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COLLECTION Identifier: HUM 429

Arthur Schuh collection of Harvard photographs and negatives

Overview

The collection consists of photographs and negatives taken by Harvard alumnus Arthur Schuh chiefly from 1934 to 1946, illustrating Schuh's fond memories of his college years at Harvard and the pride he and others shared in the school. In addition, the photographs serve as examples of early twentieth-century amateur photography and community life at Harvard. Arthur Schuh (1917-2011) was born in Quincy, Massachusetts, and graduated from North Quincy High School. He attended Harvard College, where he received his AB in 1938.

Dates

  • Creation: 1934 - 1995

Creator

Researcher access

Open for research.

Researcher use

The negatives are fragile and will need a lightbox for viewing.

Extent

1.3 cubic feet ((3 document boxes, 2 flat boxes, 1 card box) )
228 photographs
800 negatives

The collection consists of photographs and negatives taken by Harvard alumnus Arthur Schuh chiefly from 1934 to 1946, illustrating Schuh's fond memories of his college years at Harvard and the pride he and others shared in the school. In addition, the photographs serve as examples of early twentieth-century amateur photography and community life at Harvard. Schuh's photography captures the Harvard campus and surrounding community before World War II, featuring pictures of buildings, dormitory rooms, faculty, students, and social events. Letters in this collection from 1991 to 1995, sent by Schuh's Harvard classmates, friends, and acquaintances, thank him for giving them two photographs of Memorial Church and the John Harvard statue taken in May 1938. Also included is a negative of the Class of 1938 reunion in 1953 in Swampscott, Massachusetts.

Biographical note on Arthur Schuh

Arthur Schuh (1917-2011) was born in Quincy, Massachusetts, and graduated from North Quincy High School. He attended Harvard College, where he received his AB in 1938. During his undergraduate studies, Schuh lived at Dunster House, was on the House Squash and Tennis team, and was a Red Book Photographic Board member. Schuh received his MBA in 1940 from the Harvard Business School, after which he served as a Naval Officer during World War II. In addition, Schuh held a position with the Container Corporation, was president and general manager of Hospital Pictures Services Corporation, a camera manufacturer, and was the owner of Hospital Pictures Services of New England, a newborn baby picture service for hospitals. Additionally, Schuh was on the Sprague School PTA executive board in Wellesley, Massachusetts, a Harvard Club of Boston member, and the official photographer of the Glidden Antique Car Tour. Schuh pursued consulting and investment opportunities after retirement in 1973.

Schuh married Jean Alice Kennedy on January 30, 1943. They had two children, Joanne, and James Arthur.

Arrangement

The collection is organized into four series:

  1. Photographs, 1936-1940
  2. Negatives, 1934-1946, 1953
  3. Correspondence, 1991-1995
  4. Album of Harvard photographs assembled by Arthur Schuh, 1937-1940

Acquisition Information

Gift of Joanne Smith, December 19, 2022; Accession 2023.002.

Processing Information

Arthur Schuh collection of Harvard photographs and negatives was processed in February 2023 by Dominic P. Grandinetti.

Processing included rehousing materials in appropriate containers and creating this finding aid.

Photograph titles were transcribed from the titles appearing on the photographs.

Content supplied by the archivist appears in brackets.

In all respects, the archivist attempted to retain and preserve the documents' original arrangement and existing relationships as established by Arthur Schuh. Details about the processing and arrangement of each series are noted in series descriptions.

Title
Schuh, Arthur, 1917-2011. Arthur Schuh collection of Harvard photographs and negatives, 1934-1995: an inventory
Description rules
dacs
Language of description
eng
EAD ID
hua06023

Repository Details

Part of the Harvard University Archives Repository

Holding nearly four centuries of materials, the Harvard University Archives is the principal repository for the institutional records of Harvard University and the personal archives of Harvard faculty, as well as collections related to students, alumni, Harvard-affiliates and other associated topics. The collections document the intellectual, cultural, administrative and social life of Harvard and the influence of the University as it emerged across the globe.

Contact:
Pusey Library
Harvard Yard
Cambridge MA 02138 USA
(617) 495-2461