Atkinson Family and Atkinson Construction Company Photograph Collection, circa 1865-circa 1975,, bulk bulk 1890-1940

Printable guide [HTML]
Request items

Summary

Title:
Atkinson family and Atkinson Construction Company photograph collection
Dates:
circa 1865-circa 1975,, bulk bulk 1890-1940
Creators:
Atkinson family
Abstract:
Chiefly family portraits and snapshots of the Atkinson family (of Colorado Springs and Los Angeles), with some views related to their construction business. Construction photographs are chiefly related to the Pardee Dam and Coolidge Dam projects.
Extent:
Number of containers: 2 cartons, 2 boxes, 3 oversized boxes (circa 900 photographic prints, 6 negatives, and 1 watercolor).
Language:
Collection materials are in English
Preferred citation:

[Identification of item], Atkinson Family and Atkinson Construction Company Photograph Collection, BANC PIC 2007.007--PIC, The Bancroft Library, University of California, Berkeley.

Background

Scope and content:

The collection consists chiefly of portraits, snapshots and photograph albums of the Atkinson family (of Colorado Springs and Los Angeles), with some views related to their construction business. Atkinson Construction views include single images of several Colorado Springs buildings constructed in the 19th century, and several dozen professional views of major 20th century projects. Pardee Dam, Coolidge Dam, and Cave Creek Dam (Arizona) construction are most notable, with between six and several dozen views of each. A few dam-related public event photographs picturing Atkinsons with Roy Rogers, Calvin Coolidge, and Franklin D. Roosevelt are present.

Family photographs include several hundred studio portraits (chiefly taken in Colorado Springs, Denver, and Los Angeles, 1885-1935), primarily of the Walter W. Atkinson and the Lynn Samuel Atkinson families. Guy F. Atkinson and family are also represented by a few portraits. Some relations from the Marks, Shirk, and Warner families (of Indiana, Illinois, and Colorado) and the Blackman family (of Louisiana) are pictured. Of note are numerous professional photographs of Atkinson family homes in Colorado Springs and Los Angeles, with exteriors and interiors pictured. Family gatherings and celebrations, outings and other activities are also well represented.

Biographical / historical:

Lynn S. Atkinson, Walter W. Atkinson, and Guy F. Atkinson were three of at least ten children of stone mason George W. Atkinson (1836-1905) and Nancy J. Wilson Atkinson. All three brothers were involved in the construction industry, and Lynn and Walter relocated from Colorado to Southern California early in the 20th century. Guy Atkinson founded Guy F. Atkinson Construction in the 1920s, specializing in dam projects and other major infrastructure projects in the West. Lynn S. Atkinson was responsible for construction of numerous schools and public buildings in Colorado Springs and the Los Angeles area and, later, dams and public works. Lynn S. Atkinson, Jr., eldest son of Lynn Atkinson, became head of the Atkinson Construction Co., based in Los Angeles.

Acquisition information:
The Atkinson family and Atkinson Construction Company Photograph Collection was purchased by The Bancroft Library in November, 2006.
Processing information:

Preliminary processing by Bancroft Library staff in 2007.

Arrangement:

Arranged to the folder level.

Accruals:

No additions are expected.

Physical location:
Many of the Bancroft Library collections are stored offsite and advance notice may be required for use. For current information on the location of these materials, please consult the Library's online catalog.
Rules or conventions:
Finding aid prepared using Describing Archives: a Content Standard

About this collection guide

Collection Guide Author:
Finding Aid written by James Eason, August 2007
Date Prepared:
© 2007
Date Encoded:
Machine-readable finding aid generated by Finding Aid author(s) via EAD XPress; markup validated by The Bancroft Library staff using OAC validation tools; Date of source: September 2007

Access and use

Restrictions:

Collection is open for research, with the following exceptions: glass negatives are RESTRICTED. Inquiries regarding these negatives should be directed, in writing, to the Head of Public Services, The Bancroft Library.

Terms of access:

Copyright has not been assigned to The Bancroft Library. All requests for permission to publish or reproduce must be submitted in writing to the Head of Public Services. Permission for publication is given on behalf of The Bancroft Library as the owner of the physical items and is not intended to include or imply permission of the copyright holder, which must also be obtained by the user. See: http://bancroft.berkeley.edu/reference/permissions.html.

Preferred citation:

[Identification of item], Atkinson Family and Atkinson Construction Company Photograph Collection, BANC PIC 2007.007--PIC, The Bancroft Library, University of California, Berkeley.

Location of this collection:
University of California, Berkeley, The Bancroft Library
Berkeley, CA 94720-6000, US
Contact:
510-642-6481
bancref-library@berkeley.edu
Website