Archives West Finding Aid
Table of Contents
Jack Sears papers, 1897-1977
Overview of the Collection
- Creator
- Sears, Jack (John Septimus) (1875-1969)
- Title
- Jack Sears papers
- Dates
- 1897-1977 (inclusive)18971977
2002 - Quantity
- 36 linear feet
- Collection Number
- ACCN 1245
- Summary
- The Jack Sears papers (1897-1977, 2002) consist mainly of drawings and printing blocks by John Septimus "Jack" Sears (1875-1969). Sears was well-known as a "joke-drawing" artist and took newspaper jobs with Utah's Salt Lake Tribune and Deseret News, as well as other papers. He wrote and illustrated several books and was an art instructor at the University of Utah for many years.
- Repository
-
University of Utah Libraries, Special Collections
Special Collections, J. Willard Marriott Library
University of Utah
295 South 1500 East
Salt Lake City, UT
84112-0860
Telephone: 8015818863
special@library.utah.edu - Access Restrictions
-
Twenty-four hour advanced notice encouraged. Materials must be used on-site. Access to parts of this Collection may be restricted under provisions of state or federal law.
- Languages
- English
Historical NoteReturn to Top
John Septimus "Jack" Sears (1875-1969) was well-known as a "joke-drawing" artist and took newspaper jobs with Utah's Salt Lake Tribune and Deseret News, as well as other papers. He wrote and illustrated several books and was an art instructor at the University of Utah for many years.
Content DescriptionReturn to Top
The Jack Sears papers (1897-1977, 2002) consist mainly of drawings and printing blocks by John Septimus "Jack" Sears (1875-1969), an artist, author, and educator. Included are a colored pencil drawing entitled "Silver Moon," a presumably self-portrait of the artist, and several series of cartoon drawings meant to be flipped through to create an illusion of motion. Correspondence from Sears and others, a scrapbook, some clay busts, large-scale drawings, and Grandma Betty's Kiddie Rhymes and Stories, are also included.
Use of the CollectionReturn to Top
Restrictions on Use
The library does not claim to control copyright for all materials in the collection. An individual depicted in a reproduction has privacy rights as outlined in Title 45 CFR, part 46 (Protection of Human Subjects). For further information, please review the J. Willard Marriott Library's Use Agreement and Reproduction Request forms.
Preferred Citation
Collection Name, Collection Number, Box Number, Folder Number. Special Collections, J. Willard Marriott Library, The University of Utah.
Administrative InformationReturn to Top
Acquisition Information
Donated by Rhoda and Charles Thomas, "Silver Moon", 1991.
Donated by Bob and Peggy Sears, cartoon, 2002.
Donated by Laurence Bond, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007.
Donated by Max T. Sabour, 2005.
Donated by Ralph Bailey, 2005.
Donated by Douglas Neilson, 2006, 2007.
Donated by Lyndon W. Cook, 2005, 2006, 2007.
Donated by Jack W. Sears, Mary Jane Blaylock, and Sally Sears, 2005.
Donated by Grant S. Bailey, 2006.
Donated by Stan Larson, 2007.
Donated by Matt Lovelady and John Bonette, 2007.
Donated by Larry Bond, 2008.
Box 37 donated by Ron Fox in 2016.
Box 38, folder 1 was purchased from The Fox Group, Inc. in 2017. Box 38, folders 2-4 were purchased from The Fox Group, Inc. in 2017. Oversize box 39 was purchased from Goreham Collectibles in 2017.
Processing Note
Processed by Lisa DeMille in 2002.
Addendum processed by Betsey Welland in 2009.
Addendum processed by Betsey Welland in 2018.
Addendum processed by Betsey Welland in 2020. Addendum processed by Betsey Welland in 2024.
Detailed Description of the CollectionReturn to Top
Drawings and Personal MaterialsReturn to Top
| Container(s) | Description | Dates | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Box | |||
| 1 | Drawings
Includes "Silver Moon" and possible self-portrait.
|
1904 | |
| 2 | Drawings |
1940s | |
| 3 | Drawings |
||
| Folder | |||
| 4 | 1 | Letters
These letters include sketches by Sears.
|
1929-1967 |
| 4 | 2 | Artwork |
1910-1957 |
| 4 | 3 | Scrapbook
Drawings, correspondence, cards, family materials, and articles are included.
|
1898-1977 |
| 5 | 1 | Correspondence |
1932 |
| 5 | 2-6 | Drawings |
|
| 5 | 7 | Sketchbooks
These sketchbooks are labeled as nos. 2 and 3 and contain "animated ideas" by Sears.
