Sunday School Photograph Collection, circa 1914-1921

Overview of the Collection

Title
Sunday School Photograph Collection
Dates
circa 1914-1921 (inclusive)
Quantity
61 black and white photographic prints (1 box)
Collection Number
PH0086
Summary
Snapshots, postcards and photographs of Sunday school, religious associations and related activities in Washington, circa 1914-1921
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 collection is open to the public.

Languages
English

Historical BackgroundReturn to Top

The first public institutionalized Sunday School in America was formed in Philadelphia in January, 1791, and was called the First Day School Society. It was formed to provide for the education of the poor female children of Philadelphia. Other large cities soon followed the lead of Philadelphia, including Pittsburgh, Boston, New York, Albany, Hartford, Baltimore, and Charleston.

In May of 1824, the American Sunday School Union was formed with the mission of spreading religious information, publications and establishing Sunday schools through the United States. Six years later missionaries were sent west into the Mississippi Valley. One missionary, Stephen Paxson, traveled from the Alleghenies to the Rockies, and established and organized over 1,300 Sunday Schools, with a total of 83,405 teachers and students. Many of Sunday Schools eventually grew to become churches, which typically retained the Sunday School as a part of their organization.

The first National Sunday School Convention was held in Philadelphia in 1832. The fifth convention was held in Indianapolis, Indiana in 1872. It was at the fifth convention that the International Uniform Lesson was adopted. Until 1872 there had been no common curriculum for the Sunday Schools throughout the country. Each denomination was preparing and providing its own lessons. Thus, a committee was formed that would arrange for common lessons to be shared by all. Variations on the common lessons developed, including the International Graded Series and Group Graded Lesson, designed to be age appropriate. Some denominations chose to develop its own curriculum based on its own needs.

Starting in 1872 National Sunday School Conventions have met every three years. After continual participation from a large number of foreign nations, the name was changed to the International Sunday School Convention.

Content DescriptionReturn to Top

The collection contains black and white photographs of various Sunday School activities, conventions, and classes, primarily in Washington State between 1914 and 1921. Images include group photographs at conferences and conventions for men, women and children; Sunday school sports teams, camping trips, and banquets.

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

The required credit line for use of images from Special Collections is: University of Washington Libraries, Special Collections, [plus the negative number].

The negative number is provided with the image and is a letter + number combination such as UW13452; Hegg 1234; or NA1275. A typical credit line would be, University of Washington Libraries, Special Collections, UW13452.

Administrative InformationReturn to Top

Processing Note

Processed by Kim Callahan, 2005, and Megan Peacock, 2006; processing completed in 2006.

Detailed Description of the CollectionReturn to Top

 

International Sunday School Association - Lake Geneva, WisconsinReturn to Top

Container(s) Description Dates
Folder item
1 1
International Sunday School Association Training School attendees at Conference Point, Lake Geneva, Wisconsin
1915
1 2 1919

Sunday School ConventionsReturn to Top

Images are predominantly group photographs of convention attendees probably at or near convention locations.

Container(s) Description Dates
Folder item
2 3
Grays Harbor Boys Convention YMCA attendees
J.C. Dean, Hoquiam, Washington (photographer)
November 7, 1914
2 4
Clark County Convention attendees in front of a church, Ridgefield, Washington
1914
2 5
Sunday School Convention attendees outside a church, Elma, Washington
Davies Photo (photographer)
August 26, 1915
2 6 1916
2 7
Skagit County Sunday School Convention attendees on front steps of a church, Burlington, Washington
1916
2 8
Cowlitz County Sunday School Association attendees in front of a church, Castle Rock, Washington
W.M. Teasley (photographer)
1916
2 9
Wahkiakum County Convention attendees in front of church
circa 1914-1921
2 10
Island County Convention attendees in front of church
circa 1914-1921
2 11
Lewis County Sunday School Convention attendees
circa 1914-1921
2 12
Lewis County Sunday School Association officers
circa 1914-1921
2 13
Probably Sunday school convention attendees in front of church
circa 1914-1921

Sunday School ConferencesReturn to Top

Images are predominantly group photographs of conference attendees, probably at or near convention locations.

