Felipe Chaves Pictorial Collection
Collection
Identifier: PICT-000-010
Scope and Content
The collection consists of portraits of Felipe Chaves (Chavez) and his family, and others (including Arthur E. Currens, founder of the Tucumcari News and Clovis News, and family). There are images of the Chaves home and store in Belen, the Felipe Chaves School for Mexican girls, an interior view of a room at St. Joseph's Hospital (1907), and five mounted ranching scenes taken at the Bell Ranch. There is an oversize group portrait of residents (identified on back) of a boarding house in Oberlin, Ohio, dated 1894-95.
Dates
- 1880-1910
Access Restrictions
The collection is open for research.
Copy Restrictions
Duplication of print and photographic material is allowed for research purposes. User is responsible for copyright compliance. For more information see the Photographs and Images Research Guide and contact the Pictorial Archivist.
Biography
José Felipe Chaves (mostly known as Felipe) was born in Los Padillas, New Mexico in 1834, the son of José Chaves y Castillo and Manuela Armijo de Chaves. Chaves was the descendent of two of the most powerful and influenial New Mexican families of the day. His grand-father was Francisco Xavier Chaves, the first governor of New Mexico under Mexican rule, his father was governor of New Mexico in 1845, and his mother was a cousin of Governor Manuel Armijo. José Felipe Chaves was married to Josefa Chaves, daughter of José David Chaves and Barbara Armijo, a sister of Felipe's mother. Felipe and Josefa were double first cousins.
After a devastating flood in Los Padillas, Felipe and Josefa moved to Belen and opened a very successful general merchandise store. They later expanded their business to include cattle and sheep ranching. Felipe's business extended up and down the Santa Fe Trail and eventually included commercial activities in New York City, mining investments in Mexico, and banking in Albuquerque and Santa Fe. As a stockholder in the A.T. & S. F. Railroad, Chaves was instrumental in getting the Santa Fe cut-off built through Belen. He also established a private school for girls in Belen know as the "Felipe Chaves Academy" with an accompanying trust fund.
Don José Felipe Chaves was the great hacendado of Valencia County, one of the richest and most powerful men of the territory. He was a banker, sheepman, merchant, and landlord of a vast domain. He was known as El Millonario and El Cajnero (the undertaker) because of his elegant and fashionable attire. Shortly after the death of his wife, Doa Josefa Chaves on January 22, 1899, Felipe commissioned an Albuquerque architect, Angelo de Tullio, to design and erect a mausoleum made of red sandstone and white Carrara marble for his family in Belen. Don Felipe died May 16, 1905.
After a devastating flood in Los Padillas, Felipe and Josefa moved to Belen and opened a very successful general merchandise store. They later expanded their business to include cattle and sheep ranching. Felipe's business extended up and down the Santa Fe Trail and eventually included commercial activities in New York City, mining investments in Mexico, and banking in Albuquerque and Santa Fe. As a stockholder in the A.T. & S. F. Railroad, Chaves was instrumental in getting the Santa Fe cut-off built through Belen. He also established a private school for girls in Belen know as the "Felipe Chaves Academy" with an accompanying trust fund.
Don José Felipe Chaves was the great hacendado of Valencia County, one of the richest and most powerful men of the territory. He was a banker, sheepman, merchant, and landlord of a vast domain. He was known as El Millonario and El Cajnero (the undertaker) because of his elegant and fashionable attire. Shortly after the death of his wife, Doa Josefa Chaves on January 22, 1899, Felipe commissioned an Albuquerque architect, Angelo de Tullio, to design and erect a mausoleum made of red sandstone and white Carrara marble for his family in Belen. Don Felipe died May 16, 1905.
Extent
31 items (2 boxes) : 30 photographs, 1 tintype
Language of Materials
English
Abstract
The collection consists of portraits of Felipe Chaves (Chavez), his family, and others.
Physical Location
B2. Shelved by Pictorial Number. Oversize box shelved in Big Box location by Pictorial Number.
Alternate Format Available
Four photographs from the Felipe Chaves Pictorial Collection are available online via New Mexico’s Digital Collections.
Separated Material
Photographs separated from the Felipe Chavez Family Papers.
General
Contact Information
- University of New Mexico
- MSC05 3020, 1, University of New Mexico
- Center for Southwest Research
- Albuquerque, NM 87131-0001
- Phone: 505-277-7173
- Fax:
- Email: cswrref@unm.edu
- URL: http://elibrary.unm.edu/cswr
- Belen (N.M.) -- Pictorial works
- Cowboys -- Photographs
- Governors -- New Mexico -- Photographs
- Hispanic Americans -- Education -- Photographs
- Hospitals -- New Mexico -- Albuquerque -- Photographs
- Panoramic photographs
- Ranches -- New Mexico -- Photographs
- Schools -- New Mexico -- Photographs
- Tintype
- Women -- Education -- Photographs
- Title
- Finding Aid of the Felipe Chaves Pictorial Collection, 1880-1910
- Status
- Approved
- Author
- Processed by Pictorial Collections Staff
- Date
- ©2006
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
- Language of description note
- Finding aid is in English
Revision Statements
- Monday, 20210524: Attribute normal is missing or blank.
Repository Details
Part of the UNM Center for Southwest Research & Special Collections Repository
Contact:
University of New Mexico Center for Southwest Research & Special Collections
University Libraries, MSC05 3020
1 University of New Mexico
Albuquerque NM 87131
505-277-6451
cswrref@unm.edu
University of New Mexico Center for Southwest Research & Special Collections
University Libraries, MSC05 3020
1 University of New Mexico
Albuquerque NM 87131
505-277-6451
cswrref@unm.edu