Archives West Finding Aid
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Albert Sperry Kerry film collection, circa 1920s-1940s
Overview of the Collection
- Filmmaker
- Kerry, A. S. (Albert Sperry), 1866-1939
- Title
- Albert Sperry Kerry film collection
- Dates
- circa 1920s-1940s (inclusive)19201949
- Quantity
- 15 reels (4,850 feet) : silent, black and white ; 16mm
- Collection Number
- PH0820
- Summary
- Film collection of Seattle area lumberman and civic leader, 1930s
- 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
-
The original films are not accessible due to preservation concerns. Viewing copies are available and arrangements can be made to view the film by contacting the Visual Materials Curator.
- Additional Reference Guides
- Languages
- English
Biographical NoteReturn to Top
Albert Sperry Kerry was born in Kingston, Ontario, on April 14, 1866, the son of Aaron and Matilda Kerry. A Northwest lumberman by profession, Albert Kerry was known for his business acumen in the lumber industry and for his civic involvement, particularly in Seattle. Two towns, one in Oregon and one in Washington, where Kerry established lumber mills were ultimately named after him. Kerry's involvement in Seattle’s civic affairs included taking part in the construction of the Rainier Club building in 1904, and later serving as president of the club. In 1909 he served as vice-president of the Alaska-Yukon-Pacific Exposition in Seattle, and also served on the fair’s executive committee. In 1923 he served as president of the Seattle Chamber of Commerce, and later that year was elected president of the Community Hotel Corporation for the purpose of overseeing construction of the Olympic Hotel (now named the Fairmont Olympic Hotel), which opened in downtown Seattle in December 1924. A well-rounded man, Kerry also played a leading role in a number of other organizations and projects during his life, such as the King County Anti-Tuberculosis League and the Seattle Park Board. In the mid-1930s Kerry’s health began to decline, forcing him to scale back his civic activities. On April 27, 1939, Kerry was once again traveling through Oregon, returning by train to Seattle from a trip to California with his daughter, Glen. As the train approached Portland, he suffered a third, and far more serious, heart attack. In Portland he was transferred to St. Vincent’s Hospital, where died a few hours later.
Content DescriptionReturn to Top
The collection contains home movies of garden parties, the Kerry-Trimble wedding, and sporting activities in Seattle; a Kerry family vacation to Alaska including McKinley Park, Nenana, Matanuska Valley, and Sitka; and travel abroad to Great Britain and France. Also included in the collection is How to Splice Kodascope , an instructional film from Kodak.
Other Descriptive InformationReturn to Top
Individual film titles have been derived from canister and reel labels present at the time of donation.
Use of the CollectionReturn to Top
Restrictions on Use
Restrictions may exist on reproduction, quotation, or publication. Contact the Special Collections division of the University of Washington Libraries for details.
Administrative InformationReturn to Top
Custodial History
Following the death of Albert Kerry, the collection passed to his wife, Audrey L. Kerry, and then to their daughter, Katherine Kerry Crossley.
Acquisition Information
Donors: Audrey L. Kerry, 2001; Katherine Kerry Crossley, 2005.
Processing Note
Processed by Marion Brown; Alden Lee, 2012; Elizabeth Russell, 2014; Kelly Burton, 2016.
Detailed Description of the CollectionReturn to Top
Home Movies by KerryReturn to Top
Container(s) | Description | Dates | |
---|---|---|---|
viewcopy | item | ||
VC1 | 1 | Garden Party A group of people playing tennis, and a large garden party with
stylishly dressed people. People hiking around the base of a large waterfall,
and boating for leisure. The Kerrys vacationing in various European cities,
probably in Italy.
Original1 reel (400 feet) : silent, black and white ; 16mm
|
1920s-1930s |
VC1 | 2 |
Kerry-Trimble Wedding People going into a church, possibly St. Stephens in Seattle,
Washington. People coming out the church, and going into a reception hall.
Original1 reel (400 feet) : silent, black and white ; 16mm
|
May 11, 1932 |
VC1 | 3 |
Leisure Activities Magic tricks being performed, and a costumed staging of the
Little Red Riding Hood tale. Acting out a parody of a crime movie. Young people
sitting on porch, smoking. People visiting a farm. Various outdoor activities,
such as sledding, skiing, fishing, boating, and swimming. A woman reading on
yacht. Going through boat locks, presumably in the Seattle neighborhood of
Ballard. The Aurora Bridge in Seattle under construction, shot from below as a
boat passes under the bridge. Wisteria in bloom. Dogs playing on a lawn.