Container(s) Description Dates
General Secretaries' Conference, New Orleans, Louisiana
Folder item
3 14
General Secretaries' Conference group
circa 1914-1921
Older Girls Conferences
Folder item
3 15 January 1916
3 16
Older Girls Conference, Chehalis, Washington
Kent’s Studio, Chehalis, Washington (photographer)
1917
3 17
Western Washington Sunday School Association, Section 1 at Older Girls Conference, Camas, Washington
March 11-13,1921
3 18
Western Washington Sunday School Association, Section 2 at Older Girls Conference, Anacortes, Washington
April 1-3, 1921
Older Boys Conferences
Folder item
3 19
Older Boys Conference, Mount Vernon, Washington
January 1916
3 20
Older Boys Conference, Centralia, Washington
1917
3 21
Older Boys Conference
La Roche Studio, Sedro-Woolley, Washington (photographer)
circa 1914-1921

Unidentified gathering possibly conference or conventionReturn to Top

Container(s) Description Dates
Folder item
4 22
Group of young men in suits
Jas [James] Waggener Jr, Vancouver, Washington (photographer)
circa 1914-1921
4 23
Large group under grand glass awning in large stone driveway
circa 1914-1921

Sunday SchoolsReturn to Top

Container(s) Description Dates
Bible Classes
Folder item
5 24-25
Junior boys' class working over books with teacher
circa 1914-1921
5 26
Girls' class working over books with teacher
circa 1914-1921
5 27
Men's bible class, University Place Christian Church
circa 1914-1921
5 28
Unity Bible Class, First M.P.S.S.
Donaldson Photo Art Co, Seattle, Washington (photographer)
circa 1914-1921
5 29
Sunday school at Olga, Orcas Island, San Juan County, Washington
"One of our rural S.S. [Sunday Schools]"
circa 1914-1921
5 30
Intermediate Department, Manette Community Church
circa 1914-1921
5 31
Junior Department, Manette Community Church
circa 1914-1921
5 32
Primary Department, Manette Community Church
circa 1914-1921
5 33
Teacher and twenty-two children lined up from youngest to oldest
“A Graded School - Each age from 1 to 21 represented.”
circa 1914-1921
5 34
Possibly a bible class on grass in front of picket fence
circa 1914-1921
Activities
Camping or Retreats
Box/Folder item
6 35
Seated men watching man with trombone
circa 1914-1921
6 36
Men seated in woods
circa 1914-1921
6 37 circa 1914-1921
6 38
Group portrait of men and young boys
circa 1914-1921
6 39
Four boys in campsite near water and tent
circa 1914-1921
6 40
Twelve young boys
circa 1914-1921
6 41
Five boys standing in front of a campsite
circa 1914-1921
6 42
Seven boys standing on a large log
circa 1914-1921
Banquets
Box/Folder item
6 43 circa 1914-1921
6 44
Group posing at banquet
M.D. Boland, Tacoma (photographer)
circa 1914-1921
Sports
Box/Folder item
7 45-46
Intermediate baseball team
circa 1914-1921
7 47
Basketball team
circa 1914-1921
7 48
SCAL basketball trophy teams
circa 1914-1921
General Activities
Box/Folder item
7 49
Junior choir at Plymouth Congressional Church
December, 1913
7 50
Woman handing “The Mother’s Magazine” to a woman with two children
“Home Department Visitor”
circa 1914-1921
7 51
Women with croquet mallets kneeling on tennis court
circa 1914-1921
7 52
Boys in formal suits
circa 1914-1921

Church BuildingsReturn to Top

Container(s) Description Dates
Folder item
8 53 circa 1914-1921
8 54
Church exterior with shed and pile of wood
circa 1914-1921
8 55
Church exterior with side building addition
circa 1914-1921
8 56
Church building interior classroom with posters, bulletin board and chair
circa 1914-1921
8 57
Church building interior classroom with piano, stool, and benches
circa 1914-1921

Bellingham Summer School of Methods FacultyReturn to Top

Container(s) Description Dates
Folder item
9 58
Eight women and three men in front of woods
circa 1914-1921
9 59
Five men
circa 1914-1921

PortraitsReturn to Top

Container(s) Description Dates
Folder item
10 60
T.E. Billington, Northeast Field Secretary, American Christian Missionary Society
circa 1914-1921
10 61
J. Stanley Long
James Bishoff (photographer)
circa 1914-1921

Names and SubjectsReturn to Top

Subject Terms

  • Camping--Photographs
  • Dinners and dining--Photographs
  • School sports--Photographs
  • Sunday school conventions--Photographs
  • Sunday school conventions--Washington (State)--Photographs
  • Sunday schools--Washington (State)--Photographs

Geographical Names

  • Anacortes (Wash.)--Photographs
  • Burlington (Wash.)--Photographs
  • Camas (Wash.)--Photographs
  • Centralia (Wash.)--Photographs
  • Chehalis (Wash.)--Photographs
  • Clark County (Wash.)--Photographs
  • Cowlitz County (Wash.)--Photographs
  • Mount Vernon (Wash.)--Photographs
  • Skagit County (Wash.)--Photographs

Form or Genre Terms

  • Group portraits--United States--1914-1921
  • Photographic prints

Names and SubjectsReturn to Top

Subject Terms

  • Visual Materials Collections (University of Washington)