Phillip T. Blair photograph collection, circa 1860-1960

Overview of the Collection

Creator
Blair, Philip, 1896-
Title
Phillip T. Blair photograph collection
Dates
circa 1860-1960 (inclusive)
Quantity
2.5 linear feet, (3 boxes, plus individual housed ambrotypes, daguerreotypes)  :  360 Black and white photographs, ambrotypes, daguerreotypes, and cabinet cards
Collection Number
P0120
Summary
Phillip T. Blair photograph collection contains portraits of various members of the Blair family; photographs of sites in Salt Lake City and other areas of Utah, as well as a photograph album of George D. Parkinson's LDS mission to New York City in 1904.
Repository
University of Utah Libraries, Special Collections
Special Collections, J. Willard Marriott Library
University of Utah
295 South 1500 East
Salt Lake City, UT
84112-0860

Telephone: 8015818863
special@library.utah.edu
Access Restrictions

Twenty-four hour advanced notice encouraged. Materials must be used on-site. Access to parts of this collection may be restricted under provisions of state or federal law.

Languages
English

Biographical NoteReturn to Top

The Phillip Thatcher Blair Collection spans a period of four generations commencing with Brigham Young and his wife Mary Ann Angell Young. The corresponding Manuscripts collection (Ms 120) contains the earliest known personal correspondence of Brigham and Mary Ann Young. Long letters reflect the social, political, religious, and economic developments of Utah as well as Young's personal devotion and feelings for his wife and family.

Brigham and Mary Ann Young's daughter, Luna, married George W. Thatcher of Logan, Utah. Thatcher became a prominent and successful businessman in Logan where he was elected Mayor, President of the Brigham Young College Board in Logan, and appointed a member of the Utah Commission. The Thatcher's owned and operated the Thatcher Opera House, Thatcher Bank, and Thatcher Milling and Elevator Company all located in Logan, Utah.

Nellie May, the daughter of George and Luna Thatcher, married George Elias Blair, son of Seth Millington and Sarah Jane Foster of Logan, Utah. George Blair loved the theater and poetry and was a great patron of the Salt Lake Theater. The Blair's had five children: Virginia, Millington, Phillip, Kathryn, and George. Virginia Blair loved the arts like her father and moved to Hollywood with the dream of becoming a star; though she held a number of small parts, Virginia's dream never came to fruition. For more detailed information see Phillip T. Blair Papers (Ms 120).

Content DescriptionReturn to Top

The Phillip T. Blair Collection consists mainly of four generations of family portraits ranging from Virginia Blair to Brigham and Mary Ann Young. In addition to portraits, the Blair collection also contains early photographs of Richmond, Logan, and Salt Lake City, Utah, where members of the Blair, Thatcher and Young families lived. George Parkinson compiled the remaining photographs in the collection while serving an L.D.S. (The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints) mission to New York.

Because of the extensive time range of the Blair collection, a wide range of photographic types is represented. The images range from beautiful ambrotypes, daguerreotypes and tintypes to more modern black and white photographs. Because of the age and condition of many of these images, the ambrotypes, daguerreotypes and tintypes are all stored in the Special Collections safe and can be viewed only with the express permission of the Multimedia Archivist.

Use of the CollectionReturn to Top

Restrictions on Use

The library does not claim to control copyright for all materials in the collection. An individual depicted in a reproduction has privacy rights as outlined in Title 45 CFR, part 46 (Protection of Human Subjects). For further information, please review the J. Willard Marriott Library's Use Agreement and Reproduction Request forms.

Preferred Citation

Collection Name, Collection Number, Box Number, Folder Number. Special Collections, J. Willard Marriott Library, The University of Utah.

Administrative InformationReturn to Top

Arrangement

Collection is arranged topically.

Processing Note

Processed by Della L. Dye, Dorothy Rasmussen, and Mary Ann Curtis in 2002.

Separated Materials

Manuscript materials were transferred to the Philip T. Blair papers (MS 0120).

