Guide to the Emerson Shaw Photographic Slide Collection

SJSU Special Collections & Archives

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Library

San José State University

One Washington Square

San José, CA 95192-0028

Phone: (408) 808-2062

Fax: (408) 808-2063

Email: special.collections@sjsu.edu

URL: http://library.sjsu.edu/sjsu-special-collections/sjsu-special-collections-and-archives

Guide to the Emerson Shaw Photographic Slide Collection

Collection number: MSS-2010-10-30

SJSU Special Collections & Archives

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Library

San José State University

One Washington Square

San José, CA 95192-0028

Phone: (408) 808-2062

Fax: (408) 808-2063

Email: special.collections@sjsu.edu

URL: http://library.sjsu.edu/sjsu-special-collections/sjsu-special-collections-and-archives

Collection processed by Lisa Zakharova. Finding aid EAD encoded by Lisa Zakharova. Reviewed by Danelle Moon.

Descriptive Summary

Title: Emerson Shaw Photographic Slide Collection

Dates: 1939-1958

Collection number: MSS-2010-10-30

Creator: Shaw, Emerson.

Collection Size: 5 boxes (3 linear feet)

Repository: San José State University. Library.

San José, California 95192-0028

Abstract: The Emerson Shaw Photographic Slide Collection consists of over 1800 color slides and the photographer's index. The collection depicts people, places, and scenery around the Bay Area and the East Coast. The slides provide a rich visual representation of California and other U.S. cities, landmarks, and tourist destinations. The California slides include views of Capitola, Carmel, Carmel Mission, China Town, Fisherman's Wharf, San Francisco, Del Monte Lodge, Dorsey's Station, the Golden Gate Bridge, Half Dome, Lakes Tahoe, Donner, and Angora, aerial views of San Francisco and Oakland, Point Lobos, Sacramento, San Francisco, San Francisco Bay and Docks, Santa Cruz town and beach, Stanford University, Sutter's Fort, University of California Los Angeles (UCLA), and Yosemite Park. Other cities represented include Annapolis, Maryland, Atlanta, Georgia, Baltimore, Maryland, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Bristol, Rhode Island, Chicago, Illinois, Coolidge Dam, Denver, Colorado, the Hudson River, the Grand Canyon, the Jefferson Memorial, the Lincoln Memorial, Maine and the Maine Coast, Manhattan, Mount Vernon, New York City, Niagra Falls, the Painted Desert, Arizona, Quebec, Canada, the Smokey Mountains, the Statue of Liberty, Washington D.C., and West Point.

Physical location: For current information on the location of these materials, please consult the Library's online catalog.

Languages: Languages represented in the collection: English

Access

The collection is open for research.

Publication Rights

Copyright is assigned to the San José State University Special Collections & Archives. All requests for permission to publish or quote from manuscripts must be submitted in writing to the Director of Special Collections. Permission for publication is given on behalf of the Special Collections & Archives. Copyright restrictions may apply to digital reproductions of the original materials. Use of digital files is restricted to research and educational purposes.

Preferred Citation

Emerson Shaw Photographic Slide Collection, MSS-2010-10-30, San José State University Library Special Collections & Archives.

Processing Information

Collection processed by Lisa Zakharova. Finding aid EAD encoded by Lisa Zakharova. Reviewed by Danelle Moon.

Biographical History

Emerson Shaw was born in 1914 in Los Gatos. He graduated from Los Gatos High School in 1933 and in 1934 he entered San Jose State College. Following graduation in 1939 he joined the U.S. Navy, serving during the duration of World War II. Emerson Shaw married Jeanne Shaw, who is frequently featured in the collection. In 1945, he returned to the Bay Area and was hired by NACA Ames- National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics, which later was renamed NASA Ames Research Center in 1958. Shaw spent twenty-five years as an employee of NASA Ames, and in 1970 he retired. His hobbies included camping, fishing, travelling, and cars. During his retirement, he participated in the Los Gatos Historical Society and the Los Gatos Rotary from 1980-2000. Shaw died in 2003.

Scope and Content of Collection

The Emerson Shaw Photographic Slide Collection consists of over 1800 color slides and the photographer's index. The collection depicts people, places, and scenery around the Bay Area and the East Coast. The slides provide a rich visual representation of California and other U.S. cities, landmarks, and tourist destinations. The California slides include views of Capitola, Carmel, Carmel Mission, China Town, Fisherman's Wharf, San Francisco, Del Monte Lodge, Dorsey's Station, the Golden Gate Bridge, Half Dome, Lakes Tahoe, Donner, and Angora, aerial views of San Francisco and Oakland, Point Lobos, Sacramento, San Francisco, San Francisco Bay and Docks, Santa Cruz town and beach, Stanford University, Sutter's Fort, University of California Los Angeles (UCLA), and Yosemite Park. Other cities represented include Annapolis, Maryland, Atlanta, Georgia, Baltimore, Maryland, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Bristol, Rhode Island, Chicago, Illinois, Coolidge Dam, Denver, Colorado, the Hudson River, the Grand Canyon, the Jefferson Memorial, the Lincoln Memorial, Maine and the Maine Coast, Manhattan, Mount Vernon, New York City, Niagra Falls, the Painted Desert, Arizona, Quebec, Canada, the Smokey Mountains, the Statue of Liberty, Washington D.C., and West Point.

