LaVell Cooley photograph collection
Scope and Contents
The LaVell Cooley Photograph Collection consists of 736 images of artistic and personal photographs taken by this career military man and Utah State University graduate. Included in the collection are a few early shots on campus, but the bulk consists of views taken while on military assignment in the Virgin Islands (including Puerto Rico, Trinidad, Dutch Guinea, Haiti, and Jamaica) as well as national parks (including Monument Valley, Yosemite, Yellowstone, and Zion National Park), mountain scenes, and the California coast. Cooley and his wife Gwendolyn appear in many of the images. More Cooley photographs (including black and white and color 16mm film of national parks) can be found in the unprocessed photographs.
Dates
- 1920-1985
- Majority of material found within 1940-1960
Language of Materials
Collection materials are in English.
Restrictions
Open to public research.
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 LaVell Cooley photograph collection> must be obtained from the Special Collections Photograph Curator and/or the Special Collections Department Head.
Biographical Note
LaVell Irwin Cooley (1901-1980) was the son of Oscar Wood Cooley, manager of the Utah State cafeteria for many years. LaVell took up photography at an early age making many images for the Buzzer yearbooks. In 1925, after graduating with a degree in chemistry, he attended summer school and worked on his Masters Degree in Geology, which he earned in 1929. Cooley later became a research engineer in Long Beach, California where he worked with photomicrographic and high speed photography. In 1940 he was called to active duty with the Army; his first assignment was Camp Callan, LaJolla, California. LaVell held several command positions during World War II, and retired after becoming physically disabled. He and his wife settled in Los Altos, where he immediately built a darkroom and continued his photography for the rest of his life. He died in 1980.
Extent
4 boxes (2 linear ft.)
Abstract
The LaVell Cooley Photograph Collection consists of 736 artistic and personal photographs (both black & white and color) taken by this career military man and Utah State University graduate. Included in the collection are a few early shots of the Utah State University campus, but the bulk consists of views taken while on military assignment in the Virgin Islands (including Puerto Rico, Trinidad, Dutch Guinea, Haiti, and Jamaica) as well as national parks (including Monument Valley, Yosemite, Yellowstone, and Zion National Park), mountain scenes, and the California coast. Cooley and his wife Gwendolyn appear in many of the images. More Cooley photographs (including black and white and color 16mm film of national parks) can be found in the unprocessed photographs.
Arrangement
Organized numerical by photo number.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
The collection was donated by Cooley's widow, Gwendolyn Cooley, of Los Altos, California in June of 1995.
Processing Information
Register completed by Daniel Davis, May 2006.
- Title
- Guide to the LaVell Cooley photograph collection, 1920-1985
- Author
- Finding aid created by Daniel Davis, May 2006.
- 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
- May 31, 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