|
|
Oversize MaterialsReturn to Top
| Container(s) | Description | Dates | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Box | |||
| 6 | Clay Busts |
||
| 7 | Clay Busts |
||
| 8 | Clay Busts |
||
| 9 | Clay Busts |
||
| 10 | Clay Busts |
||
| 11 | Busts |
||
| 12 | Drawings |
||
| 13 | Printing Blocks |
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| 14 | Printing Blocks |
||
| 15 | Printing Blocks |
||
| 16 | Printing Blocks |
||
| 17 | Printing Blocks
This box contains 12 blocks.
|
||
| 18 | Printing Blocks
This box contains 26 blocks.
|
||
| 19 | Printing Blocks
This box contains 20 blocks.
|
||
| 20 | Printing Blocks
This box contains 19 blocks.
|
||
| 21 | Printing Blocks
This box contains 15 blocks.
|
||
| 22 | Printing Blocks
This box contains 12 blocks.
|
||
| 23 | Printing Blocks
This box contains 8 blocks.
|
||
| 24 | Printing Blocks
This box contains 6 blocks.
|
||
| 25 | Drawings |
||
| Folder | |||
| 26 | 1-2 | Drawings |
1897-1958 |
| 26 | 3-5 | Printing Blocks
For the "Thunder Cave" stories.
|
1932 |
| 26 | 6-9 | Printing Plates
For the "Thunder Cave" stories.
|
1932 |
"Thunder Cave" MaterialsReturn to Top
| Container(s) | Description | Dates | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Box | Folder | ||
| 27 | 1 |
Grandma Betty's Kiddie Rhymes and Stories , Giant Wigwah Series
These contain sketches by Sears.
|
1924-1925 |
| 27 | 2 | Fan Letter Reproduction |
|
| 27 | 3-5 | Illustration Reproductions
Folder 3 contains some reproductions that may or may not pertain to the "Thunder Cave" stories.
|
|
| 27 | 6 | Story Drafts |
|
| 27 | 7 | Thunder Cave Corporation, Stock Certificates |
1931-1935 |
DrawingsReturn to Top
| Container(s) | Description | Dates | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Box | |||
| 28 | Drawings |
||
| Folder | |||
| 29 | 1 | Dogs Lying Down
Two large (14 in. x 15 1/2 in.) mounted drawings of dogs lying down.
|
|
| 29 | 2 | "Our Front Porch"
Large water color painting, 10 in. x 14 in.
|
|
| 29 | 3 | Nude Male Model (front) |
|
| 29 | 4 | Nude Male Model (back) |
|
| 29 | 5 | Nude Male Model (back) |
|
| 29 | 6 | Nude Male Model (front) |
|
| 29 | 7 | Nude Male Model (front) |
|
| 30 | 1 | Colored Crayon Drawing of Jackawee |
|
| 30 | 2 | Man Walking |
1909 |
| 30 | 3 | Boats, Sea, and Birds |
1921 |
| 30 | 4 | Cats, 2 Drawings |
|
| 30 | 5 | Miss Cleece |
|
| 30 | 6 | Mrs. Royle, Historian |
|
| 30 | 7 | Ray Brown |
1911 |
| 30 | 8 | Dogs, 8 Drawings, one drawn on an envelope postmarked 11 September 1930 |
circa 1930 |
Stories and CertificateReturn to Top
| Container(s) | Description | Dates | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Box | Box | ||
Grandma Betty's Kiddie Rhymes and Stories , Giant Wigwah Series |
1924-1925 | ||
Thunder Cave Corp., Stock Certificate |
1932 | ||
General MaterialsReturn to Top
| Container(s) | Description | Dates | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Box | |||
| 32 | Drawings |
||
| 33 | Drawings |
||
| 34 | Drawings |
||
| Folder | |||
| 35 | 1-2 | Copyright Correspondence and Documents
Mostly regarding the Thunder Cave Corporation and drawings.
|
1924-1933 |
| 35 | 3 |
Judge Magazine
One full magazine and excerpts from others.
|
1908-1911 |
| 35 | 4 | Thunder Cave Souvenir Illustrations |
|
| 36 | Cartoon Drawings |
||
| 37 | Wood Cut Printing Blocks by Sears and Thunder Cave |
||
| Folder | |||
| 38 | 1 | Sketch book |
|
| 38 | 2 | Correspondence |
1933-1950 |
| 38 | 3 | Ink drawing of woman |
|
| 38 | 4 | News clippings |
1950; 2002 |
| oversize-box | |||
| 39 | Framed ink illustration
This illustration was created for a promotional advertisement for Ben Day Knife and includes two characters from Thunder Cave.
|
||
Names and SubjectsReturn to Top
Subject Terms
- Artists--Utah
Form or Genre Terms
- Correspondence
- Drawings
- Scrapbooks
Finding aid prepared by Lisa DeMille.
2002 (last modified: 2018, 2019 and 2024)
