Joseph Oliver Carter Family Papers and Photographs: Finding Aid mssCarter
Kelly Kress
The Huntington Library
February 2022
1151 Oxford Road
San Marino, California 91108
Business Number: (626) 405-2191
reference@huntington.org
Contributing Institution:
The Huntington Library
Title: Joseph Oliver Carter family papers and photographs
Creator:
Carter, Joseph Oliver, 1835-1909
Identifier/Call Number: mssCarter
Physical Description:
1.38 Linear Feet
(2 boxes)
Date (inclusive): 1840-1941
Date (bulk): 1840-1902
Abstract: Financial documents and family photographs related to journalist, diplomat, and financier Joseph Oliver Carter.
Language of Material: Materials are in English.
Conditions Governing Access
Open for use by qualified researchers and by appointment. Please contact Reader Services at the Huntington Library for more
information.
Conditions Governing Use
The Huntington Library does not require that researchers request permission to quote from or publish images of this material,
nor does it charge fees for such activities. The responsibility for identifying the copyright holder, if there is one, and
obtaining necessary permissions rests with the researcher.
Preferred Citation
[Identification of item]. Joseph Oliver Carter family papers and photographs, The Huntington Library, San Marino, California.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Gift of Elizabeth Babbit Spelman, March 2020.
Biographical / Historical
Joseph Oliver Carter, Jr., journalist, public official, diplomat, financier and philanthropist, was born in Honolulu on December
20, 1835 to Captain Joseph Oliver Carter and Hannah Lord. Carter attended school in Boston as a child and returned to Hawaii
in 1847, where he finished school and worked at a variety of jobs until 1872 when he was elected to the Hawaiian Legislature.
He was appointed Registrar of Public Accounts in 1874, after having been financier to prominent families in Hawaii. In 1880
he became cashier and correspondent for C. Brewer & Co, and in 1891, he became president of the company. Throughout his life,
Carter was an advisor to the Hawaiian royal family, the legislature and cabinet officers. He was the Privy Councilor to Queen
Liliuokalani, standing with her and siding with the Hawaiian people during the 1893 Revolution. After the overthrow of the
Queen, Carter resigned his position at C. Brewer & Co. due to political differences with his business colleagues and opened
his own business. He continued to manage the business affairs of the former Queen, and also worked for the James Campbell
Estate, the B. P. Bishop Estate, the Kamehameha Schools, and various private accounts and estates. Carter was anti-annexation
and in 1898 went to Washington D. C. to lobby against it. Carter held various other positions including Board of Health of
the Republic of Hawaii and superintendent and teacher at the Bethel Church. Carter married Mary Ladd, a member of another
prominent Honolulu family, in 1859, and the couple had six children. Carter continued his business dealings until his death
on February 27, 1909.
Scope and Contents
Financial documents related to the Bernice Pauahi Bishop Musuem, the B.P. Bishop estate, and Puakea Ranch, all of which employed
Joseph Oliver Carter during his career in Hawaii. There are also some early accounting materials from the 1840s, including
records of invoices for Charles Brewer and R.W. Wood. Family photographs include a portrait of Carter and several album pages
containing photographs of Carter and Babbit family members and homes. The photographs are primarily of children, including
Elizabeth Babbit Spelman as a baby, and a few depict Joseph Oliver Carter with children and are labeled Great-Grandfather
Carter. A few photographs depict Asian women labeled as maids. There is also a 1931 group photograph of the Honolulu Garden
Club, and a copy of the Honolulu Star Bulletin extra edition front page from December 7, 1941, describing the aftermath of
the attack on Pearl Harbor.
Processing Information
Processed by Kelly Kress in February 2022.
Arrangement
Arranged chronologically within format.
Related Materials at the Huntington
Subjects and Indexing Terms
Financial records
Hawaii -- History -- 1900-1959
Newspapers
Photograph albums
Photographs
Bernice Pauahi Bishop Museum
Carter, Joseph Oliver, 1835-1909
Box 1, Folder 1
Accounting documents
1840, 1848
Box 1, Folder 2
Puakea Ranch documents
1886-1901
Box 1, Folder 3
Bernice P. Bishop estate and Bishop Museum documents
1903
Box 1, Folder 4
Honolulu Garden Club photograph
1931
Box 1, Folder 5
Honolulu Star Bulletin newspaper
1941
Box 2, Folder 1
Joseph Oliver Carter portrait
approximately 1900
Box 2, Folder 2
Photo album pages
approximately 1902
Box 2, Folder 3
Photo album pages
approximately 1902
