No provenance information. Unclear if this image was taken by Cowles or if it is unrelated to him.
Textual materials
Creator: Cowles, John Clifford, 1861-1951
Subjects and Indexing Terms
Mining claim -- United States -- 19th century
Scrapbooks -- United States -- 20th century
Photographs -- United States -- 19th century
Photographs -- California -- 20th century
Box 1, Folder 5
News clipping, manuscript material and mining contracts,
1894-1909
Box 1, Folder 6
Acquisition correspondence,
1956