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Collection Summary | |
Creator: | Overson, Margaret Jarvis, 1878-1968. |
Collection Name: | Overson Family Photograph Collection, |
Inclusive Dates: | 1840-1950s |
Bulk Dates: | (bulk 1920s-1940s) |
Physical Description: | 14 linear feet |
Abstract: | Photographs and negatives, primarily prints, glass plate, nitrate, and acetate negatives, but also a few travel stereographs, cabinet cards, cartes-de-visite, and daguerreotypes, mostly relating to the Overson family of St. Johns, Arizona, along with some of townspeople, buildings, and special occasions. There are a few portraits of people taken by Charles Jarvis, circa 1890 to 1910. More were taken by his daughter, Margaret Jarvis Overson, circa 1920 to 1960. A small amount were taken by other photographers and by her adult children, especially Eva M. Overson Tanner. The images include mostly unidentified people, family, student class groups, school athletic teams, and a few celebrations and street scenes. Photographs also include Mormon schools, school groups, church groups and church leaders. |
Collection Number: | MS 549 |
Language: | Materials are in English. |
Repository: |
University of Arizona Libraries, Special Collections University of Arizona PO Box 210055 Tucson, AZ 85721-0055 Phone: 520-621-6423 Fax: 520-621-9733 URL: http://speccoll.library.arizona.edu/ E-Mail: LBRY-askspcoll@email.arizona.edu |
Charles Godfrey (DeFriez) Jarvis (1855-1919) settled in St. Johns, Arizona in the 1880s and operated a drug store where he also was a dentist, photographer, postmaster, notary public, and U.S. Land Commissioner, and had the first telephone office. He was born to the DeFriez family but was taken in by the Jarvis family and took their name. He married Margaret Jarvis (1857-1934) and they had eight children including Margaret Godfrey Jarvis (1878-1968).
Margaret Godfrey Jarvis assisted her father with photography beginning in her teens. She married Henry C. Overson (1968-1947) in 1896 and they had nine children: Eva M., Henry Victor, Albert N., Edgar P., Harry J., Evan, Ivan, Ross W., and Marion Peter. Henry Overson's construction company built and repaired houses and other buildings in St. Johns. Margaret continued her father's photography work from their home and on location.
The Jarvis and Overson families were members of the Church of Latter Day Saints accompanying many other settlers to St. Johns, Arizona in the early 1880s.
Photographs and negatives relating mostly to the Overson family of St. Johns, Arizona but also from Charles Jarvis and later Margaret Overson's photography business in St. Johns. The images include Overson and related family members, Mormon groups, student class groups, high school sports teams, and a few St. Johns celebrations and street scenes.
Photographs known to be taken by Charles Jarvis consist of a small number of cabinet cards with his studio imprint. These are all studio portraits of individuals, children, and families, taken circa 1890 to 1910, and most appear to be family members although they are unidentified. There are a few school group and church group images probably taken during the late 1890s and forward.
Except for family photographs of Overson children and their activities, most of the collection represents the 1920s to 1940s, a time when Margaret's children were in high school and then marrying and starting their own families. Most of these images are of unidentified family members, and a smaller amount are unidentified portraits of others.
There are also some images of school buildings and students including high school sports teams, bands, drama productions, and graduating classes, mostly from the late 1910s to the late 1930s. Also present are a few images of Mormon church leaders and church groups, women's groups, and a boy scout camping trip (ca. 1930s).
Other highlights include a few images of parades and parade floats, celebrations, cart races at the 1937 Golden Jubilee Parade, and Henry Victor Overson dressed as "Uncle Sam" for a holiday. Other views of rural life include hay harvests, picnics and excursions, building construction, women's gatherings, and home interiors. One image shows a large meterorite on a flat-bed railroad car.
The images are mostly unidentified but some information can be taken from the content, from published histories of St. Johns, and from Margaret J. Overson's published family history which reproduced some of the images. All the images were scanned and are available in digital format. There is a good amount of duplication in the digital scans because images were sometimes scanned as negatives and then as prints, and each print was scanned even if it was a duplicate.
