Archives West Finding Aid
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Otto Sperling photographs, 1920-1959
Overview of the Collection
- Photographer
- Sperling, Otto
- Title
- Otto Sperling photographs
- Dates
- 1920-1959 (inclusive)19251955
- Quantity
- 51 photographic prints (2 boxes)
- Collection Number
- PH0101
- Summary
- Photographs of ballet, skiing, landscapes and other miscellaneous subjects, circa 1930-1950
- 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
-
Selected images can be viewed on the Libraries' Digital Collections website. Permission of Visual Materials Curator required to view originals. Contact Special Collections for more information.
- Additional Reference Guides
- Languages
- English
Biographical NoteReturn to Top
Otto Frederick Sperling was born in Nebraska in 1898 and died in Seattle, Washington in 1960 at age 62. Otto's father, Otto W. Sperling, moved his family to Spokane, Washington around the early 1900s. Otto's name was registered on the 1918-1919 Gonzaga University catalog in Spokane, Washington, he was a junior at this time, aiming for a degree in Liberal Arts and Sciences. In 1920, he donated his collection of 600 insects to the museum. Around the 1920's, Otto F. Sperling moved to Seattle to attend school for physics at the University of Washington. He graduated in 1923 and was part of Phi Mu Alpha music fraternity in 1923 and 1924. During the 1920s Otto played in the Cornish Orchestia, playing the clarinet (he might have been a student?). He attended many plays and programs Cornish put on throughout the years. From 1930's-1948, he was a physics teacher at Lincoln High School. In the mid 1930's, Otto taught evening music classes at Broadway Highschool and Seattle College (now Seattle University). In his spare time, he loved traveling, attending concerts, and taking photos. Most of his photography is of Seattle and the Pacific Northwest but he had a variety of photo subjects.
Content DescriptionReturn to Top
Photographs of ballets, Golden Gate International Exposition at San Francisco, animals and plants, ships and boats, landscapes and structures and miscellaneous.
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.
Preferred Citation
Administrative InformationReturn to Top
Detailed Description of the CollectionReturn to Top
Photographs of BalletsReturn to Top
Container(s) | Description | Dates | |
---|---|---|---|
Box | item | ||
1 | 1 | between 1920 and 1959 | |
1 | 2-3 |
Coppelia Ballet, men and
women dancing The Coppelia ballet is a comic
ballet from Paris, France in 1870. However, most modern productions are from
the revival stage, by Maruis Petipa in the late 19th century. There are three
acts to the ballet and it is about a young man who falls in love with a doll.
Swanhilda, the boys heart's true desire, dresses as the doll and saves him from
an untimely end at the hands of the dolls inventor.
|
between 1920 and 1959 |
1 | 4 |
Petrushka ballet, with a
puppet show box in the background and men and women in the
foreground Image captured possibly at the Repertory Playhouse, Seattle's
Civic Theatre in 1934. Petrushka, meaning Russian folk puppetry, is a Russian ballet
and orchestral concert, written in 1911 by Igor Stravinsky. It's story of love
and jealousy between three puppets brought to life. Petrushka, one of the
puppets loves another puppet, the Ballerina. However, the Ballerina is in love
with the Moor, the other puppet. Petrushka dies, but his spirit rises again and
falls into a second death. It is one of the most popular Ballet Russes' production and
remains one of the greatest ballets still today.
|
1934? |
1 | 5 |
Scheherazade
Ballet The Scheherazade Ballet is a
Russian ballet, composed in 1888 by Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov. It is known as
"One Thousand and One Nights" or "The Arabian Nights". The ballet is noted for
it's colorful orchestration and is one of Rimsky-Korsakov's most popular works.
The Ballet comes to Seattle annually, but stopped in 1941 for a bit.
|
between 1920 and 1959 |
Box/Folder | |||
2/1 | 6 |
10 images on a board of the San Francisco Opera
Ballet SFOB was founded in 1933 by Adolph Bolm. The name San Francisco
Opera Ballet was used from 1933-1942. It is now called San Francisco Ballet.
