John I. White photograph collection
Scope and Contents
The John I. White Photographs are comprised of approximately 508 personal and research photographs and negatives of John I. White, singer, author, and expert on cowboy songs and music. Included are photographs related to songs and song makers of the American West such as Will C. Barnes, Badger Clark, Gail Gardner, Romaine Lowdermilk, Dominick J. O'Malley, Powder River Jack Lee, and other cowboy songwriters, singers, and scholars. Also includes photographs relating to White's persona as "The Lonesome Cowboy" for the "Death Valley Days" radio show in the 1930s. Research files contain photographs collected for plays, articles, and original scripts. Several folders include typed pages describing the events in the photos and giving biographies of the people pictured. Largely consisting of copy-prints, the photographs are comprised of mostly black-and-white silver gelatin prints, some color snapshots and postcards.
Dates
- 1860-1980
- Majority of material found within 1885-1975
Language of Materials
Collection materials are in English.
Restrictions
Open to public research. Nitrate negatives have been removed from this collection and placed in Cold Storage box 5. Patrons must request to view these negatives 3 hours in advance.
Copyright
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 Utah State University Libraries, its officers, employees, and agents from and against all claims made by any person asserting that he or she is an owner of copyright.
Permission to publish material from the John I. White photograph collection must be obtained from the Special Collections Photograph Curator and/or the Special Collections Department Head.
Biographical Note
John I. White was a writer, singer of cowboy songs, and map draftsman. He was born in Washington, D.C. on April 12, 1902 and died in Maplewood, N.J. on November 26, 1992. White recorded 20 cowboy and hillbilly songs for the American Record Corporation in 1929-30. Some were recorded under his various pseudonyms: The Lonesome Cowboy, Whitey Johns, The Lone Star Cowboy, The Old Sexton, Jimmie Price, and Frank Ranger. His singing career culminated with his portrayal of "The Lonesome Cowboy" on the NBC radio drama "Death Valley Days" sponsored by Twenty-Mule Team Borax from 1929-1936. He maintained a lifelong interest in cowboy songs and the American West, researching and writing articles and two books on this and other topics.
Extent
2 boxes (1 linear ft.)
Abstract
Included are photographs related to cowboy songs and song makers of the American West such as Will C. Barnes, Badger Clark, Gail Gardner, Romaine Lowdermilk, Dominick J. O'Malley, Powder River Jack Lee, and other cowboy songwriters, singers, and scholars. Also includes photographs relating to White's persona as "The Lonesome Cowboy" for the "Death Valley Days" radio show in the 1930s. Also contains photographs collected for plays, articles, and original scripts. Largely consisting of copy-prints, the photographs are comprised of mostly black-and-white silver gelatin prints, some color snapshots and postcards.
Arrangement
???
Immediate Source of Acquisition
The John I. White Photographs (ca. 1860s-1980) were donated in 1992 to Special Collections and Archives jointly by his widow, Augusta Postles White, and two children, Jennifer White Fischer and Jonathan Postles White. Photographs removed from John I. White papers, COLL MS 201.
Processing Information
Register completed by Peter Schmid, January 1998, and revised by Liz Woolcott, June 2003.
- Country music--History--Sources.
- Cowboys--Songs and music--History--Sources.
- Cowboys--West (U.S.)--Portraits.
- Death Valley days (Radio program)
- Folk music--West (U.S.)--History--Sources.
- Folk musicians--Portraits.
- Fort Stevens (Washington, D.C.)--Photographs.
- Images
- Octagonal houses--Photographs.
- Radio actors and actresses--Portraits.
- Ranch life--Photographs.
- Sod houses--Photographs.
- West (U.S.)--Photographs.
- Title
- Guide to the John I. White photograph collection, 1860-1980
- Author
- Finding aid created by Peter Schmid, January 1998, and revised by Liz Woolcott, June 2003.
- Date
- ©2008
- Description rules
- Finding Aid Based On Dacs (Describing Archives: A Content Standard, 2nd Edition)
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
- Language of description note
- Finding guide is in English in Latin script.
- Sponsor
- Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) grant, 2007-2008
Revision Statements
- April 28, 2008: Template information was updated to reflect Utah Manuscript Association best practices.
- 2009: Template information was updated to reflect Archives West best practice guidelines.
Repository Details
Part of the Utah State University, Merrill-Cazier Library, Special Collections & Archives Repository
Merrill-Cazier Library
Utah State University
3000 Old Main Hill
Logan Utah 84322-3000 United States
435 797-8248
435 797-2880 (Fax)
scweb@usu.edu