See the spreadsheet for the Overson Family Photographs for more specific information. Please contact an archivist to view spreadsheet.
There are no restrictions on this collection.
It is the responsibility of the user to obtain permission to publish from the owner of the copyright (the institution, the creator of the record, the author or his/her transferees, heirs, legates, or literary executors). The user agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the Arizona Board of Regents for the University of Arizona, its officers, employees, and agents from and against all claims made by any person asserting that he or she is an owner of copyright.
Overson Family Photograph Collection (MS 549). Special Collections, University of Arizona Libraries.
Processed by Kim Frontz.
Series I: Photographs, 1840-1950s bulk 1920s-1940s | |||||||||||
This series is arranged topically. | |||||||||||
box | folder | ||||||||||
1 | 1 | Overson, Eva Margaret, studio portraits, 1897-1920s | |||||||||
1 | 2 | Overson, Eva, family and activities, 1910s-1930s | |||||||||
1 | 3 | Overson, Eva - LeRoy Tanner (husband), 1910s-1920s | |||||||||
1 | 4 | Overson, Evan and Ivan, 1910s-1930s | |||||||||
1 | 5 | Overson, Harry James, 1920s-1940s | |||||||||
1 | 6 | Overson, Henry Christian, 1880s-1910s, 1940s | |||||||||
1 | 7 | Overson, Margaret Godfrey Jarvis, 1890s-1940s | |||||||||
1 | 8 | Overson, Henry C. and Margaret J., 1920s, 1940s | |||||||||
1 | 9 | Overson, Henry Victor, studio portraits, 1900s-1920s | |||||||||
1 | 10 | Overson, Henry V., family and activities, 1920s-1930s | |||||||||
1 | 11 | Overson, Marion Peter, 1920s-1940s | |||||||||
1 | 12 | Overson, Ross Wallace, 1930s-1940s | |||||||||
1 | 13 | Overson children (groups), including Victor as Uncle Sam, 1900s-1930s | |||||||||
box | folder | ||||||||||
2 | 1 | Overson children (unidentified), 1900s-1930s | |||||||||
2 | 2 | Tanner, Wallace Ove and Lee Henry, 1920s-1940s | |||||||||
2 | 3 | Overson family groups, 1920s-1940s | |||||||||
2 | 4 | Overson family homes, 1900s-1940s | |||||||||
2 | 5 | Oveson family, Lars, Peter and Ove (correct spelling for earlier generation), 1880s-1920s | |||||||||
2 | 6 | Oveson, Ove Christian and Mary K. Christiansen and children (correct spelling for earlier generation), 1888-1920 | |||||||||
2 | 7 | Overson, David and Annie (Jarvis) and children, 1890-1910s | |||||||||
2 | 8 | Overson, George Conrad, 1902 | |||||||||
2 | 9 | Overson, Ove Ephraim, 1902 | |||||||||
2 | 10 | Overson -- Miscellaneous identified -- (Carol, Merrill Lyman), 1900-1940s | |||||||||
2 | 11 | Godfrey-Jarvis family, 1860s-1880s | |||||||||
2 | 12 | Jarvis, George and Ann Prior, 1860s-1911 | |||||||||
2 | 13 | Jarvis, Charles and Margaret and children, 1880s-1920s | |||||||||
2 | 14 | Portraits –- Identified, A-E (Anderson, Burk, Bigelow, Davis, Christiansen), 1880s-1940s | |||||||||
2 | 15 | Portraits –- Identified, F-L (Greer, Hamblin, Knowles, Heap, Farr, Gibbons), 1890s-1940s | |||||||||
2 | 16 | Portrait –- Hunt, George W.P. (FILED IN BOX 8), 1914 | |||||||||
2 | 17 | Portraits –- Identified, M-R (Rogers, Mineer, Pace, Rencher, Pena, Noakes, Milne, McFate, Morgan, Pulsipher, Pershing), 1890s-1940s | |||||||||
