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Ralph and Elizabeth Watson slide collection, 1959

Overview of the Collection

Creator
Watson, Ralph
Title
Ralph and Elizabeth Watson slide collection
Dates
1959
Quantity
0.2 linear feet, (1 archive box)  :  34 color slides
Collection Number
P1851
Summary
The Ralph and Elizabeth Watson slide collection consists of 34 color slides of Glen Canyon and the Escalante River taken by the Watsons during a 1959 trip. The Watsons traveled to the canyon from their home in southern California to view it before it was flooded in the creation of the Powell Reservoir.
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
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Historical Note

Ralph and Elizabeth Watson were a married couple who lived in southern California, where Ralph Watson worked as a dentist. According to their family, Ralph Watson, a dentist, became aware of Glen Canyon and the Colorado River while providing dental care to Indigenous people through a Rotary program. The Watsons took a trip to Glen Canyon in 1959.

Glen Canyon is a 169.6-mile canyon on the Colorado River located primarily in southern Utah and northern Arizona. In the 1950s, plans for a hydroelectric dam on the Colorado River were initiated, causing numerous environmental groups to rally in protection of various canyons along the Colorado River watershed. Beginning in 1963, Glen Canyon and its 125 side canyons were flooded as the Powell Reservoir was created over a period of 17 years. The flooding of Glen Canyon was a seminal event in the life of many American environmentalists, from David Brower of the Sierra Club to author Edward Abbey.

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Content Description

The Ralph and Elizabeth Watson slide collection consists of 34 35mm color slide transparencies of a Glen Canyon River trip and Escalante River taken by Ralph and Elizabeth Watson in 1959. Locations are noted on the slide casings by Elizabeth Watson and include Smith Fork, Forgotten Canyon, Music Temple, Hole in the Rock, Lake Canyon, Moki house, Hidden Passage, Ticaboo, Hite, and other canyon photos.

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Use of the Collection

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.

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Administrative Information

Arrangement

Arranged by subject.

Acquisition Information

Donated by Kay Ogden, Frank and Cecilia Watson in 2013.

Processing Note

Processed by Special Collections staff.

Related Materials

This collection forms part of the River Running Archive, which is part of the S.J. Quinney Outdoor Recreation Archive.

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Detailed Description of the Collection

  • Description: Smith Fork, Glen Canyon
    Container: Box 1, Folder 1
  • Description: Forgotten Canyon, Music Temple, Hole-in-the-Rock
    Container: Box 1, Folder 2
  • Description: Lake Canyon, Moki house, Glen Canyon
    Container: Box 1, Folder 3
  • Description: Hidden Passage, Ticaboo, Hite, and other Glen Canyon
    Container: Box 1, Folder 4
  • Description: Escalante
    Container: Box 1, Folder 5

Names and SubjectsReturn to Top

Subject Terms

  • Rivers--West (U.S.)--Recreational use

Geographical Names

  • Escalante River (Utah)
  • Glen Canyon (Utah and Ariz.)

Form or Genre Terms

  • Color slides
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