Arrangement

The Emerson Shaw Photographic Slide Collection is arranged into three series: I. California Slides, II. East Coast Slides, and III. Scenic Slides.The photographer's index are arranged by subject and by date.

Indexing Terms

The following terms have been used to index the description of this collection in the library's online public access catalog.

Historic Buildings

National Parks and Reserves

History--California

Monuments & memorials

Tourism

Scenery

Boxes 1-2

Series : I

California Slides 1944-1950

Physical Description: 2 boxes

Scope and Content Note

This series consists of color slides depicting California cities, landmarks, tourist destinations, scenery, and includes photographs of the Shaw family and their friends. Some of the California places of note include: Capitola, Carmel, Carmel Mission, China Town, Fisherman's Wharf, San Francisco, Del Monte Lodge, Dorsey's Station, the Golden Gate Bridge, Half Dome, Lakes Tahoe, Donner, and Angora, aerial views of San Francisco and Oakland, Point Lobos, Sacramento, San Francisco, San Francisco Bay and Docks, Santa Cruz town and beach, Stanford University, Sutter's Fort, University of California Los Angeles (UCLA), and Yosemite Park. Shaw did not annotate the dates for all of the slides represented.

Arrangement

This series is aranged by date.

Box 1, Slide 1

Carmel Mission 1944

Physical Description: 1 slide

Box 1, Slide 7

Point Lobos 1944

Physical Description: 1 slide

Box 1, Slide 44

Sutter's Fort n.d

Physical Description: 1 slide

Box 1, Slide 76

Weed, California 1944

Physical Description: 1 slide

Box 1, Slide 78

Shasta Dam n.d

Physical Description: 1 slide

Box 1, Slide 94

Yosemite Valley undated

Physical Description: 1 slide

Box 1, Slide 115

General Sherman Tree undated

Physical Description: 1 slide

Box 1, Slide 130

San Juan Capistrano undated

Physical Description: 1 slide

Box 1, Slide 144

Army Day 1940

Physical Description: 1 slide

Box 1, Slide 183

Emerson's First Picture undated

Physical Description: 1 slide

Box 1, Slide 197

Geisenhoff Ranch undated

Physical Description: 1 slide

Box 1, Slide 204

World's Fair undated

Physical Description: 1 slide

Box 1, Slide 218

Golden Gate Park undated

Physical Description: 1 slide

Box 1, Slide 223

Golden Gate Bridge undated

Physical Description: 1 slide

Box 1, Slide 239

Coit Tower on Telegraph Hill from "Russian Hill" undated

Physical Description: 1 slide

Box 1, Slide 241

Legion of Honor Art Gallery undated

Physical Description: 1 slide

Box 1, Slide 263

San Francisco Aerial Views undated

Physical Description: 1 slide

Box 1, Slide 283

Napa Valley undated

Physical Description: 1 slide

Box 1, Slide 300

Sonoma Mission undated

Physical Description: 1 slide

Box 1, Slide 308

Western Pacific undated

Physical Description: 1 slide

Box 2, Slide 336

San Juan Town and Mission undated

Physical Description: 1 slide

Box 2, Slide 410

Desolation Valley undated

Physical Description: 1 slide

Box 2, Slide 449

Road Races 1951

Physical Description: 1 slide

Box 2, Slide 519

Hollywood Hills September 1951

Physical Description: 1 slide

Box 2, Slide 533

Mt. Waterman undated

Physical Description: 1 slide

Box 2, Slide 563

San Simeon undated

Physical Description: 1 slide

Box 2, Slide 584

Route 1 Half Moon undated

Physical Description: 1 slide

Box 2, Slide 593

Saratoga Summit 1948

Physical Description: 1 slide

Box 2, Slide 684

Fort Ross 1950

Physical Description: 1 slide

Box 2, Slide 698

Trinity County undated

Physical Description: 1 slide

Box 2, Slide 723

Virginia City undated

Physical Description: 1 slide

Boxes 3-4

Series : II

East Coast Slides 1940-1945

Physical Description: 2 boxes

Scope and Content Note

In 1939 and 1947 Emerson Shaw and his wife traveled to the East Coast. This series visually documents their travel and includes scenic views of the Southwest and Midwest, photographs of cities, monuments, parks, and other tourist destinations across the country. The highlights include : Atlanta, Georgia, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Bristol, Rhode Island, Chicago, Denver, Colorado, the Grand Canyon, Grand Lake, Colorado, the Hudson River, Illinois, Coolidge Dam, Jefferson Memorial, Lake Michigan, Lincoln Memorial, Maine and Maine Coast, Manhattan, New York, Mount Vernon, the National Art Gallery, Niagra Falls, Norris Dam, Tennessee, Rocky Mountain National Park, the Smokey Mountains, the Statue of Liberty, University of Chicago, Valley Forge, Washington DC, and West Point.

