Photographs of Walter B. Beals, approximately 1889-1959

Overview of the Collection

Title
Photographs of Walter B. Beals
Dates
approximately 1889-1959 (inclusive)
Quantity
89 photographic prints (1 box, 1 folder) ; sizes vary
Collection Number
PH1250
Summary
Portraits of Walter Beals as a judge, with wife and in the military. As well as events such as veterans activities, marriages, Washington Supreme Court activities and images of manuscript and book collections.
Repository
University of Washington Libraries, Special Collections
Special Collections
University of Washington Libraries
Box 352900
Seattle, WA
98195-2900
Telephone: 2065431929
Fax: 2065431931
speccoll@uw.edu
Access Restrictions

Entire collection can be viewed on the Libraries’ Digital Collections website. Permission of Visual Materials Curator is required to view originals. Contact Special Collections for more information.

Request at UW

Languages
English

Biographical NoteReturn to Top

Walter Burges Beals was born in St. Paul, Minnesota in 1876. Beals's family traveled west in 1897, and Beals enrolled in the newly founded University of Washington Law School; he and his future wife Othilia Carroll were members of the first graduating class of the school in 1901.

Beals served as a military officer in France during World War I and afterwards helped organize and found the American Legion. His legal career flourished in the 1920s, and in 1926, he accepted a position as judge of the Superior Court of King County. Beals became a member of the Washington State Supreme Court in 1928, a position he held until his retirement in 1950, twice holding the position of Chief Justice. Beals is perhaps best known for his work, in 1946-1947, as Presiding Judge at the International Military Tribunal in Nuremburg, the Nazi war trial known as the "Doctors' Trial."

Walter Beals was an avid collector of books, manuscripts, such as liturgical and religious manuscripts, and signatures, particularly those of European royalty. Beals also began creating albums as a young man, a hobby he continued throughout his life, collecting and soliciting signatures, manuscripts and other materials which he would mount on paper or vellum and bind into albums, often with leather covers. In his time, Beals was considered the greatest private collector of manuscripts and books in the Pacific Northwest.

Content DescriptionReturn to Top

Portraits of Walter Beals as a judge, with wife and in the military as well as events such as veterans activities, marriages, Washington Supreme Court activities and images of manuscript and book collections.

Use of the CollectionReturn to Top

Restrictions on Use

Restrictions may exist on reproduction, quotation, or publication. Contact Special Collections, University of Washington Libraries for details.

Administrative InformationReturn to Top

Processing Note

Processed by Stefanie Terasaki, 2014; Beck Prigot, 2015; processing completed in 2016.

Photographs were transferred from the Portraits Collection, 2014.

Related Materials

Photographs of Judge Beals' time on the tribunal for Nuremberg Military Trial I can be found in the Walter Beals Nuremberg Trials Photograph Collection, PH1150.

Detailed Description of the CollectionReturn to Top

 

