S. L. (Sidney La Vern) Palmer Photograph Collection
Collection
Identifier: Coll 0031
Scope and Contents
Scope and Contents:
The collection consists of 17 black and white prints (Neg. #s 79339- 79355); 14 glass negatives (Neg.#s 79339-79342, 79346- 79347, 79354-79363); and 7 glass slides (Neg. #s 79339, 79346 and 79351).
The prints are in stable condition. Both the glass negative and glass slide for 79351 are broken and the glass negative for 79339 is broken.
Dates and descriptions are typed on the back of the prints. The dates appear to be too early and Gordon Vivian penciled in another date. A memo from Gordon Vivian to Van Valkenburgh explains why the dates are incorrect. He also believes that these photographs were done by Wetherill or Pepper and not Palmer.
The collection consists of 17 black and white prints (Neg. #s 79339- 79355); 14 glass negatives (Neg.#s 79339-79342, 79346- 79347, 79354-79363); and 7 glass slides (Neg. #s 79339, 79346 and 79351).
The prints are in stable condition. Both the glass negative and glass slide for 79351 are broken and the glass negative for 79339 is broken.
Dates and descriptions are typed on the back of the prints. The dates appear to be too early and Gordon Vivian penciled in another date. A memo from Gordon Vivian to Van Valkenburgh explains why the dates are incorrect. He also believes that these photographs were done by Wetherill or Pepper and not Palmer.
Dates
- 1894-1898
Creator
Biographical / Historical
Biographical/Historical:
S. L.(Sidney La Vern)Palmer was the father of Marietta Wetherill. The family was originally from Indiana or Illinois and traveled around the country. They met the Wetherills in 1895 and Richard and Marietta married in 1896. Palmer collected artifacts around the Southwest, including from “mounds” across from Pueblo Bonito, probably in the area of the Bc sites.
In 1938, Mr. S. L. Palmer Jr. of San Francisco loaned Mesa Verde National Park approximately 100 artifacts and 20 photographs which his father had collected in various national parks in 1894-1896, with the stipulation that the collection be kept intact at Mesa Verde. In 1946, at Mesa Verde National Park’s request, Mr. Palmer gave his consent to break up the collection and send the various pieces to the parks from which they were collected. Sixty-three artifacts from Chaco Canyon and 17 photographs were transferred to the park (Accession 116).
In 1970, Mr. Gaylord Palmer donated additional Chaco material collected by his grandfather, including various artifacts, glass plate negatives and slides for the photographs donated earlier, two newspaper clippings, nine ground plans of Chaco sites, and one letter from Marietta Wetherill to her parents, dated March 20, 1911 (Accession 115). In his May 26, 1970 letter accompanying the donation, Mr. Palmer states “Some of the pictures were taken in the 1894-95 period when my grandfather and Richard Wetherill first went to the Canyon and some were taken in 1898 when my grandfather and his family returned to the Canyon to visit Richard Wetherill. I am unable to identify the photographs with the proper trip.” However, a 1962 memo from Gordon Vivian, who examined the 17 photographs, stated that he believed that most of the Palmer photographs were copies of images made by Wetherill and Pepper during the Hyde excavations of 1896-1899.
The 17 photographs in Accession 116 were originally held at Mesa Verde National Park and later transferred to SWAC/WACC. WACC transferred the photographs back to the park in 2001, along with the remaining Chaco Canyon Palmer Collection artifacts. Gaylord Palmer attributed the ground plans of the sites to his grandfather and Richard Wetherill, made in 1894-95. The ground plans could not be located as of 1985 (see memo from park archaeologist Randy Morrison in the accession folder correspondence file), but may be somewhere at WACC. As of 2004, the newspaper clippings and Wetherill letter have also not been located.
S. L.(Sidney La Vern)Palmer was the father of Marietta Wetherill. The family was originally from Indiana or Illinois and traveled around the country. They met the Wetherills in 1895 and Richard and Marietta married in 1896. Palmer collected artifacts around the Southwest, including from “mounds” across from Pueblo Bonito, probably in the area of the Bc sites.
In 1938, Mr. S. L. Palmer Jr. of San Francisco loaned Mesa Verde National Park approximately 100 artifacts and 20 photographs which his father had collected in various national parks in 1894-1896, with the stipulation that the collection be kept intact at Mesa Verde. In 1946, at Mesa Verde National Park’s request, Mr. Palmer gave his consent to break up the collection and send the various pieces to the parks from which they were collected. Sixty-three artifacts from Chaco Canyon and 17 photographs were transferred to the park (Accession 116).
In 1970, Mr. Gaylord Palmer donated additional Chaco material collected by his grandfather, including various artifacts, glass plate negatives and slides for the photographs donated earlier, two newspaper clippings, nine ground plans of Chaco sites, and one letter from Marietta Wetherill to her parents, dated March 20, 1911 (Accession 115). In his May 26, 1970 letter accompanying the donation, Mr. Palmer states “Some of the pictures were taken in the 1894-95 period when my grandfather and Richard Wetherill first went to the Canyon and some were taken in 1898 when my grandfather and his family returned to the Canyon to visit Richard Wetherill. I am unable to identify the photographs with the proper trip.” However, a 1962 memo from Gordon Vivian, who examined the 17 photographs, stated that he believed that most of the Palmer photographs were copies of images made by Wetherill and Pepper during the Hyde excavations of 1896-1899.
The 17 photographs in Accession 116 were originally held at Mesa Verde National Park and later transferred to SWAC/WACC. WACC transferred the photographs back to the park in 2001, along with the remaining Chaco Canyon Palmer Collection artifacts. Gaylord Palmer attributed the ground plans of the sites to his grandfather and Richard Wetherill, made in 1894-95. The ground plans could not be located as of 1985 (see memo from park archaeologist Randy Morrison in the accession folder correspondence file), but may be somewhere at WACC. As of 2004, the newspaper clippings and Wetherill letter have also not been located.
Extent
38 items
Language of Materials
English
Arrangement
Arrangement/Organization:
Organized into 3 series by format:
Series 1: Photographs (some of which have negatives and slides),
Series 2: Glass Negatives,
Series 3: Glass Slides.
Series 2 and 3 have no prints.
Arranged by negative number order.
Collection digitized on 6/27/11, p:031 PALMER
Organized into 3 series by format:
Series 1: Photographs (some of which have negatives and slides),
Series 2: Glass Negatives,
Series 3: Glass Slides.
Series 2 and 3 have no prints.
Arranged by negative number order.
Collection digitized on 6/27/11, p:031 PALMER
Provenance
Provenance: The Palmer family: S. L. Palmer, S. L. Palmer Jr., Gaylord Palmer
Creator
- Title
- Finding Aid for S.L. Palmer Photograph Collection
- Subtitle
- Coll 0031
- Author
- Chaco Culture National Historical Park, National Park Service
- Date
- 2011
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
Repository Details
Part of the NPS Chaco Culture National Historical Park Repository
Contact:
Chaco Culture NHP & Aztec Ruins NM Museum & Archives Program
Hibben Center Rm 307 - MSC01 1050
450 University Blvd NE
Albuquerque NM 87106 USA
Chaco Culture NHP & Aztec Ruins NM Museum & Archives Program
Hibben Center Rm 307 - MSC01 1050
450 University Blvd NE
Albuquerque NM 87106 USA