Markham-Abel family photograph collection, 1892-1978

Overview of the Collection

Collector
Abel, Jane Markham, 1920-2010
Title
Markham-Abel family photograph collection
Dates
1892-1978 (inclusive)
Quantity
4 photograph albums and 29 loose photographs (2 boxes) ; sizes vary
Collection Number
PH2004-034
Summary
Photographs of the Markham-Abel Family of Aberdeen, Washington
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

Collection is open to the public.

The albums need to be handled with care because the photographs are coming out of them.

Languages
English

Biographical NoteReturn to Top

Jane Markham Abel married Don G. Abel and lived in Aberdeen, Washington from 1948 until 1954, where Don had been a prosecuting attorney. That same year, they moved to Seattle and Don took a position in private practice. Jane Abel was active in the AK Chapter of P.E.O. Sisterhood, the Lillian Delanty Orthopedic Auxillary, the Young Mother's Club, the Mountlake P.T.A., and numerous other social and philanthropic organizations in both Aberdeen and Seattle. Don Abel served as a leiutenant in Saipan during World War Two and the two lived there for a short period after the war.

Jane Abel's father was born in 1892 in Wisconsin and his parents moved to Washington in 1899. John Howard Markham served in the Army during both World Wars and was a forest engineer responsible for preparing maps and surveys, as well as serving as one of the principle business partners in the Markham & Callow Logging Company in northern Oregon. John Markham was also an avid hunter and fisher, owning land in British Columbia and Oregon, as well as traveling to India and other exotic locales in pursuit of large game trophies, such as tigers, bears, and other wildlife. He also played basketball and football in high school and joined the football team at the University of Washington in the early 1910's.

Jane Abel's grandparents, Mr. and Mrs. Alexander Young were early pioneers in Washington state and helped to found the town of Aberdeen. Their early contributions have been honored with the naming of Alexander Young Elementary School in Aberdeen. Their daughter Grace Mary Young married John Howard Markham in 1918 and Jane Markham was born in 1919.

Content DescriptionReturn to Top

Family photographs documenting the Markham and Abel families.

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

Preservation Note

The albums need to be handled with care because the photographs are coming out of them.

Acquisition Information

Gift of Jane Markham Abel, March 25, 2004 and June 26, 2004.

Processing Note

Unprocessed.

Orignally accessioned as PH2004-034 and PH2004-063. Eleven scrapbooks were relocated to the Pacific Northwest manuscript collection, 2016.

Separated Materials

Material Described Separately:

Markham-Abel Family Scrapbooks (Manuscript Collection 6029)

Detailed Description of the CollectionReturn to Top

 

The following section contains a detailed listing of the materials in the collection.

Family Photograph AlbumsReturn to Top

Container(s) Description Dates
Box
1
John Howard Markham Photographs
Album consists of ninety-four color and sixty-nine b/w prints detailing many of the major events and interests in John H. Markham's life, including his participation in high school and collegiate sports, his military service in Europe during both World Wars, hunting and fishing expeditions, and his career as a forestry engineer. Also includes clippings, letters, maps, and photocopies of certificates related to his service with the Army and the Markham & Callow Logging Company.
1892-1978
1
Markham Family Photographs
Album features one hundred-twenty b/w prints, including images of John H. Markham in basketball and football team photos, Mabel Holloman in Olympia High School group photos, a Klamath Falls trip, and group photos at a number of outdoor family outings.
1908-1910
1
Markham Family Photographs
Album houses one hundred forty-two b/w prints and one negative, including images of Jane Markham as a child with her parents at their home and on several family vacations. Also includes a copy of John Howard Markham and Grace Mary Young's wedding vows, documenting their service on April 20th, 1918.
1918-1921
2
Abel Family Photographs
Album contains four hundred and fifty-six b/w prints documenting Jane Markham Abel's voyage aboard the U.S.A.T. President Buchanan in 1946. She joined several other wives in boarding the naval ship in San Francisco in June and traveled to Honolulu and later that month, Guam, where she met her husband, Lt. Don G. Abel. They continued on together to Saipan and then returned to Washington state for Christmas.
1946-1947

Individual PhotographsReturn to Top

Container(s) Description Dates
Box
1
John Howard Markham Photographs
Twenty-six b/w prints, with twenty-five images of John H. Markham in Europe during his service in the Army during World War Two and one image of Markham with his surveyor's tools in 1912 housed in a small leather pouch.
1912-ca. 1945
1
Alexander Young
A founder of Aberdeen, Washington and grandfather of Jane Markham Abel.
undated
1
Mrs. Alexander Young
Grandmother of Jane Markham Abel.
undated
1
Grace Young Markham
Mother of Jane Markham Abel and wife of John Howard Markham.
undated

Names and SubjectsReturn to Top

Subject Terms

  • Visual Materials Collections (University of Washington)

Family Names

  • Abel family--Photographs
  • Markham family--Photographs