2 | 18 | Portraits –- Webb, William, Jr. and family, 1890s | |||||||||
2 | 19 | Portraits –- Identified, S-Z (Shumway, White, Whiting, Sherwood, Tenney, Wilkins, Richey, Dora Sherwood Udall), 1890s-1940s | |||||||||
2 | 20 | Cartes-de-visite, Men, women, children, families, including Paul Paulson (Photographers: C.R. Savage, Dagmar N. Jonstrup, G.F. Anderson, Crocwell and Ottinger), 1870s-1880s | |||||||||
box | folder | ||||||||||
3 | 1 | Portraits –- Children, unidentified, circa 1860s-1890s | |||||||||
3 | 2 | Portraits –- Children, unidentified, 1900s-1920s | |||||||||
3 | 3 | Portraits –- Children, unidentified, 1930s-1940s | |||||||||
3 | 4 | Portraits –- Children, First communion/confirmation, 1930s-1940s | |||||||||
3 | 5 | Portraits –- Couples, unidentified, circa 1860s-1890s | |||||||||
3 | 6 | Portraits –- Couples, unidentified, 1900s-1920s | |||||||||
3 | 7 | Portraits –- Couples, unidentified, 1930s-1940s | |||||||||
3 | 8 | Portraits –- Wedding couples, unidentified, 1890s-1920s | |||||||||
3 | 9 | Portraits –- Wedding couples, unidentified, 1930s-1940s | |||||||||
3 | 10 | Portraits –- Wedding groups, unidentified, 1920s-1940s | |||||||||
3 | 11 | Portraits –- Families –- reprints, unidentified, circa 1860s-1890s | |||||||||
3 | 12 | Portraits –- Families –- cabinet cards, unidentified, circa 1860s-1890s | |||||||||
3 | 13 | Portraits –- Families –- studio portraits, unidentified, 1900s-1920s | |||||||||
3 | 14 | Portraits –- Families –- outdoors, unidentified, 1900s-1920s | |||||||||
box | folder | ||||||||||
4 | 1 | Portraits –- Families, unidentified (1 of 2), 1930s-1940s | |||||||||
4 | 2 | Portraits –- Families, unidentified (2 of 2), 1930s-1940s | |||||||||
4 | 3 | Portraits –- Families, fireplace background, unidentified, 1930s-1940s | |||||||||
4 | 4 | Portraits –- Men, unidentified, circa 1860s-1890s | |||||||||
4 | 5 | Portraits –- Men, studio portraits, unidentified (1 of 2), 1900s-1920s | |||||||||
4 | 6 | Portraits –- Men, studio portraits, unidentified (2 of 2), 1900s-1920s | |||||||||
4 | 7 | Portraits –- Men, outdoors and small prints, unidentified, 1900s-1920s | |||||||||
4 | 8 | Portraits –- Men, older men, unidentified, 1930s-1940s | |||||||||
4 | 9 | Portraits –- Men, younger men, unidentified, 1930s-1940s | |||||||||
4 | 10 | Portraits –- Men, portraits in folders, unidentified, 1930s-1940s | |||||||||
4 | 11 | Portraits -– Men, in uniform, unidentified, 1910s-1940s | |||||||||
4 | 12 | Portraits –- Women, unidentified, circa 1860s-1890s | |||||||||
4 | 13 | Portraits -– Women, unidentified (1 of 2), 1900s-1910s | |||||||||
4 | 14 | Portraits -– Women, unidentified (2 of 2), 1900s-1910s | |||||||||
box | folder | ||||||||||
5 | 1 | Portraits –- Women, portraits in folders (1 of 2), 1900s-1920s | |||||||||
5 | 2 | Portraits –- Women, portraits in folders (2 of 2), 1900s-1920s | |||||||||
5 | 3 | Portraits –- Women, unidentified (1 of 2), 1920s-1930s | |||||||||
5 | 4 | Portraits –- Women, unidentified (2 of 2), 1920s-1930s | |||||||||
5 | 5 | Portraits -– Women, portraits in folders, 1930s-1940s | |||||||||