Arrangement

This series is aranged by date.

Box 3, Slide 2

Chicago 1939

Physical Description: 1 slide

Box 3, Slide 8

University of Chicago 1939

Physical Description: 1 slide

Box 3, Slide 20

Bridges, Barges, and Boats 1939

Physical Description: 1 slide

Box 3, Slide 70

Niagra Falls 1939

Physical Description: 1 slide

Box 3, Slide 74

Statue of Liberty 1939

Physical Description: 1 slide

Box 3, Slide 96

Hudson River 1939

Physical Description: 1 slide

Box 3, Slide 97

West Point 1939

Physical Description: 1 slide

Box 3, Slide 105

Norris Dam, Tennessee 1939

Physical Description: 1 slide

Box 3, Slide 120

Painted Desert, Arizona 1939

Physical Description: 1 slide

Box 3, Slide 141

Superstition Mountain 5/24/1947

Physical Description: 1 slide

Box 3, Slide 142

Coolidge Dam 5/25/1947

Physical Description: 1 slide

Box 3, Slide 146

Baton Rouge, Louisiana 5/28/1947

Physical Description: 1 slide

Box 3, Slide 152

New Orleans, Louisiana 5/28/1947

Physical Description: 1 slide

Box 3, Slide 162

Atlanta, Georgia 6/1/1947

Physical Description: 1 slide

Box 3, Slide 171

Warm Springs, Georgia 6/5/1947

Physical Description: 1 slide

Box 3, Slide 177

Cherokee Indian Chief 6/9/1947

Physical Description: 1 slide

Box 3, Slide 180

Smoky Mountains 6/9/1947

Physical Description: 1 slide

Box 3, Slide 192

Lincoln Memorial 6/12/1947

Physical Description: 1 slide

Box 3, Slide 197

Jefferson Memorial 6/15/1947

Physical Description: 1 slide

Box 3, Slide 204

Mount Vernon 6/13/1947

Physical Description: 1 slide

Box 3, Slide 216

Washington Monument 1947

Physical Description: 1 slide

Box 3, Slide 232

Valley Forge 6/20/1947

Physical Description: 1 slide

Box 4, Slide 242

New London, Connecticut 6/22/1947

Physical Description: 1 slide

Box 4, Slide 256

Maine 1947

Physical Description: 1 slide

Box 4, Slide 263

Lake Chocorua and Mt. Chocorua 6/25/1947

Physical Description: 1 slide

Box 4, Slide 270

Scituate Harbor 7/2/1947

Physical Description: 1 slide

Box 4, Slide 282

Bristol, Rhode Island 7/4/1947

Physical Description: 1 slide

Box 4, Slide 296

New York City- Central Park 7/17/1947

Physical Description: 1 slide

Box 4, Slide 307

Statue of Liberty and New York Skyline 7/18/1947

Physical Description: 1 slide

Box 4, Slide 317

Niagra Falls 7/28/1947

Physical Description: 1 slide

Box 4, Slide 322

Boston 1947

Physical Description: 1 slide

Box 4, Slide 333

Plymouth, Massachusetts 7/23/1947

Physical Description: 1 slide

Box 4, Slide 338

Cranberry Bog 7/23/1947

Physical Description: 1 slide

Box 4, Slide 351

Hudson River Looking North 7/26/1947

Physical Description: 1 slide

Box 4, Slide 361

Niagra Falls 7/28/1947

Physical Description: 1 slide

Box 4, Slide 377

Barberton, Ohio 7/30/1947

Physical Description: 1 slide

Box 4, Slide 401

Chicago and Lake Michigan 8/3/1947

Physical Description: 1 slide

Box 4, Slide 425

Rocky Mountain National Park 8/9/1947

Physical Description: 1 slide

Box 5

Series : III

Scenic Slides 1952-1957

Physical Description: 1 box

Scope and Content Note

This series of slides consists of seasonal scenic views of California taken during Shaw family vacations. Many of the images depict family camping, fishing, and ski trips. Ski locations include the Lake Tahoe region and feature Squaw Valley. Scenic views include Angora Lake, where the Shaw Family had a summer cabin, Lake Tahoe, rivers, streams, lakes, forests, sunsets, Echo Summit, Rubicon Valley, Yosemite, and Lake Hellen.

Arrangement

This series is aranged by date.

Box 5, Slides 1-481

Lake Tahoe and Lake Angora, seasonal scenic views 1952-1957

Physical Description: 481 slides