Portraits of Walter B. BealsReturn to Top

Container(s) Description Dates
Walter B. Beals
Box/Folder item
1/1 1
Walter Beals as a boy
P. Jurgens,St. Paul, Minnesota (photographer)
1889
1/1 2
Walter Beals as a young man
C. A. Zimmerman, St. Paul, Minnesota (photographer)
1895
1/1 3 1903?
box-folder:oversize
OS6 4
Walter Beals as a young man
James and Bushnell,Seattle, WA (photographer)
1903?
Box/Folder
1/1 5
Walter Beals as a young man
Edward S. Curtis, Seattle, WA (photographer)
between 1903 and 1904
1/1 6-7
Studio portrait of Walter Beals
Bushnell,, Seattle, WA (photographer)
1916
1/1 8
Studio portrait of Walter Beals
Snow (photographer)
between 1915 and 1925
1/1 9
Studio portrait of Walter Beals
Grady, Seattle, WA (photographer)
between 1920 and 1929
1/1 10
Studio portrait of Walter Beals
Bushnell, Seattle, WA (photographer)
between 1920 and 1929?
box-folder:oversize
OS6 11
Studio portrait of Walter Beals
Leonid Fink (photographer)
between 1920 and 1929?
OS6 12
Walter Beals seated in judicial robe
Gene Hanner (photographer)
between 1930 and 1939?
Box/Folder
1/2 13a
Walter Beals seated in judicial robe
Grady, Seattle (photographer)
Autographed by Judge Beals.
1936
box-folder:oversize
OS6 13b
Walter Beals seated in judicial robe
Grady, Seattle (photographer)
Caption beneath photo: The Honorable WALTER BURGES BEALS. Judge and sometime Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of the State of Washington, Alumnus Summa Laude Dignatus of the University of Washington, chevalier of the Legion of Honor, and distinguished collector of manuscripts, Bibles, and other books which were bequeathed to the University of Washington by his widow, the late Ottille [sic] Beals, Olympia.
1936
Box/Folder
1/2 14-15
Walter Beals seated in judicial robe at desk in office
between 1930 and 1939
1/2 16 between 1930 and 1939?
1/2 17 circa 1940s
1/2 18-19 1941
1/2 20 circa 1941
1/2 21
Walter Beals sitting in an office
William P. Conser, Olympia (photographer)
September 9, 1951
box-folder:oversize
OS6 22
Walter Beals in profile
between 1950s-1960
(Othilia) Gertrude Carroll Beals
Box/Folder item
1/3 23
Othilia Gertrude Carroll Beals
Curtis Studio, Seattle, WA (photographer)
circa 1900
1/3 24
Othilia Gertrude Carroll Beals at desk with book
Webster & Stevens, Seattle, WA (photographer)
between 1920 and 1929?-1930s
1/3 25
Walter Beals and Gertrude Carroll Beals at the University of Washington School of Law 50th anniversary celebration
James O. Sneddon,University of Washington, Seattle (photographer)
August 18, 1949
1/3 26
Walter Beals and Gertrude Carroll Beals seated near fireplace reading
James O. Sneddon,University of Washington, Seattle (photographer)
February 1952
1/3 27
Walter Beals and Gertrude Carroll Beals holding up a book
James O. Sneddon,University of Washington, Seattle (photographer)
February 1952
Walter Beals' Military and Veteran Portraits
Box/Folder item
1/4 28 between 1917-1919
1/4 29
Walter Beals with other members of the US 81st Division, Mussy-sur-Seine
Written on verso: Walter B. Beals, John E. Sloan, Wm. Spughn Brown, Wade S. Heely, Ward Hunt, George Walker.
April 26, 1919
1/4 30
Walter Beals and John E. Sloan in uniform
probably April 1919
1/4 31
Walter Beals with other members of the US 81st Division
Written on verso: Major Lee, Humphries, Ahrends, [ill.] Bankhead, Maj. Gen. C. J. Bailey, Maj. Van Horn, Col Roberts, WBB, Capt Lauren Hill, Maj. Reusel
circa 1910s
1/4 32 circa 1919
1/4 33 1920
1/4 34
Walter Beals in army dress uniform with Judge Advocate designation
between 1920 and 1929?
1/4 35
Walter Beals in army dress uniform with Judge Advocate designation
Snow, Seattle, WA (photographer)
between 1920 and 1929?
1/4 36
Walter Beals in Marine Corps dress uniform
between 1920 and 1929?
1/4 37
Walter Beals in Army dress uniform
Ralston, Seattle, WA (photographer)
between 1920 and 1929?
1/4 38-39 between 1930 and 1939?
1/5 40a-b
Walter Beals in military attire receiving the French Legion of Honor cross
Items 40a and b are different croppings of the same photograph.
October 17, 1936
1/5 41a-b
Walter Beals speaking in front of the Winged Victory Monument with others, Olympia, Washington
Belcher Photos,Olympia, WA (photographer)
Items 41a and b are different croppings of the same photograph.
May 30, 1949
1/5 42-43
American Legion judges, Olympia, Washington
Belcher Photos,Olympia, WA (photographer)
Chartered in 1919, the American Legion is a non-profit, patriotic veterans organization.
January 7, 1952
1/5 44
Walter Beals speaking at the American Legion, Olympia
Belcher Photos,Olympia, WA (photographer)
January 7, 1952
1/5 45-46
Walter Beals and fellow American Legion members Frank O. Sether and Harmen, Olympia, Washington
Belcher Photos,Olympia, WA (photographer)
January 7, 1952
1/5 47
Walter Beals being awarded the American Legion's Award of Appreciation, Olympia, Washington
Belcher Photos,Olympia, WA (photographer)
January 7, 1952
1/5 48
Walter Beals and American Legion member Kuykendal, Olympia, Washington
Belcher Photos,Olympia, WA (photographer)
January 7, 1952

