James (Harry C.) Manuscript Collection, 1953-1968

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Summary

Title:
Harry C. James Manuscript Collection
Dates:
1953-1968
Creators:
James, Harry Clebourne
Abstract:
This collection contains the manuscripts, drafts, proofs, and articles by Harry C. James from 1953-1968.
Extent:
0.25 Linear Feet (1 box)
Language:
English .
Preferred citation:

Harry C. James Manuscript Collection, 1953-1968, Braun Research Library Collection, Autry Museum of the American West, Los Angeles; MS.582; [folder number] [folder title][date].

Background

Scope and content:

This collection contains the manuscripts, drafts, proofs, and articles by Harry C. James from 1953-1968. Materials by James include a draft of The Hopi Indians manuscript with annotations by F. W. Hodge, a publisher's copy for The Hopi Indians: Their History and Their Culture, proof sheets for Cahuilla Indians, and a 1939 article from Desert Magazine. Collection also includes biographical materials on James.

Biographical / historical:

Harry Clebourne James (1896-1978) was a friend of F. W. Hodge, and made several donations of artifacts to the Southwest Museum between 1941 and 1956.

James, a native of Ottawa, Canada, came to Los Angeles in 1913, admittedly moviestruck. He worked behind the camera for several of the early film companies, including D.W. Griffiths. His one venture as an actor failed because he couldn't force a scowl on cue in an audition with his new friend, Dorothy Gish. The Gish sisters, Dorothy and Lillian, as well as many other early Hollywood celebrities, were early and enduring supporters of many James causes, including the Cahuenga Council, his first boys group, the Western Rangers, and the Trailfinders. The council was named for the original inhabitants of the Hollywood Hills, where James conducted his first hikes and camps with a Pαnawάhpskewi (Penobscot) actor, Tahamount, known in the films as Dark Cloud.

James established his school in Altadena in 1926, the year before he and Grace were married, and she became the teacher of basic required subjects while James and his friends conducted classes in "Indian" and conservation themes and led the summer-long camping adventures into "Indian" areas throughout the West. His lifelong involvement with the Hopi apparently began about 1921 when a short camping trip to Old Oraibi with the Trailfinders lengthened into a two-week stay due to flooded roads. The Pueblo people befriended James and the boys, providing them with food and endless nights of legend telling. The incident had a profound effect on James and most of his best writing from that time concerned the descendants of the Anasazi. James was instrumental in the founding of two early-day Southern California philanthropic groups in the Charles Lummis tradition, the National Association to Help the Indian and the Indian Welfare League.

Acquisition information:
Donations from F. W. Hodge, 1939 June; Harry C. James, circa 1955; and Library staff.
Processing information:

Processed by Glenna Schroeder, circa 1977-1981. Finding aid completed by Holly Rose Larson, NHPRC Processing Archivist, 2012 October 9, made possible through grant funding from the National Historical Publications and Records Commissions (NHPRC).

Rules or conventions:
Describing Archives: A Content Standard

About this collection guide

Collection Guide Author:
Holly Rose Larson
Date Encoded:
This finding aid was produced using ArchivesSpace on 2023-02-24 17:55:25 +0000 .

Access and use

Restrictions:

Appointments to view materials are required. To make an appointment please visit https://theautry.org/research-collections/library-and-archives and fill out the Researcher Application Form.

Terms of access:

Copyright has not been assigned to the Autry Museum of the American West. All requests for permission to publish or quote from manuscripts must be submitted in writing to the Head of Research Services and Archives. Permission for publication is given on behalf of the Autry Museum of the American West as the custodian of the physical items and is not intended to include or imply permission of the copyright holder, which must also be obtained by the reader.

Preferred citation:

Harry C. James Manuscript Collection, 1953-1968, Braun Research Library Collection, Autry Museum of the American West, Los Angeles; MS.582; [folder number] [folder title][date].

Location of this collection:
4700 Western Heritage Way
Los Angeles, CA 90027, US
Contact:
(747) 201-8448
rroom@theautry.org
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