Taft family Photograph Collection, circa 1914-1920
Table of Contents
- Overview of the Collection
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Biographical Note
- Content Description
- Use of the Collection
- Administrative Information
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Detailed Description of the Collection
- Beulah May Taft Godfrey and newborn daughter Loyal Taft Godfrey, July 31, 1914
- Loyal Taft Niedergesaess at age 1, wearing a sash bow
- Group of children dressed in kimonos, circa 1916
- Group portrait of family members, circa 1917
- Grandma Sarah Gurley Taft and her sisters from Texas (Ada and Elizabeth?) showing Loyal how to knit, circa 1917
- Children on a beach with boatYankee IIin background, circa 1918
- People standing on the deck ofYankee II, circa 1918
- Grandma Sarah Gurley Taft and her two sisters from Texas (Ada and Elizabeth?) knitting, circa 1919
- Grandma Sarah Gurley Taft with her sisters and other family members, circa 1919
- Loyal Taft Niedergesaess as little girl, undated
- Loyal's cats in a basket, undated
- Two children in a boat, undated
- Child seated with older woman (possibly grandmother or great-aunt), undated
- Woman (possibly a nurse) and child near a bush, undated
- Two children in living room (possibly Loyal with older sister Carol in chair) in front of a fireplace, undated
- Child and baby in baby carriage (possibly Loyal with older sister Carol), undated
- Names and Subjects
Overview of the Collection
- Creator
- Taft family
- Title
- Taft family Photograph Collection
- Dates
- circa 1914-1920 (inclusive)19141920
- Quantity
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16 negatives (1 box) : glass plate negatives
scans printed from glass plate negatives - Collection Number
- PH0848
- Summary
- Photographs of Beulah May Taft Godfrey, her daughter Loyal Taft Godfrey, and other family members. Also includes photographs of the Niedergesaess family's yacht Yankee II
- Repository
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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
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Access to the original glass plate negatives is restricted for preservation purposes. The scans are available for viewing and the entire collection is available on the digital site. Contact Special Collections for more information.
- Additional Reference Guides
- Languages
- English
Biographical Note
Beulah May Taft (1881-1974) was born in Waco, Texas, to Sarah Frances Gurley and William B. Taft. Beulah came to Seattle as a baby with her parents. In 1907, she married Otto Christian (Bert) Niedergesaess (1884-1963), an immigrant from New Zealand. Beulah and Otto had two daughters, Carol (1909-1933) and Loyal (1914-2001). During World War I, the family adopted the surname Godfrey, which was the family name of Otto's mother. During the 1920s, the family moved to Brooklyn, New York, where Otto operated the Godfrey Propeller Adjusting Corporation. Beulah was an avid photographer, particularly of her children. This collection includes examples of her work. Beulah's elder daughter Carol became a Broadway dancer known as Joan Winters. She was arrested as a spy in Istanbul in October 1933 and was murdered the next month in Jerusalem. Loyal spent her later years on Bainbridge Island where she was joined by her parents.
Content Description
Photographs of Beulah May Taft Godfrey, her daughter Loyal Taft Godfrey, and other family members. Also includes photographs of the Niedergesaess family's boat Yankee II . It was sold in 1915 and used to transport passenger and freight traffic in the San Juan Islands.
Use of the Collection
Alternative Forms Available
View the digital version of the collection
Restrictions on Use
Restrictions may exist on reproduction, quotation, or publication. Contact Special Collections, University of Washington Libraries for details.
Administrative Information
Return to TopDetailed Description of the Collection
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Description: Beulah May Taft Godfrey and newborn daughter Loyal Taft Godfrey
According to Loyal's son Kenneth Ward, "My grandmother, Beulah May Taft, set up her camera in a room where she would give birth to her second child. The picture was taken within 15 minutes of the birth of my mother Loyal Taft Niedergesaess. On that day a General Mobilization was announced by Russia, Germany and Austria-Hungary. My grandmother wanted anti-German Seattle to know that the child of Otto Christian Niedergesaess was born to a patriotic family. The child, my mother, would be known as "Loyal T"."
Dates: July 31, 1914Container: Box/Folder 1, Item 1 -
Container: Box/Folder 1, Item 2
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Description: Group of children dressed in kimonos
Written on sleeve: Bill Taft's gift of kimonos to all the cousins.
Dates: circa 1916Container: Box/Folder 1, Item 3 -
Description: Group portrait of family membersDates: circa 1917Container: Box/Folder 1, Item 4
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Description: Grandma Sarah Gurley Taft and her sisters from Texas (Ada and Elizabeth?) showing Loyal how to knitDates: circa 1917Container: Box/Folder 1, Item 5
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Description: Children on a beach with boatYankee IIin backgroundDates: circa 1918Container: Box/Folder 1, Item 6
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Description: People standing on the deck ofYankee IIDates: circa 1918Container: Box/Folder 1, Item 7
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Dates: circa 1919Container: Box/Folder 1, Item 8
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Dates: circa 1919Container: Box/Folder 1, Item 9
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Description: Loyal Taft Niedergesaess as little girlDates: undatedContainer: Box/Folder 1, Item 10
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Description: Loyal's cats in a basketDates: undatedContainer: Box/Folder 1, Item 11
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Description: Two children in a boatDates: undatedContainer: Box/Folder 1, Item 12
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Dates: undatedContainer: Box/Folder 1, Item 13
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Description: Woman (possibly a nurse) and child near a bushDates: undatedContainer: Box/Folder 1, Item 14
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Description: Two children in living room (possibly Loyal with older sister Carol in chair) in front of a fireplaceDates: undatedContainer: Box/Folder 1, Item 15
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Dates: undatedContainer: Box/Folder 1, Item 16
Names and SubjectsReturn to Top
Subject Terms
- Visual Materials Collections (University of Washington)
Family Names
- Taft family--Photographs