5 | 6 | Portraits –- Women, studio portraits (1 of 2), 1940s-1950s | |||||||||
5 | 7 | Portraits –- Women, studio portraits (2 of 2), 1940s-1950s | |||||||||
5 | 8 | Portraits -– Women, small images and outdoors, 1940s-1950s | |||||||||
5 | 9 | Portraits –- Women, copy prints, 1920s-1940s | |||||||||
box | folder | ||||||||||
6 | 1 | Portraits, group, unidentified, circa 1860s-1890s | |||||||||
6 | 2 | Portraits, group, unidentified, 1900s-1920s | |||||||||
6 | 3 | Portraits, group, unidentified, 1930s-1940s | |||||||||
6 | 4 | Portraits, group –- Mormon church groups, 1910s, 1940s | |||||||||
6 | 5 | Portraits, group –- Students-Band, orchestra and theater, 1900s-1940s | |||||||||
6 | 6 | Portraits, group –- Students, 1900s-1920s | |||||||||
6 | 7 | Portraits, group –- Students, 1930s-1940s | |||||||||
6 | 8 | Portraits, group –- Students, sports teams, 1910s-1930s | |||||||||
6 | 9 | Portraits, group –- Students, sports, mounted, 1910-1930s | |||||||||
6 | 10 | Portraits, multiple images/copy prints, undated | |||||||||
6 | 11 | Subjects –- Adults and children with animals, undated | |||||||||
6 | 12 | Subjects –- Scouts and camping, 1920s-1940s | |||||||||
6 | 13 | Subjects –- Firearms, hunting and fishing, 1910s-1930s | |||||||||
6 | 14 | Subjects –- Picnics, etc., 1900s-1930s | |||||||||
6 | 15 | Subjects -– Transportation, 1910s-1930s | |||||||||
6 | 16 | Subjects -– Work, 1910s-1940s | |||||||||
6 | 17 | Subjects –- Meteorite "Navajo", June 16, 1922 | |||||||||
6 | 18 | Places –- St. Johns, 1910s-1930s | |||||||||
6 | 19 | Places –- St. Johns -– Celebrations, 1910s-1930s | |||||||||
6 | 20 | Places –- St. Johns –- Celebrations -– World War I soldiers "welcome home" parade, 1918-1919 | |||||||||
box | folder | ||||||||||
7 | 1 | Places –- St. Johns and unidentified -– Businesses, 1910s-1930s | |||||||||
7 | 2 | Places -– St. Johns and unidentified -– Homes, 1890s-1930s | |||||||||
7 | 3 | Places -– St. Johns and unidentified –- Buildings, 1900s-1930s | |||||||||
7 | 4 | Places –- Dams, lakes, rivers and bridges, 1890s-1930s | |||||||||
7 | 5 | Places –- Scenic views, 1910s-1930s | |||||||||
7 | 6 | Places -– Scenic postcards, 1930s-1950s | |||||||||
7 | 7 | Places –- Travel, 1910s-1940s | |||||||||
7 | 8 | Stereographs -– Travel, etc., 1898-1904 | |||||||||
7 | 9 | Album pages, small, 1915-1920s | |||||||||
7 | 10 | Album pages, loose photos (1 of 2), 1915-1920s | |||||||||
7 | 11 | Album pages, loose photos (2 of 2), 1915-1920s | |||||||||
7 | 12 | Album pages, loose photos, girls excursion, 1915-1920s | |||||||||
7 | 13 | Large album pages, 1920s-1930s | |||||||||
7 | 14 | Miscellaneous snapshots, 1910s-1940s | |||||||||
7 | 15 | Miscellaneous photographs (Mother and casket, the Pledgers, cemetery, garden, cakes), 1910s-1930s | |||||||||
7 | 16 | Documents, photos of, 1842 and undated | |||||||||
7 | 17 | Envelopes and notes, 1920s-1940s | |||||||||
box | |||||||||||
8 | Wooden box with glass (photographic equipment), undated |
Series II: Negatives, circa 1890s-1940s | |||||||||||
Subseries 1: Glass plate negatives, 5"x7", circa 1890-1930 | |||||||||||
