MS 654 - George Wise Negative Collection

Title	MS 654 - George Wise Negative Collection
Introduction	The glass plate negatives of the George W. Wise family of Delta, Ohio date from approximately 1910 to 1920. The collection consists of fifty-one 4 x 5 inch glass plate negatives. Contact prints have been made for the best twenty-one of the plates. The negatives were donated and transferred to the Center for Archival Collections on October 13, 1992 with the cooperation of Jim Adams, Toledo, Ohio. There are no restrictions on the research use of this collection and duplication is permitted for the purposes of preservation and scholarly research. The collection was processed and register prepared by Marilyn Levinson, Curator of Manuscripts, in November 1992.
Biographical Sketch	George W. Wise was a resident of Fulton County, Ohio, living on State Route 109 southwest of Delta. A carpenter by trade, he was married on March 19, 1905 to Blanche Welson. The couple had no surviving children. Blanche died July 17, 1942. George died in 1971.
Scope and Content	The photographs of the George Wise negative collection are typical of family pictures of the early twentieth century. A large number of the shots show everyday activities and scenes around the farm, including a line of wagons loaded with harvested crops, barnyard areas and outbuildings, and a butchering scene. The interior views illustrate popular styles of decoration and home furnishing, including rocking chairs, wall decorations, doilies, and a cast iron stove. The largest grouping of shots are related to summer vacation activities at a lake cottage area, possibly located in southern Michigan. Of interest in this category is a view of Minkley's Refreshments, a lakeside concession stand and boat rental, shots of family members outside the screened-in cottage, and pictures of lakeside activities, such as boating and fishing. The quality of the images varies widely. The best of the plates in the collection were selected for printing, but adequate pictures could be obtained from the remaining negatives.
Series Description	PHOTOGRAPHIC MATERIALS GLASS PLATE NEGATIVES Circa 1910-1920 Family scenes and activities around Fulton County, Ohio, including groups of unidentified people, house interiors, farm scenes, some commercial buildings, and numerous scenes at an unidentified summer cottage area, possibly in southern Michigan. POSITIVE PHOTO PRINTS Circa 1910-1920. Selected copy prints from 21 of the best glass plates, illustrating some interiors, buildings, family groups, and cottage and lake scenes.
Inventory	Negative Envelopes Two men and a woman, plate identified as G. W. Wise in pencil Young woman and child in buggy Group of seven adults Group of three adults Woman on porch, wearing winter coat with wool collar Farm butchering scene, with two hogs hanging from pole Charles G. Smith Groceries, store at Lakeland, Michigan rail junction People boarding a train at unidentified station House, with directional sign for West's Tog Shop, Liberty Center Line of wagons, with unidentified crop Man in chair, sleeping Man in chair, in front of bookshelf Outhouse, or small shed Kitchen with Sears stove Minkley's Refreshments, boat rental concession at unidentified lake, possibly in southern Michigan Shoreline and dock at small lake, unidentified Boat at end of dock, unidentified small lake Three women in front of summer resort cottage #5, unidentified location Five people in front of summer resort cottage, unidentified location Five people in a rowboat (CAUTION: CRACKED PLATE) Two rowboats, with people fishing Woman with small child Woman with baby Large group on grass in front of house Two small children Small group on porch Two women sitting on porch railing Large group of people on porch of house, from front Large group of people on porch of house, from side Three women and seated man Woman in buggy on road Two women standing by buggy Line of wagons, with unidentified crop (similar to #10) Three people in barnyard, with windmill in background Small dog by fence of barnyard Man with dog and gun in barnyard Dog in field Three cats by door Dog and three cats by door Interior with wicker chair and cat on rug (vertical) Interior with wicker chair and cat on rug (horizontal) People by a house and car, license plate date 1916 People boarding interurban train People sleeping on screened-in porch (at cottage) Man in rocking chair on screen-in porch (at cottage) Shoreline of lake Two men in a rowboat People in a rowboat by overhanging tree Two women on shore by lake Two children on dock by rowboat Man with two fish Photographic Prints Two men and a woman, plate identified as G. W. Wise in pencil Young woman and child in buggy Group of seven adults Group of three adults Woman on porch, wearing winter coat with wool collar Farm butchering scene, with two hogs hanging from pole Charles G. Smith Groceries, store at Lakeland, Michigan rail junction People boarding a train at unidentified station House, with directional sign for West's Tog Shop, Liberty Center Line of wagons, with unidentified crop Man in chair, sleeping Man in chair, in front of bookshelf Outhouse or small shed Kitchen with Sears stove Minkley's Refreshments, boat rental concession at unidentified lake, possibly in southern Michigan Shoreline and dock at small lake, unidentified Boat at end of dock, unidentified small lake Three women in front of summer resort cottage #5, unidentified location Five people in front of summer resort cottage, unidentified location Five people in a rowboat Two rowboats, with people fishing