SFOB was the first professional ballet company in the United States. Adolph
Bolm taught at Cornish before he founded SFOB and many students from Cornish
School of Arts performed in the Ballet. The Ballet came to Seattle in 1938 and
played at the Moore Theatre and the Civic Auditorium.
|
between 1933 and 1942 |
Golden Gate International Exposition, Treasure Island, San FranciscoReturn to Top
The Golden Gate Exposition was a World's Fair held in 1939 and 1940 on Treasure Island. The fair celebrated many things, including the city's two newly built bridges (Oakland Bay Bridge (1936) and Golden Gate Bridge (1937)). It ran from February 18 through October 29, 1939 and May 25 through September 29, 1940. The theme for this World's Fair was "Pageant of the Pacific", this was to showcase the goods of the nations bordering the Pacific Ocean. The Tower of the Sun, statue of Pacifica and the Chinese Village symbolized the fair.
Container(s) | Description | Dates | |
---|---|---|---|
Box | item | ||
1 | 7 | between February 18 and October 29, 1939 and May 25 and September 29, 1940 | |
Court of Honor and Tower of the Sun The Tower of the Sun is one of the buildings that symbolized the
Fair. There is a 44-bell carillon that rings from the Tower. Palace of the
Mines, Metals, and Machinery and Palace of Homes and Gardens flanked the
courtyard. There is a statue of the Evening Star to the right of the Tower.
This statue had lighting standards with decorative units that lit units
throughout the grounds.
|
|||
Box | item | ||
1 | 8 | between February 18 and October 29, 1939 and May 25 and September 29, 1940 | |
1 | 9 | between February 18 and October 29, 1939 and May 25 and September 29, 1940 | |
Asian Pavilions A range of Asian cultures was represented at the fair, the
biggest being the Chinese Village and Japanese Pavilion. They also had the
French Indo-China Pavilion, the Jahore, Malaysia Pavilion, the Philippine
Pavilion, the Netherlands East Indies Building, and more.
|
|||
Box | item | ||
1 | 10 | between February 18 and October 29, 1939 and May 25 and September 29, 1940 | |
1 | 11 | between February 18 and October 29, 1939 and May 25 and September 29, 1940 | |
1 | 12 | between February 18 and October 29, 1939 and May 25 and September 29, 1940 | |
Box | item | ||
1 | 13 | between February 18 and October 29, 1939 and May 25 and September 29, 1940 |
Photographs of Animals and PlantsReturn to Top
Container(s) | Description | Dates | |
---|---|---|---|
Box | item | ||
1 | 14-15 | Black bear in a cage Possibly at Woodland Park Zoo
|
between 1930 and 1959 |
1 | 16 | Longhorn beetle The scientific name is Cerambycidae. They are a large family of
beetles. There are over 35,000 different species. Characteristics include long
antennae and antennal sockets. They eat stems, trunks and roots.
|
between 1930 and 1959 |
1 | 17 | White goose |
between 1930 and 1959 |
1 | 18 | Mute Swan The most common type of swan, its scientific name is Cygnus
Olor. It is associated with romance due to its white beauty, graceful swimming
and mating for life. While romantic, it is one of the most aggressive
waterfowl. Mute swans are native to Europe and Asia. Despite their name, they
still hiss, bark, and rattle snorts.
|
between 1930 and 1959 |
1 | 19 |
Pekingese dog Known for their long coats and lion-like appearance. Originating
in China, they were bred to look like the mythical lion Buddha is said to ride.
|
between 1930 and 1959 |
Box/Folder | |||
OS1 | 20 | between 1930 and 1959 | |
Box | |||
1 | 21 | Dogwood flower Scientifically the name is Cornus Florida, it is a deciduous
plant and is considered one of the most beautiful eastern North American Tree.
The wood of the tree is shock-resistant and useful for making weaving-shuttles.
It can also be made into small pulleys, mallet heads, and jewelers blocks.