This series is arranged by the date of scanning and assigned number. | |||||||||||
For example: 2012 0311-169 was scanned on 03-11-2012 and numbered 169 during scanning. See an archivist regarding access to the digitized versions. | |||||||||||
box | |||||||||||
9 | 2012 0311_169 to 0311_194, 2012 | ||||||||||
box | |||||||||||
10 | 2012 0311_195 to 0311_220, 2012 | ||||||||||
box | |||||||||||
11 | 2012 0311_221 to 0311_223; 2012 0427_0001 to 0427_0023, 2012 | ||||||||||
box | |||||||||||
12 | 2012 0427_0024 to 0427_0034; 2012 0505_0360 to 0505_0373, 2012 | ||||||||||
box | |||||||||||
13 | 2012 0505_0374 to 0505_0399, 2012 | ||||||||||
box | |||||||||||
14 | 2012 0701_0955 to 0701_0979, 2012 | ||||||||||
box | |||||||||||
15 | 2012 0701_0980 to 0701_1004, 2012 | ||||||||||
box | |||||||||||
16 | 2012 0701_1005 to 0701_1030, 2012 | ||||||||||
box | |||||||||||
17 | 2012 0701_1031 to 0701_1048; 2012 1007_1 to 1007_15, 2012 | ||||||||||
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18 | 2012 1007_17 to 1007_63, 2012 | ||||||||||
box | |||||||||||
19 | 2012 1021_1807 to 1021_1831, 2012 | ||||||||||
box | |||||||||||
20 | 2012 1021_1832 to 1021_1856, 2012 | ||||||||||
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21 | 2012 1021_1857 to 1021_1866, with 5 oversize plates: 2013 0120_30, 2013 0120_62, 2012 0427_0017, 2012 0701_1029 plat map, Plat map 1888 no ID number, 2012-2013 | ||||||||||
Subseries 2: Glass plate negatives, 3"x4", circa 1890-1930 | |||||||||||
This series is arranged by the date of scanning and assigned number. | |||||||||||
For example: 2012 0311-169 was scanned on 03-11-2012 and numbered 169 during scanning. | |||||||||||
box | |||||||||||
22 | 2012 0318_0224P to 0408_0225, 2012 | ||||||||||
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23 | 2012 0408_0256 to 0408_0285, 2012 | ||||||||||
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24 | 2012 0408_0286 to 0415_0320, 2012 | ||||||||||
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25 | 2012 0415_0321 to 0415_0355, 2012 | ||||||||||
box | |||||||||||
26 | 2012 0415_0356 to 0415_0359 (also 2 very broken plates, 2 not scanned), 2012 | ||||||||||
Subseries 3: Negatives, 4"x5", circa 1920s-1940s | |||||||||||
This series is arranged by the date of scanning and assigned number. | |||||||||||
For example: 2012 0311-169 was scanned on 03-11-2012 and numbered 169 during scanning. | |||||||||||
box | |||||||||||
27 | 2012 0506_0035 to 0617_0806, 2012 | ||||||||||
box | |||||||||||
28 | 2012 0617_0811 to 1021_1618, 2012 | ||||||||||
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29 | 2012 1021_1621 to 2013 0101_068, 2012 | ||||||||||
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30 | 2013 0101_069 to 0127_101, 2013 | ||||||||||
Subseries 4: Negatives, 5"x7", circa 1920s-1940s | |||||||||||
This series is arranged by the date of scanning and assigned number. | |||||||||||
For example: 2012 0311-169 was scanned on 03-11-2012 and numbered 169 during scanning. | |||||||||||
box | |||||||||||
31 | 2012 0512_various numbers; 0152-0154, 0158, 0519-0523, 0740, 790-0792, 0795-1730; 2012 12-02_1tb; 2013 01-27_083, 2012-2013 |