Detailed Description of the CollectionReturn to Top

Family, Locations in Utah, New YorkReturn to Top

Container(s) Description
Box Folder
1 1
George E. Blair
  • 1-5: George Elias Blair
1 2
Nellie Blair
  • 6: Nellie and George E. Blair, May 1885
  • 7: Nellie and Nettie Blair
  • 8: Nellie Blair, April 7, 1903
  • 9-10: Nellie Blair
  • 11: Nellie Blair in costume with fellow actors. Nellie is 3rd from left
  • 12-13: Nellie Blair
1 3
George Blair Jr.
  • 14-15: George Blair Jr., son of George E. and Nellie Blair
  • 16: George Blair Jr. "in pictures" actor?
1 4
Kathryn Blair
  • 17-20: Kathryn Blair (died 1906)
1 5
Millington Blair
  • 21: Millington Blair, "drummer of [1896]"
  • 22: Millington Blair, son of George Elias and Nellie Blair
  • 23: Millington Blair, "with love to dear Grandma, August 20, 1899"
1 6
Phillip Blair
  • 24: Phillip Blair, August 3, 1896
  • 25: Phillip Blair, August 20, 1899
  • 26: Phillip Blair
1 7
Virginia Blair
  • 27: Virginia Blair, as a baby
  • 28: Virginia Blair, at 6 years old
  • 29: Virginia Blair and Wen Hammond
  • 30: Virginia Blair, aged 6. "Darling Granny. August 20, 1899"
  • 31: Virginia Blair, hand tinted photo, circa 1910s
  • 32: Virginia Blair, circa 1920s
  • 33: Virginia Blair, Hollywood, 1917
  • 34: Virginia Blair. "Sweet ---, There's just one girl in the world for me. And she's as fair as fair can be. -N"
1 8-9
Blair Children
  • 35: Virginia, Phillip and Millington Blair, August 20, 1899
  • 36: Virginia and Millington Blair
  • 37: Virginia, Phillip and Millington Blair, Christmas
  • 38-39: Nellie Blair and children at Thatcher House
  • 40: Phillip and Millington Blair
  • 41: Blair Children outside Thatcher House: Millington and Phillip wearing boxing gloves
  • 42: Blair Children outside Thatcher House: Millington and Phillip near a bicycle
  • 43: Nellie, George and Connie Blair
1 10
George W. Thatcher
  • 44-46: George W. Thatcher, circa 1870-1880s
  • 47: George W. Thatcher, office scene 1898
1 11-14
Portraits
  • 48: Seth Millington Blair
  • 49: Luna A. Thatcher Farrell, 1896
  • 50: Wendell Hammond, May 1913
  • 51: Joyce
  • 52-53: Constance Thatcher Farrell, also written as Constance Nibley
  • 54-56a: Dick Sloan, son of Nettie Thatcher Sloan, circa 1903-1910
  • 56b: Luna Thatcher painting
  • 57: Gladys Spencer, Nellie's niece
  • 58: Mary and Ted Spicker, children of Mary and Ted Spicker
  • 59-60: Constance Thatcher, sister of Nellie.
  • 61: Guy Thatcher
  • 62: Alena Kitchen Thatcher
  • 63: Winfield Washington Thomas, aged 3 months, son of Katherine Thatcher Thomas
  • 64: Genie West
  • 65: Alfales Burgess Young, son of Alfales Young and Ada Cottle
  • 66-67: Brigham Young
  • 68: Emmaline Free Young ("Aunt Emm"), daughter of Emmaline Free, June 2, 1896
  • 69:Catherine Spencer Young (wife of Brigham Jr) and Florence Ellen Young, her daughter.
  • 70: John W. Young, image of a cased image (ambrotype number 58), 1854-case labeled Brigham Young Jr
  • 71: John W. Young, image of a cased image (ambrotype number 59), 1860-case labeled Brigham Young Jr
  • 72: Fanny Young Thatcher and Luna Young Thatcher (ambrotype number 57)--case labeled Luna and Alice Young
  • 73: Luna Young Thatcher (see case number 53)
  • 74: Luna Young Thatcher (see case number 54), 1859
  • 75: Luna Young Thatcher (photo of a cased image, but we do not have the original)
  • 76: Luna Young Thatcher (see case number 55)
  • 77: Luna Young Thatcher (photo of a cased image, but we do not have the original)
  • 78: Luna Thatcher painting by Lee Green Richards, see 56b
1 15-16
Logan, Utah
  • 79-83: Moses Thatcher Home (1st south)
  • 84: Union Roller Mill run by Hezekiah Thatcher and sons. The Brigham Young Academy can be seen in the background
  • 85: Thatcher Milling and Elevator Company, 1940
  • 86: Logan Temple, Circa 1884
  • 87: George Thatcher Home, located 169 E Center Street, Logan Utah, built by Oliver C. Ormsby, 1891.
  • 88: Unidentified house in Logan, Utah
1 17-18
Richmond, Utah
  • 89-90: Richmond, Utah parade, circa 1900
  • 91: B.L. Peart Blacksmith Shop, in Richmond, Utah, circa 1910. Joseph L. Peart, second on the left, is the owner.
  • 92: Joseph L. Peart outside his home in Richmond, Utah.
  • 93: B.L. Peart Blacksmith Shop, in Richmond, Utah, circa 1910.
  • 94: Unidentified house located in Richmond, Utah, circa 1910
1 19
Salt Lake City, Utah
  • 95: Salt Lake City looking southwest from the avenues, circa1895
  • 96: Salt Lake City from Prospector Hill, circa 1892. Photograph by Charles R. Savage
  • 97: Gardo House, photo by F.L. Monsen and Co
  • 98: Beehive House and Eagle Gate, circa 1890, photo by F.L. Monsen and Co

