Charles B. Chrisman collection of photographs, negatives, and Harvard class reunion ephemera
Overview
Charles Benham Chrisman (1894-1966), an attorney, received his AB (1912) and LLB (1919) from Harvard University. This collection consists chiefly of photographs, negatives, and photographs printed on postcards by Charles Benham Chrisman from 1911 to 1920. Also included are ephemera such as programs, street maps, and tickets related to the Harvard College Class of 1916 fiftieth reunion in 1966 and sixtieth reunion in 1976.
Dates
- Creation: 1911-1976, 1991, circa 2005
Creator
- Chrisman, Charles Benham, 1894-1966 (Person)
Researcher access
Open for research.
Extent
1.69 cubic feet (5 document boxes)382 photographs
171 negatives
This collection consists chiefly of photographs, negatives, and photographs printed on postcards by Charles Benham Chrisman from 1911 to 1920. Also included are ephemera such as programs, street maps, and tickets related to the Harvard College Class of 1916 fiftieth reunion in 1966 and sixtieth reunion in 1976. This collection of images offers a glimpse into Harvard University's early 1900s and documents daily life in America and Harvard at the turn of the 20th century. Captured is Harvard campus life, portrayals of Chrisman's trips with his friends and family, gatherings in Chrisman's hometown of Ortonville, Minnesota, and scenic views of Cambridge, Massachusetts.
Biographical note on Charles Benham Chrisman
Charles Benham Chrisman (1894-1966), an attorney, was born on November 6, 1894, in Mapleton, Iowa, to Charles Edward and Emma (Fry) Chrisman. In 1900, Chrisman and his family moved to Ortonville, Minnesota, where he grew up, fished, hunted, and played tennis. Chrisman enrolled in Harvard College following his high school graduation in 1912, eventually earning his degree in June 1916. Chrisman subsequently enrolled in Harvard Law School, graduating in 1919. Chrisman enlisted in the United States Army on July 1, 1918, during World War I, serving as a private. After leaving Harvard, Chrisman joined the Minneapolis Trust Company in its legal and real estate department, specializing in trust law. In the 1940s, Chrisman resigned to enter private practice in Minneapolis. In 1963, Chrisman was stricken with a severe illness and retired from active practice. On August 4, 1966, Chrisman died at the age of 72.
Chrisman married Marian Bennett Quick (1901-1993) on June 19, 1926. They had two children: Charles Quick and Mary.
Arrangement of the collection
The collection is organized in two series:
- Photographs and negatives, 1911-1920, 1991, circa 2005
- Harvard class reunion ephemera, 1964-1966, 1976
Acquisition Information
- Gift of Mary Chrisman Anderson, 2021 April 24; Accession 2021.0917.
Processing Information
The Charles B. Chrisman collection of photographs, negatives, and Harvard class reunion ephemera was processed in November-December 2023 by Dominic P. Grandinetti.
Processing included rehousing materials in appropriate containers and creating this finding aid.
Titles and dates supplied by the archivist appear in brackets.
Chrisman recorded dates, places, names, and technical information, including shutter speed and F stop, on many of the sleeves and envelopes he used to house his photographs and negatives. The archivist transcribed this information onto photographic envelopes during the collection's rehousing.
In 2005, several of Chrisman's negatives were reprinted.
In all respects, the archivist attempted to retain and preserve the original arrangement and existing relationships of the photographs and negatives as established by Charles B. Chrisman. Details about the processing and arrangement of each series are described below.
Alma ID
99155797742303941
Creator
- Chrisman, Charles Benham, 1894-1966 (Person)
- Title
- Chrisman, Charles Benham, 1894-1966. Charles B. Chrisman collection of photographs, negatives, and Harvard class reunion ephemera, 1911-1976, 1991, circa 2005: an inventory
- Description rules
- dacs
- Language of description
- eng
- EAD ID
- hua29023
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.
Pusey Library
Harvard Yard
Cambridge MA 02138 USA
(617) 495-2461
archives_reference@harvard.edu