Archives West Finding Aid
Table of Contents
Herman Schnitzmeyer photographs, 1920-1922
Overview of the Collection
- Creator
- Herman Schnitzmeyer, 1880-1939
- Title
- Herman Schnitzmeyer photographs
- Dates
- 1920-1922 (inclusive)
- Quantity
- 33 photographs
- Collection Number
- Mss 741
- Summary
- These 33 photographs by Herman Schnitzmeyer primarily show Flathead Lake, the Mission Mountains and Mission Valley and the Flathead River near Polson, Montana. Some of the photographs are colorized.
- Repository
-
University of Montana, Mansfield Library, Archives and Special Collections
Archives and Special Collections
Maureen and Mike Mansfield Library
University of Montana
32 Campus Dr. #9936
59812-9936
Missoula, MT
Telephone: 406-243-2053
library.archives@umontana.edu - Access Restrictions
-
Researchers must use collection in accordance with the policies of Archives and Special Collections, the Maureen and Mike Mansfield Library, and The University of Montana-Missoula.
- Languages
- English
Biographical NoteReturn to Top
Herman Schnitzmeyer was born in 1880 and is noted for making a homestead claim on Wild Horse Island on Flathead Lake in northern Montana around 1910. The son of German immigrant parents, Schnitzmeyer moved from Illinois to the Flathead Valley primarily as a homesteader. Not exactly cut out for the farming lifestyle, by 1912 he turned to photography to supplement his income and teamed up with Louis Desch selling photo postcards of the local area. Schnitzmeyer also worked on freelance assignments for the Northern Pacific Railroad. Despite his considerable talents as a photographer and artist, Schnitzmeyer never gained much notoriety outside of his local area. He died in 1939.
Content DescriptionReturn to Top
This collection consists of 33 photographic prints ranging in size from 4.25” x 10.25” up to 7.5” x 19”. Eight of the prints are hand colorized. The scenes depicted in the prints are of the Mission Valley and Flathead Lake in Montana. There are also two photographs of Jackson Lake (one is colorized) in Wyoming. The colorization work was done by Louis Desch, who also framed Schnitzmeyer photographs for sale. Photograph titles were transcribed from titles assigned by Schnitzmeyer.
Use of the CollectionReturn to Top
Restrictions on Use
Researchers are responsible for using in accordance with 17 U.S.C. and any other applicable statutes. Copyright not transferred to The University of Montana.
Preferred Citation
Herman Schnitzmeyer Photographs, Archives and Special Collections, Maureen and Mike Mansfield Library, The University of Montana-Missoula.
Administrative InformationReturn to Top
Custodial History
These photographs were held by the family of Louis Desch until their donation to the Archives.
Acquisition Information
These photographs were donated to the Archives by Robert Desch, great-nephew of Lou Desch, in February 2010.
Related Materials
Additional Schnitzmeyer photographs can be found in Mss 562, Montana Photographs by Subject, in Archives & Special Collections.
Detailed Description of the CollectionReturn to Top
Names and SubjectsReturn to Top
Geographical Names
- Flathead Lake (Mont.)--Photographs
- Flathead River Valley (B.C. and Mont.)
- Jackson Lake (Teton County, Wyo.)--Photographs
- Mission Valley (Lake County, Mont.)--Photographs
Form or Genre Terms
- Photographs--Flathead River Valley (B.C. and Mont.)
- Photographs--Wyoming--Jackson Lake (Teton County)
Occupations
- Photographers--Flathead River Valley (B.C. and Mont.)
Other Creators
-
Personal Names
- Desch, Louis (creator)
Finding aid prepared by Mark
Fritch
2010
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
