Field full of bales
File — Box: 9, Folder: A261
Scope and Content
From the Collection:
The David Anderson Photograph Collection was left in Fargo when he moved from the city
some time shortly after 1945. He gave the collection to the Fargo Chamber of Commerce. In the
fall of 1951 the collection was donated to the Institute for Regional Studies by the Chamber (Fargo
Forum, Oct. 25, 1951) In 1972, Institute staff member Gary Hedstrom identified the negatives as
best as possible. In 1982-1983 the collection was fully processed, with the prints and negatives
organized and placed in acid-free sleeves and boxes. Additional identifying information also was
incorporated into the finding aid. The lantern slides of the Fargo College Library dedication in
1910 were thought part of the collection when processed. It later was determined that they were
donated by Mrs. Edger M. Shaw of East Cleveland, Ohio in 1968. These lantern slides have been
retained as part of the lantern slides series. The Anderson Collection is organized into three series:
Photographic prints, Negatives and Lantern Slides.
David Anderson was an accomplished photographer and his abilities are reflected in the quality of the images in the collection. There is a broad range of topics and geographic areas represented in the collection. Fargo is perhaps represented the most, especially as they relate to businesses in the city. It seems he photographed many grand openings or newly opened businesses. Other notable photographs include documenting the funeral of aviator Carl Ben Eielson at Hatton, N.D. the visit of Norwegian Crown Prince Olav to Fargo, the building of the 1930s Federal Building in Fargo, German prisoners of war on the Peterson farm of Moorhead, Minnesota, and an extensive series of images related to the North Dakota Agricultural College.
The Photographic Prints Series are organized topically with the files arranged alphabetically. All Fargo photographs have been further subdivided. Some of the prints in this series are reproduced from the negative series and placed in the print series. Most of the original prints are 8 x 10 in., while the prints made from the negatives reflect the size of the original negatives.
The Negative Series comprises the largest portion of the Anderson Collection, consisting of 1,265 items. For very few, have prints been made. Access in this finding aid to the negatives is through the Topical Index created by the Institute staff. The negatives are physically organized by size and type (glass or plastic) with a letter assigned for each type. They are:
A - 4x5 plastic negatives (422 negatives); J - 8x10 glass negatives (38 negatives); K - 5x7 glass negatives (74 negatives); L - 5x7 plastic negatives (313 negatives); M - 4x5 glass negatives (21 negatives); P - 8x10 plastic negatives (291 negatives)
The Lantern Slides Series consists of 97 glass slides. There is some question whether most of the slides were ever part of the Anderson collection, but they were found with the Anderson negatives when processing was done. Thus they have been retained with the collection. The collection includes 31 slides (SL 1-31) of the Fargo Water Filtration Plant that were done by Dewey’s Studio of Fargo. SL 32-62 are images taken on the North Dakota Agricultural College campus including of buildings, groups and the construction of the Alba Bales House. The lantern slides (SL 63-70) document the laying the cornerstone of the Fargo College Library in 1910, with former President Theodore Roosevelt the speaker. The remainder of the slides include images related to growing corn in North Dakota and quite a number related to apiaries in the state.
Topical access is through the Negative and Lantern Slide Index. This index to the negatives and lantern slides was developed by the Institute staff and organized into broad subject and geographic categories. The Fargo and North Dakota Agricultural College (NDSU) sections have been subdivided extensively
David Anderson was an accomplished photographer and his abilities are reflected in the quality of the images in the collection. There is a broad range of topics and geographic areas represented in the collection. Fargo is perhaps represented the most, especially as they relate to businesses in the city. It seems he photographed many grand openings or newly opened businesses. Other notable photographs include documenting the funeral of aviator Carl Ben Eielson at Hatton, N.D. the visit of Norwegian Crown Prince Olav to Fargo, the building of the 1930s Federal Building in Fargo, German prisoners of war on the Peterson farm of Moorhead, Minnesota, and an extensive series of images related to the North Dakota Agricultural College.
The Photographic Prints Series are organized topically with the files arranged alphabetically. All Fargo photographs have been further subdivided. Some of the prints in this series are reproduced from the negative series and placed in the print series. Most of the original prints are 8 x 10 in., while the prints made from the negatives reflect the size of the original negatives.
The Negative Series comprises the largest portion of the Anderson Collection, consisting of 1,265 items. For very few, have prints been made. Access in this finding aid to the negatives is through the Topical Index created by the Institute staff. The negatives are physically organized by size and type (glass or plastic) with a letter assigned for each type. They are:
A - 4x5 plastic negatives (422 negatives); J - 8x10 glass negatives (38 negatives); K - 5x7 glass negatives (74 negatives); L - 5x7 plastic negatives (313 negatives); M - 4x5 glass negatives (21 negatives); P - 8x10 plastic negatives (291 negatives)
The Lantern Slides Series consists of 97 glass slides. There is some question whether most of the slides were ever part of the Anderson collection, but they were found with the Anderson negatives when processing was done. Thus they have been retained with the collection. The collection includes 31 slides (SL 1-31) of the Fargo Water Filtration Plant that were done by Dewey’s Studio of Fargo. SL 32-62 are images taken on the North Dakota Agricultural College campus including of buildings, groups and the construction of the Alba Bales House. The lantern slides (SL 63-70) document the laying the cornerstone of the Fargo College Library in 1910, with former President Theodore Roosevelt the speaker. The remainder of the slides include images related to growing corn in North Dakota and quite a number related to apiaries in the state.
Topical access is through the Negative and Lantern Slide Index. This index to the negatives and lantern slides was developed by the Institute staff and organized into broad subject and geographic categories. The Fargo and North Dakota Agricultural College (NDSU) sections have been subdivided extensively
Dates
- 1920s-1940s
Access
The collection is open under the rules and regulations of the NDSU Archives.
Extent
From the Collection: 441 Photographic Prints (441 photographic prints.)
From the Collection: 1168 Photographic Negatives (1,168 negatives.)
From the Collection: 97 Photographic Slides (97 lantern slides.)
Language of Materials
From the Collection: English
Creator
- From the Collection: Anderson, David, 1883-1962. (Person)
Repository Details
Part of the Institute for Regional Studies Repository
Contact:
West Building N
3551 7th Avenue North
Fargo North Dakota 58102 United States
ndsu.archives@ndsu.edu
West Building N
3551 7th Avenue North
Fargo North Dakota 58102 United States
ndsu.archives@ndsu.edu