Robert W. Limbert Papers, 1901-2011

Items in Series 1 include Limbert's obituary from the Arco Advertiser (Folder 2) and a number of articles about him (Folder 1). Among the latter are a nine-page typescript extolling his shooting abilities and photocopies of articles about him from Idaho Yesterdays (by Nick Casner, 1988), Omaha Chamber of Commerce Journals (1928), and New York World-Herald (April 15, 1928).

Much of the correspondence in Series 2 regards the establishment and operation of Redfish Lake Lodge, Limbert's dude ranch-resort in Idaho's Sawtooth Mountains. He apparently sought the backing of Lewis E. Megowen of Chicago and J.L. Kraft of Kraft Cheese Company; the collection includes a long proposal he sent to Kraft and correspondence back and forth with Megowen. Most of Limbert's letters in this series are typescript drafts or carbons.

The writings on Series 3 are divided into three groups: drafts of articles, articles in published form, and drafts of short stories. The article and short story drafts are chiefly in typescript form, sometimes in more than one version. Like the rest of the collection, Series 3 is available to researchers chiefly in the form of photocopies. Retained originals are located in Box 7.

The published articles (in photocopy form) came from several outdoor magazines and are about outdoor, shooting, or Idaho themes. There are seventeen articles in the Outdoor America file; fifteen are Limbert's regular column, "Revolver Shooting"; two are articles about the Sawtooths. Outdoor America was published by the Izaak Walton League. The tourist booklet Unknown Places in Idaho (folder 37), is a 54-page publication issued in 1927 by the Union Pacific Railroad. It was written by Bob Limbert, who also supplied the photographs. The copy in the collection has been loaned to Albertsons Library by Craters of the Moon National Monument.

Limbert's article from the National Geographic Magazine (March 1924) on Craters of the Moon may be found in his Scrapbook 1 (Series 7), in Box 3, Folder 2 of the collection. A letter from David Starr Jordan (1927) identifying the "sea serpent" that washed up onto a California beach as a bottle-nosed whale is included in the file for Limbert's article, "Something from Somewhere" (Box 1, Folder 26).

See also the Addendum for additional writings added to the collection in 2005 and 2007.

This series consists of advertisements, programs, newspaper articles, tickets, and correspondence related to Limbert's speaking engagements, educational programs, and performances at fairs and rodeos across the country.

The papers in this series document the construction and early operation of Redfish Lake Lodge, Limbert's dude ranch- resort near Stanley, Idaho, in the Sawtooth Mountains. Included is a published brochure advertising the resort; agreements with the U.S. Forest Service; and detailed building materials lists.

In addition to the papers listed below, three scrapbooks of magazine clippings of drawings and photos of birds and animals are located in Series 8 (Miscellaneous), Box 5.

Robert Limbert kept four scrapbooks of newspaper clippings, magazine articles, lecture programs, and the like, documenting his activities, chiefly his speaking engagements and marksmanship demonstrations. The items from these scrapbooks have been photocopied and are available to researchers in Boxes 3 and 4. Limbert often shingled clipped articles and other items over one another in the scrapbooks, so the scrapbooks were disassembled to allow photocopying. The original scrapbooks are located in Box 8 and 9.

Among the items in Series 8 are clippings of articles from the Idaho Statesman (1919) about the Indian Chief Nampuh, sometimes called "Bigfoot"; pages from the newsletter of the Panama-Pacific International Exposition about Limbert's Idaho displays; samples of Robert Limbert's business stationary; his son's ham radio log; and a program from Boise State University Library's traveling exhibit about Limbert and the collection (1987).

Robert Limbert's photographs, numbering more than three thousand, constitute an important photographic record of the Idaho outdoors in the early decades of the twentieth century.

The Sawtooth Mountains and its many lakes, the Craters of the Moon, the Bruneau River region, and Snake River Indian petroglyphs are particularly well documented. So too are human activities in these regions, particularly in the Sawtooths: hunting, camping, fishing, and horseback riding, among them. Most of the photos of the Craters of the Moon came from Limbert's 1921 exploring expedition; there are also photos documenting the construction of Redfish Lake Lodge near Stanley (1928), the Panama-Pacific exposition of 1915, and Limbert's taxidermy work. There are also photos of Idaho's wildlife, in desert and mountain, and of Limbert's friends and family.

Robert Limbert left both photographic prints and negatives. The negatives, most of which were on glass or unstable nitrate stock, have been copied onto modern safety film. Contact sheets have been made for the convenience of researchers. The original glass negatives have been retained, but the nitrate negatives were destroyed. Many of Limbert's prints are now brittle and fragile; these have been photocopied for reference use. While there is much duplication between the negatives and prints, there are unique items in each set, so both must be consulted for a complete search of the photo collection. Those photos with captions have been so labelled; unfortunately, few photos were captioned. All captions have been photocopied and assembled in a reference notebook for the convenience of researchers.

There is not yet a complete index to every photo in the collection. The photos and negatives have, however, been grouped into broad subject categories.