Margaret Herter Collection of Karl Moon and Alabama Milner Photographs
Collection
Identifier: PICT-2015-008
Scope and Content
The Collection contains approximately 450 glass plate negatives, glass plate positives, safety film negatives, cellulose nitrate film negatives and prints. Images are frequently represented in multiple formats. The vast majority of the collection depicts New Mexico Native Americans. The inclusive dates for the collection are from 1904-1950. The collection does not contain any contemporary prints by Moon; however, there are many contemporary prints by Milner included with the negatives. The Moon images are believed to be unique. The identification of subjects in the images were determined by comparing the Moon's glass plates with identification information found on contemporary prints in the Moon collections at the Huntington Library and the University of Arizona Library.
Dates
- 1904-1950
Language of Materials
English
Access Restrictions
The collection is available for research via digital scans on New Mexico Digital Collections or DVDs. Access to glass plates, safety film negatives, and prints is restricted for preservation purposes and allowed with advance permission by the Pictorial Archivist. Cellulose nitrate film negatives are stored at the Maxwell Museum of Anthropology and are not available to the public.
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.
History
Karl Moon was born in Wilmington, Ohio in 1878. In 1918, perhaps due to anti-German sentiment after the First World War, he changed the spelling of his first name to Carl. Moon studied photography, and in 1902 established a photographic studio in Cincinnati, Ohio. Because of the poor health of his wife, Bessie Wilson Moon, sometime in early 1900 Moon moved the family to El Paso, Texas, then in 1904 to Albuquerque, New Mexico, which was increasingly marketing itself as a place of health and respite for those recovering from tuberculosis. Moon remained in Albuquerque until 1907 and was able to create a large body of photographs and paintings, estimated at over 300 images, of members of the Pueblo and Navajo communities. The glass plate negatives in this collection were all produced while Moon was working in Albuquerque. In 1907 after his wife’s death, Moon sold his studio to William Walton and moved to the Grand Canyon to manage and operate Fred Harvey Company’s art business. It was while at the Grand Canyon that Moon met and married his second wife, Grace Purdie. In 1914, Moon left the Grand Canyon and moved to Pasadena, California. He did not continue with photography but instead concentrated on painting, and with his wife authored and illustrated children’s books that portrayed the life and character of the Native Americans he had photographed. Moon died on June 24, 1948 in San Francisco, California.
Alabama Milner was born in 1881 and came to Albuquerque in 1918. She worked as a photographer for William Walton, along with her brother, Algernon Milner. In 1919, Algernon purchased the Walton Studio and later turned the business over to Alabama, who worked as the primary photographer until her retirement in 1955. The Moon glass plate negatives had been left by Moon in a closet in the studio. Alabama made prints of some of the Moon images and sold them as postcards throughout the first half of the 20th century.
The collection was inherited by Milner’s great niece Margaret (Peggy) Herter, from whom the CSWR acquired the collection in 2014.
Alabama Milner was born in 1881 and came to Albuquerque in 1918. She worked as a photographer for William Walton, along with her brother, Algernon Milner. In 1919, Algernon purchased the Walton Studio and later turned the business over to Alabama, who worked as the primary photographer until her retirement in 1955. The Moon glass plate negatives had been left by Moon in a closet in the studio. Alabama made prints of some of the Moon images and sold them as postcards throughout the first half of the 20th century.
The collection was inherited by Milner’s great niece Margaret (Peggy) Herter, from whom the CSWR acquired the collection in 2014.
Extent
450 items (13 boxes) : Approximately 450 glass plate negatives, glass plate positives, safety film negatives, cellulose nitrate film negatives, and prints
Abstract
The collection contains glass plates, safety film negatives, cellulose nitrate film negatives and prints by Karl (Carl) Moon and Alabama Milner of New Mexico Native Americans.
Physical Location
B2. Shelved by Pictorial Number.
Digitized Content
Selected images from the digital scans of the collection have been published online and are available at New Mexico Digital Collections.
Arrangement
Series 1: Karl Moon glass plates, glass plate positives, safety film negatives and prints (1904-1907) [5 cellulose nitrate negatives removed for off-site storage]
Series 2: Alabama Milner safety film negatives and prints of Karl Moon's work (circa 1918-1955) [146 cellulose nitrate negatives removed for off-site storage]
Series 3: Alabama Milner safety film negatives and prints (circa 1919-1950) [121 cellulose nitrate negatives removed for off-site storage]
Series 4: Contemporary negatives and prints of Karl Moon images
Series 5: Glass plates, safety film negatives, and prints of images produced by other identified and unidentified photographers (circa 1907-1919) [21 cellulose nitrate negatives removed for off-site storage]
Series 6: Review copy of digital scans in jpeg format on 2 DVDs
Series 2: Alabama Milner safety film negatives and prints of Karl Moon's work (circa 1918-1955) [146 cellulose nitrate negatives removed for off-site storage]
Series 3: Alabama Milner safety film negatives and prints (circa 1919-1950) [121 cellulose nitrate negatives removed for off-site storage]
Series 4: Contemporary negatives and prints of Karl Moon images
Series 5: Glass plates, safety film negatives, and prints of images produced by other identified and unidentified photographers (circa 1907-1919) [21 cellulose nitrate negatives removed for off-site storage]
Series 6: Review copy of digital scans in jpeg format on 2 DVDs
- Title
- Finding Aid of the Margaret Herter Collection of Karl Moon and Alabama Milner Photographs, 1904-1950
- Status
- Edited Full Draft
- Author
- Emily Cammack
- Date
- © 2015, 2016
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
- Language of description note
- Finding aid is in English
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