Events and ActivitiesReturn to Top

Container(s) Description Dates
Washington State Supreme Court Events
Box/Folder item
1/6 49 July 1, 1941
1/6 50 August 30, 1945
1/6 51 1948
1/6 52
Walter Beals administering oath to Olympia mayor Ralph A. Swanson
Merle Junk,Olympia, Washington (photographer)
1950
box-folder:oversize
OS6 53 January 11, 1933
Box/Folder
1/6 54
Washington Supreme Court judges portrait
People identified in photograph: Walter B. Beals (rear, second from left), William J. Steinert (rear, second from right), Clyde G. Jeffers (rear, right), George B. Simpson (front, second from left), Joseph A. Mallery (front, second from right), Edgar Ward Schwellenbach (front, right)
circa 1946
Dinners
Box/Folder item
1/7 55
Men seated at table for Rayonier Dinner
Burgoyne Photographers (photographer)
May 1948
1/7 56
Men seated at table for French Legion of Honor dinner
Burgoyne Photographers (photographer)
Written on verso: Lefebvre, [ill.], Blanc
October 17, 1936
1/7 57
Othilia Beals, another woman, and two men seated at table for French Legion of Honor dinner
Written on verso: [Ill.], de Lureune, Mme Lefebvre, de Lureune
October 17, 1936
1/7 58a-b October 17, 1936
Marriages performed by Walter Beals
Box/Folder item
1/7 59
Four women standing on steps with Walter Beals
Written on verso: Dorothy Jensen and Warren Colquhoun married by W B Beals.
June 7, 1931
1/7 60
Walter Beals standing arm in arm with a man and woman
Written on verso: Olive [ill.] married Herbert [ill.]. Ceremony by WBB.
August 2, 1941
Events
box-folder:oversize item
OS6 61 between 1920 and 1939?
Box/Folder
1/8 62
Walter Beals in military uniform speaking at Washelli Cemetery on Memorial Day
May 30, 1927
1/8 63
Walter Beals in military uniform speaking at Washelli Cemetery on Memorial Day
Webster and Stevens,Seattle, Washington (photographer)
On May 30, 1928, twenty veterans from four different wars were honored at Veterans Memorial Cemetery at Washelli Cemetery with a 21 gun salute and members from all branches of military present. The ceremony began at 2:00pm. Walter Beals gave an address along with others.
May 30, 1928
1/8 64
Walter Beals and members of Olympia Boy Scout Troop 31, State Capitol
Silvertone Photo Company, Olympia, Washington (photographer)
Caption on photograph: 25th Anniversary Ceremonies
February 8, 1935
1/8 65 January 1941
1/8 66
Walter Beals and a woman looking at a book at the county clerks convention, Seattle
June 27, 1942
1/8 67 between 1940 and 1959?
1/8 68 between 1940 and 1959?
1/8 69
Possibly the Judges Banquet, Union-University Club, Tacoma, Washington
Richards, Tacoma, Washington (photographer)
November 1950
1/8 70
Walter Beals receiving the University of Washington Alumnus Summa Laude Dignatus Award from UW President H. P. "Dick" Everest
James O. Sneddon (photographer)
October 1952
1/8 71 June 1952
Book and manuscript collections
Box/Folder item
1/9 72
Walter Beals standing in front of bookshelves
between 1940 and 1949?
1/9 73
Walter Beals looking at a manuscript
James O. Sneddon (photographer)
February 1952
1/9 74
Walter Beals removing a book from a shelf
James O. Sneddon (photographer)
February 1952
1/9 75
Walter Beals with a copy of the Bible
Photo-Arts Studio, Olympia, Washington (photographer)
between 1950 and 1959?
1/9 76 circa 1940s
1/9 77
Books on display
Fitner,Ottawa, Kansas (photographer)
Written on verso: Center Tissot's illus. Bible, gift of Dr. Chas. Still. Right First ed. of King James Bible. Left Small Hebrew scroll and Latin Codex. Picture made for Osteopathic Jour.
between 1930 and 1949?
1/9 78-79
Detail from hymnal
Photo-Arts Studio, Olympia, Washington (photographer)
between 1950 and 1959?
1/9 80
Detail from the Nuremberg Chronicle: woodcut of Nuremberg
Photo-Arts Studio, Olympia, Washington (photographer)
between 1950 and 1959?
1/9 81
Detail from the May 6, 1865 edition of Punch, or the London Charivari
Photo-Arts Studio, Olympia, Washington (photographer)
between 1950 and 1959?

Beals Family and ResidenceReturn to Top

Container(s) Description Dates
Box/Folder item
1/10 82
Photograph of sketch of Susan Burrill Greene Beals
Written on verso: My grandmother
1/10 83
Mantel with painting of Susan Burrill Greene
Written on verso: Rancho Fuero del Canuro, Morgan Hill, Calif. Susan Burrill Greene, 1823-1904. Married Samuel James Beals. Portrait painted 1851 by Joseph Fagnani.
February 17, 1934
1/11 84
Living room of Walter B. Beals residence, 726 Percival Street SW, Olympia
between 1930 and 1939?
1/11 85
Porch of Walter B. Beals residence, 726 Percival Street SW, Olympia
between 1930 and 1939?

Names and SubjectsReturn to Top

Subject Terms

  • Judges--Washington (State)--Photographs
  • Visual Materials Collections (University of Washington)

Personal Names

  • Beals, Walter B.--Childhood and youth--Photographs
  • Beals, Walter B.--Family--Photographs
  • Beals, Walter B.--Friends and associates--Photographs
  • Beals, Walter B.--Photographs

Corporate Names

  • Washington (State). Supreme Court