Native Americans used the aromatic bark and roots as a remedy for malaria and
extracted red dye from the roots. Cornus is Latin for horn.
|
between 1930 and 1959 |
Box/Folder | |||
2/2 | 22 | Dandelion seedhead The scientific name is Taraxacum Officinale. It is native to
Eurasia and North America. It is an edible plant that doesn't need to be
pollinated, however it is an early spring source for many pollinators. In
French, the name means lion's tooth.
|
between 1930 and 1959 |
Ships and BoatsReturn to Top
Container(s) | Description | Dates | |
---|---|---|---|
Box/Folder | item | ||
OS1 | 23 |
North Sea ship The NORTH SEA (formerly the ADMIRAL PEOPLES) of the Northland
Transportation Co. stranded near Bella Bella, B.C., on February 13, 1947. It
was destroyed in a storm in 1968, still stranded.
|
between 1930 and 1947 |
2/3 | 24 | between 1940 and 1959 | |
2/3 | 25 |
Flattie Geary 18 Sailboat, the number 52 on it and
people sitting on the boat These racing boats were commissioned by the Seattle Yacht Club
in 1928 to get youths interested in racing. They were originally called the 18'
Development Class Flattie. The designer was Ted Geary and the first builder was
Blanchard Boat Company.
|
between 1940 and 1959 |
OS1 | 26 | between 1940 and 1959 | |
2/3 | 27 |
A four masted sailboat on Elliott Bay in forefront with
a fertilizer company, the old National Guard Armory and Hotel Commodore in the
background The National Guard Armory was built in 1909 and demolished in
1968. It has a medieval appearance with parapets and turrets. Hotel Commodore
was built in 1909 and was originally known as Hotel Nelson. In 1913 it was
known as Hotel Wayne and in the mid 1920s became Hotel Commodore. The building
was demolished in 2008.
|
between 1940 and 1959 |
2/3 | 28 | between 1940 and 1959 | |
2/3 | 29 | between 1940 and 1959 | |
2/4 | 30 | between 1940 and 1959 | |
2/4 | 31 | between 1940 and 1959 | |
2/4 | 32 | between 1940 and 1959 | |
2/4 | 33 |
Westlake marina with Gas Works in the
background Gas Works (1906-1956). This plant supplied gas to the city until
new gas and energy sources arrived in Seattle. Architect Richard Haag designed
the master plan to make the area a park, incorporating remnants from the plant.
The park was fully open to the public on July 1976.
|
between 1940 and 1956 |
Landscapes and StructuresReturn to Top
Container(s) | Description | Dates | |
---|---|---|---|
Box/Folder | item | ||
2/5 | 34 |
Tacoma Narrow Bridge Its grand opening was on July 1, 1940, it was then the third
longest suspension bridge in the world. Unfortunately it collapsed on Nov. 7,
1940 due to a windstorm. It got the name Galloping Gertie, due to the way the
bridge would wave and rock during the storm. This engineering failure led to
how engineers thought about and designed suspension bridges. A new Tacoma
Narrow Bridge was built in the 1950s.
|
between July 1, 1940 and November 7, 1940 |
2/5 | 35 | between 1940 and 1959 | |
Box | |||
1 | 36 | between 1940 and 1959 | |
Box/Folder | |||
2/5 | 37 | between 1940 and 1959 | |
2/5 | 38 | between 1940 and 1959 | |
OS1 | 39 |
Lake surrounded by mountains O. A. Nelson, Belmont Ave, Seattle (photographer)
|
between 1940 and 1959 |
Winter Wonderland [Probably Mount Rainier] |
|||
Box/Folder | item | ||
2/5 | 40 | between 1940 and 1959 | |
2/6 | 41 | between 1940 and 1959 | |
2/6 | 42 |
Possibly Nisqually Gorge It is now called Nisqually Vista Trail
|
between 1940 and 1959 |
OS1 | 43 |
Mowich River looking at Mount Rainier O. A. Nelson, Belmont Ave, Seattle (photographer)
|
between 1940 and 1959 |
2/6 | 44 | between 1940 and 1959 | |
2/6 | 45-46 | between 1940 and 1959 | |
2/7 | 47 | between 1940 and 1959 | |
2/7 | 48 | between 1940 and 1959 | |
2/7 | 49-50 | between 1940 and 1959 |
Child with Doll, between 1940 and 1959Return to Top
Container(s): Box-folder 2/8, Item 51
Names and SubjectsReturn to Top
Subject Terms
- Visual Materials Collections (University of Washington)