Miscellaneous, album, duplicatesReturn to Top

Container(s): Box 2

Container(s) Description Dates
Box Folder
2 20-21
Scenery
  • 99: "Reflections by Virginia Blair, circa 1940 (unidentified scenery)
  • 100-101: Unidentified scenery by Virginia Blair, circa 1940
  • 102: Thatcher home in Logan, Utah, by Virginia Blair, circa 1940
  • 103: "Winter's Beauty" by Virginia Blair, circa 1940
  • 104: Power plant-Logan Canyon, "Mrs. S. Richards, photographer"
  • 105: Upper Falls in the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone
  • 106: Bear River, Circa 1890
  • 107: Flagstaff Tree, Brighton Utah, 1890
  • 108: Mary's Lake, Brighton, Utah, 1896
2 22
General
  • 109-12: Actor in Corianton
  • 113: Brigham Young's home in St. George, Utah, postcard
  • 114: Sitting Bull and Buffalo Bill, photo by C.W. Carter
2 23
General
  • 115: Brave Ensign Worth Bagley
  • 116: Lieutenant Richard P. Hobson
  • 117: Wagon train crossing the Platte River
  • 118: Millington Blair in a Mill, circa 1900
  • 119: George Blair seated, 1899 [missing]
  • 120: H. W. Cannon Institute, Principal: Miss R. Shannon. Art class, 1920
2 24
Photograph Album From George D. Parkinson's Mission to New York City
  • 121: George Parkinson
  • 122: Morningside Park
  • 123: Lou Dillon on a New York Speedway
  • 124: Elevated Railroad
  • 125: "Washday at No.46 Lewis Ave, Brooklyn"
  • 126: Hawthorne Hall
  • 127: "Elder's street corner"
  • 128: Washing dishes
  • 129: Laundry
  • 130: Barbershop
  • 131-132: Washday
  • 133: Laundry
  • 134: Cleaning up on washday
  • 135: Backyard on washday
  • 136: U.S. Treasury Building on Wall Street
  • 137: Grant's Tomb
  • 138: Columbia College Library
  • 139: Sailor's and soldier's monument on Riverside Drive
  • 140: North end of Hill Cumorah
  • 141: Room in which the prophet, Joseph Smith, saw the angel Moroni
  • 142: Old Smith farmhouse
  • 143: The "Mormon Hill" farmhouse
  • 144: Prophet Joseph Smith's old home
  • 145: Northeast end of Hill Cumorah
  • 146: Lane leading to the barnyard on the old Smith farm
  • 147: Grove in which Joseph Smith received his first vision
  • 148: Baptismal Party, New Jersey
  • 149: Baptism of Sister Rohlfing
  • 150: Elders in New York
  • 151: Cornelius Vanderbilt Home
  • 152: Mormon Elder's quarters
  • 153: The Tombs and the "Bridge of Sighs"
  • 154: Brooklyn Bridge from a ferry boat
  • 155: St. Patrick's Day Parade
  • 156: Riverside Drive and Hudson River
  • 157: Battery Park
  • 158: Panorama of Brooklyn
  • 159: Yacht and New York skyline
  • 160: Interior of Madison Square Gardens
  • 161: Manhattan Beach
  • 162: Clermont Roadhouse, Riverside Drive
  • 163: East River Bridge