Lanterns hanging in a garden in the evening.
Original1 reel (400 feet) : silent, black and white ; 16mm
|
circa 1932 |
VC1 | 4 | Pictures of Junior Club Party A costume party with small groups of people; couples showing off
their costumes. People boarding a train. Golf, tennis, and people enjoying
another garden party.
Original1 reel (400 feet) : silent, black and white ; 16mm
|
1930s |
Reel | |||
5 | 5 | Wedding 1 reel (150 feet) : silent, black and white ; 16mm
An elderly gentleman outdoors wearing a suit. Women approach the
man, and the three talk. Women at a table with teacups and saucers. A bridal
party. The bride, groom, and guests socializing and celebrating under a tent.
The bridal party posing for pictures.
|
1930 |
viewcopy | |||
VC2 | 6 |
Summer Holiday in Alaska A caravan of cars leaving for summer holiday. A large group of
people, the women with fur coats over their arms. What appears to be a large
logging camp used for group activities. Log buildings, alpine meadows, and
bears. A car being towed through mud. Children using dogs as pack animals. A
Native American woman, man and child walking along the road. Buildings in the
camp marked "Chitina" and "Sourdough."
Original1 reel (400 feet) : silent, black and white ; 16mm
|
1930s |
VC2 | 7 |
4th of July party at Glen Kerry; Kerry Party in
Alaska Party in the Highlands. People on a glacier. A fishing harbor,
possibly Valdez. People boarding a steam ship named S.S.
Alaska.
Original1 reel (400 feet) : silent, black and white ; 16mm
|
circa 1944 |
VC2 | 8 | Kerry Party in Alaska Glaciers, and a tent camp in the bush. The touring party
visiting Mount McKinley (now Denali) National Park. A train station in Nenana,
Alaska. Parsons Hotel and Matanuska Valley, also in Alaska.
Original1 reel (400 feet) : silent, black and white ; 16mm
|
1930s |
VC2 | 9 |
More Alaska Glaciers and scenery. Shipboard, and loading boats on a dock at
what appears to be a cannery. Various views of Sitka, Alaska.
Original1 reel (400 feet) : silent, black and white ; 16mm
|
circa 1925 |
Reel | |||
10 | 10 | Stock Ski Jumping 1 reel (150 feet) : silent, black and white ; 16mm
A woman and a man walking in the snow, waving at the camera.
People skiing down a ramp.
|
circa 1939 |
11 | 11 | 1925 Outtakes 1 reel (50 feet) : silent, black and white ; 16mm
Traveling north in Alaska between Ketchikan and Juneau. Images
of clouds, a mountain, and a stone well.
|
1925 |
viewcopy | |||
VC1.1 | 12 |
Leaving New York City A ship named Leviathan leaving New
York City, with loyal legionaires escorted by destroyers, dirigible balloons
and aeroplanes. People taking small boats to the ship. New York Harbor and New
York City skyline. Images of the Statue of Liberty, with the ship leaving. The
Kerrys visiting London, with images of Windsor Castle and Buckingham Palace
Ship set sail on Sept. 10, 1927
Original1 reel (400 feet) : silent, black and white ; 16mm
|
1927 |
VC1.1 | 13 |
Foreign Scenes Several locations in Europe, probably England, Wales, the French
Riviera, and Italy.
Original1 film reel (400 feet) : silent black and white ; 16mm
|
1927 |
VC1.1 | 14 | European Scenes Several locations in Europe, possibly England, Scotland, and the
French Riviera.
Original1 reel (400 feet) : silent, black and white ; 16mm
|
1927 |
Eastman Kodak Company Instructional FilmReturn to Top
Container(s) | Description | Dates | |
---|---|---|---|
Reel | item | ||
15 | 15 |
How to Splice
Kodascope 1 reel (100 feet) : silent, black and white ; 16mm
An instructional film that teaches how to properly splice
Kodascope film.
Film created by the Eastman Kodak Company.
|
circa 1925 |
Names and SubjectsReturn to Top
Personal Names
- Kerry, A. S. (Albert Sperry), 1866-1939
Names and SubjectsReturn to Top
Subject Terms
- Moving Image Collections (University of Washington)
- Visual Materials Collections (University of Washington)