L.J. Whitmeyer Glass Plate Negatives Collection:

An Inventory of the L.J. Whitmeyer Glass Plate Negatives Collection at the Sam Houston Regional Library and Research Center, Texas State Archives, about 1890-about 1910

Biographical Sketch

L. Jack Whitmeyer was born on May 8, 1921 to L. Jack Whitmeyer, Sr. and Martha Pearl Nall in Port Arthur, Texas. Whitmeyer was a longtime resident of Colmesneil, Texas and worked for Sun Oil as an electronic research engineer. He was involved in Boy Scouts for over 30 years and was active in the Tyler County Heritage Society, the Tyler County Historical Commission, Colmesneil Cemetery Association, Texas State Archeological Society, and the IEEE (Institute of Electronic and Electrical Engineers), and he was a World War II U.S. Navy veteran. He was a lifetime member of the Woodville Sons of Confederate Veterans Camp. As a local publisher, he tried to print the glass plate negatives on equipment he had in his home. He worked with Clyde Grey at the Tyler County Heritage Village Musuem to promote local history and established the Whitmeyer Genealogy Library, which included many resources from his personal collection. He died in Colmesneil in June 2010.

(Sources include: Powers, Jim. "Local Historian Jack Whitmeyer dead at 89." and Taylor, Sandy. "Jack Whitmeyer great friend to Village dies."The Tyler County Booster, June 17, 2010, Vol. 84, No. 24; accessed October 20, 2016.)

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Scope and Contents of the Records

The L.J. Whitmeyer glass plate negatives collection consists of 39 glass plate negatives of Hardin County, Texas, dating about 1890-about 1910. Select images within this collection were created by photographers Hughes and Lane of Batson, Texas; other creators are unknown. Images are of group portraits, street scenes and the surrounding area of Saratoga and Batson, Texas. Many of the portraits include couples, families, and small groups of men and women in various locations including a photography studio, store interiors, and outdoors in front yards or wooded areas. Street scenes include crowds along main street or in front of buildings including the Crosby House, Spencer's Drug Co., and the Turf Exchange Bar and Billiard Hall in Batson, Texas. Images of industry in the area include oil fields with men at work and a lumber yard. Besides people, these images include horses and horse-drawn conveyances.

Some of the plates are cracked, broken or have damaged emulsion. When different images share one plate it is noted in the box inventory. The majority of the image descriptions were created by Archives staff. Some plates have numbers scratched into the emulsion but it is unclear what these numbers signify since that they are not on every plate. The plates seem to be out of their original order considering that some images of couples or groups of people are spread throughout the collection. Images include some of the same people and settings as those images in the Clyde and Thelma See glass plate negatives collection.

To prepare this inventory, the described materials were cursorily reviewed to delineate series, to confirm the accuracy of contents lists, to provide an estimate of dates covered, and to determine record types.

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Restrictions

Restrictions on Access

Due to the fragility of the glass plate negatives, the digital copies must be used instead of the original negatives.

Restrictions on Use

Under the Copyright Act of 1976 as amended in 1998, unpublished works are protected for the life of the author plus 70 years. The term of copyright for published material varies. Researchers are responsible for complying with U.S. Copyright Law (Title 17 U.S.C.).

Technical Requirements

None.

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Related Material

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Administrative Information

Preferred Citation

(Identify the item), L.J. Whitmeyer glass plate negatives collection. Sam Houston Regional Library and Research Center, Texas State Library and Archives Commission.

Accession Information

Accession number: 1997.108

This collection was donated to the Sam Houston Regional Library and Research Center of the Texas State Library and Archives Commission by L.J. Whitmeyer on June 11, 1997.

Processing Information

Processed by Halley Grogan, September 2016

Other Formats for the Collection

Photographs described in this finding aid have been digitized and are part of the Texas Digital Archive, available online at https://tsl.access.preservica.com/tda/prints-and-photographs/#whitmeyer.

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Detailed Description of the Collection

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