  • 164: Ocean Freighter
  • 165: Street scene on the bowery
  • 166: Columbia College
  • 167: Upper Broadway
  • 168: Coney Island
  • 169: Niagara Falls
  • 170: Louisa May Alcott Home, Concord, Massachusetts
  • 171: Sleepy Hollow Cemetery including the gravesites of Emerson and Hawthorne
  • 172: "Old Manse"
  • 173: Hawthorne's Home, Concord, Massachusetts
started May 1904
2 25
Unidentified
  • 174-190: Unidentified portraits
2 26
Duplicates (8 x 10) from album
  • 1: Nellie Thatcher Blair and Child
  • 2: Mary Ann Angell Young
  • 3a-b: Brigham Young
  • 4: Elder George D. Parkinson
  • 5: "Washday at No.46 Lewis Ave, Brooklyn"
  • 6: Washing dishes
  • 7: Laundry
  • 8: Barbershop
  • 9: Washday
  • 10 Washday
  • 11: Laundry
  • 12: Cleaning up on washday
  • 13: Backyard on washday
  • 14: Grant's Tomb
  • 15: Room in which the prophet, Joseph Smith, saw the angel Moroni
  • 16-17: Old Smith farmhouse
  • 18: The "Mormon Hill" farmhouse
  • 19: Prophet Joseph Smith's old home
  • 20: Northeast end of Hill Cumorah
  • 21: Lane leading to the barnyard on the old Smith farm
  • 22: Baptismal Party, New Jersey
  • 23: Baptism of Sister Rohlfing
Negatives
  • 1: Brigham Young
  • 2: Mary Ann Angell Young
Materials in Safe
  • 1: Brigham Young, ambrotype and duplicate prints
  • 2: Mary Ann Angell Young, ambrotype and duplicate prints
  • 3: Luna Young Thatcher as a young girl, daguerreotype
  • 4: Luna Young Thatcher, miniature tintype
  • 5: Luna Young Thatcher, tintype
  • 6: Luna Young Thatcher, print
  • 7: Luna and Alice Young, ambrotype
  • 8: Brigham Young, Jr. as a small boy, daguerreotype
  • 9: Brigham Young, Jr., ambrotype
  • 10-12: Nellie Thatcher Blair, tintypes
  • 13-14: Unidentified tintypes

OversizeReturn to Top

Container(s) Description
Box Folder
3 1
George W. Thatcher
  • 1-2: Portraits of George W. Thatcher
3 2
General
  • 1-5: Portraits of actors and actresses, possibly from Corianton, photos by C.R. Savage, circa 1890s-1910s
  • 6: Portrait of actor, possibly from Corianton, circa 1990
  • 7: Portrait of Nellie (or Nettie?), possibly from Corianton, circa 1885
  • 8: "The old white house, built by President Young" Salt Lake City, Utah
  • 9: "Beehive House and Historian's Office" Salt Lake City, Utah, circa 1885
  • 10: "George Blair seated" in a library

Names and SubjectsReturn to Top

Subject Terms

  • Latter Day Saint churches--Missions--New York (State)--New York

Family Names

  • Blair family--Photographs

Geographical Names

  • New York (N.Y.)--Photographs
  • Salt Lake City (Utah)--Photographs
  • Utah--Photographs

Form or Genre Terms

  • Photographic prints--1860-1960
  • Portrait photographs--1860-1960