Chet Gebert Photograph Collection
Collection
Identifier: Photo 2212
Scope and Content
In the Chet Gebert Photograph Collection, you will see photographs he had taken as a news photographer/writer for the Fargo Forum from 1955-1979 as well as pictures he collected over the years that he had found interesting. The photography collection begins in 1955, a year after Chet started working for the Fargo Forum. In this collection you will find that some of the photographs Chet had taken are cross referenced with the specific story or article related to that photograph. They are referenced by the specific collection number, box number and folder number found in the Finding Aid.
The photography collection contains 8x10 and 11x14 black and white prints, 135mm, 120mm, and 4x5 black and white negatives. Some of the prints have been scanned and photocopied due to deterioration from improper processing. In this case, the digital ID number is written on the copy to help locate the scan on the archive’s server.
The photograph collection is broken down into five series: Working Prints, Collected Prints, Working Negatives, Personal Negatives, and Oversize Prints. Each series is organized in chronological order.
The Working Print Series contains prints from the photography assignments Chet was given while working at the Fargo Forum. They feature local, state and national politicians, local Fargo residents, disasters such as the 1957 tornado, 1969 Fargo flood, and a number of motor vehicle accidents. The most notable of these prints were taken on June 20, 1957 of the Fargo tornado which Chet and others at the Fargo Forum received the prestigious Pulitzer Prize for the documentation of the tornado and its aftermath.
Chet also shot photographs for investigative stories and human-interest articles such as the Mystery Metal Spheres, sailing on the Anne Fritz, and flying on an Air National Guard refueling tanker. These specific photographs have been cross referenced with their stories or articles and referenced by the specific collection number, box number and folder number found in the Finding Aid.
The Collected Print Series are personal interest pictures he kept such as a Painted Bison Sculpture, early exploratory map of North Dakota and Minnesota, astronaut Tony England, Ben Abruzzo’s Helium Balloon Landing in North Dakota, and the Q. Burdick Farm taken in 1917 which is not a photographic print but a copy from a book or magazine.
The Working Negative Series contains negatives from 1955-1979 during the time Chet worked at the Fargo Forum. The majority of these negatives were found in uncut strips and stored in twelve separate metal film canisters. The canisters were labeled: Etc. 1962, 1963 Vacation, Sept-Oct ’63, Nov-Dec ’63, Many etc. ’63-’65, North Bridge, Las Vegas 1964 and NDANG Jet Flight, 1st Aid Pix Page, Church, Chet, Tornado Mrs. S in Mpls, etc Incl Axts. The film strips were cut and sleeved and organized in original order.
The Personal Negatives Series contains negatives from his vacation trips to New York City, Washington D.C., Gettysburg, Penn., and Lobster Fishing.
The Oversize Print Series contains prints of Sen. Quinten Burdick and Rep. Coya Knutson, prints of the 1957 tornado and the aftermath, John Mueller Fargo Blacksmith, aerial views of Fargo and West Fargo, and an aerial view of student demonstrations on two Fargo Moorhead bridges.
The photography collection contains 8x10 and 11x14 black and white prints, 135mm, 120mm, and 4x5 black and white negatives. Some of the prints have been scanned and photocopied due to deterioration from improper processing. In this case, the digital ID number is written on the copy to help locate the scan on the archive’s server.
The photograph collection is broken down into five series: Working Prints, Collected Prints, Working Negatives, Personal Negatives, and Oversize Prints. Each series is organized in chronological order.
The Working Print Series contains prints from the photography assignments Chet was given while working at the Fargo Forum. They feature local, state and national politicians, local Fargo residents, disasters such as the 1957 tornado, 1969 Fargo flood, and a number of motor vehicle accidents. The most notable of these prints were taken on June 20, 1957 of the Fargo tornado which Chet and others at the Fargo Forum received the prestigious Pulitzer Prize for the documentation of the tornado and its aftermath.
Chet also shot photographs for investigative stories and human-interest articles such as the Mystery Metal Spheres, sailing on the Anne Fritz, and flying on an Air National Guard refueling tanker. These specific photographs have been cross referenced with their stories or articles and referenced by the specific collection number, box number and folder number found in the Finding Aid.
The Collected Print Series are personal interest pictures he kept such as a Painted Bison Sculpture, early exploratory map of North Dakota and Minnesota, astronaut Tony England, Ben Abruzzo’s Helium Balloon Landing in North Dakota, and the Q. Burdick Farm taken in 1917 which is not a photographic print but a copy from a book or magazine.
The Working Negative Series contains negatives from 1955-1979 during the time Chet worked at the Fargo Forum. The majority of these negatives were found in uncut strips and stored in twelve separate metal film canisters. The canisters were labeled: Etc. 1962, 1963 Vacation, Sept-Oct ’63, Nov-Dec ’63, Many etc. ’63-’65, North Bridge, Las Vegas 1964 and NDANG Jet Flight, 1st Aid Pix Page, Church, Chet, Tornado Mrs. S in Mpls, etc Incl Axts. The film strips were cut and sleeved and organized in original order.
The Personal Negatives Series contains negatives from his vacation trips to New York City, Washington D.C., Gettysburg, Penn., and Lobster Fishing.
The Oversize Print Series contains prints of Sen. Quinten Burdick and Rep. Coya Knutson, prints of the 1957 tornado and the aftermath, John Mueller Fargo Blacksmith, aerial views of Fargo and West Fargo, and an aerial view of student demonstrations on two Fargo Moorhead bridges.
Dates
- 1955-1979
Access
The collection is open under the rules and regulations of the NDSU Archives.
Copyrights
The NDSU Archives owns the copyright to the images in this collection.
Biography
Chet Gebert was born in Princeton, Minnesota on August 11, 1927. He was the youngest child of William and Ida (Noeske) Gebert. Though Chet loved traveling around the world after raising his family, he lived and worked most of his life within 250 miles of his hometown. In 1950 Chet graduated from the University Of Minnesota School Of Journalism. After marrying that same year he and his new wife, Violet (Kallman) moved to New Ulm, Minnesota where he began his journalism career with the news staff of the New Ulm Journal. Four years later Chet accepted a new assignment as the reporter/photographer for the Fargo Forum where he worked for 37 years.
In those early years working at the Forum, Chet covered many events, wrote many stories and produced many photographs but on June 20, 1957 Chet would document one of the worst weather disasters Fargo had seen, the Fargo tornado. From those photographs Chet won the coveted Graflex Grand Prize for his series of photographs documenting the tornado and its aftermath. Chet, along with other Fargo Forum staff also were awarded a Pulitzer Prize for the paper’s coverage of that disastrous event.
Chet would go on to report and photograph many local, state and national political figures, the 1969 Fargo flood along with many other stories. From 1955 to 1969 Chet would write a series of columns called “Column Eight”. These columns were human interest stories about local people, local topics. Stories you would not read about on the front page of the paper. Because of Chet’s inquisitive interest in people and love of travel he would write a number of investigative stories such as the journey of the replica Viking ship, the Hjemkomst, sailing on the boat Anne Fritz, or flying on an Air National Guard refueling tanker.
Chet was passionate about the 1000 year old round geological formations found at the bottom of the Rum River near his family’s farm and was overjoyed when the Mille Lacs County Historical Society added those formations to their collection in 2012 one year before his death.
Many people remember and comment about Chet’s storytelling, meeting new people, his love of travel, his generosity, and his strong loyalty to friends, old and new. Chester A. Gebert passed away on December 7, 2013.
In those early years working at the Forum, Chet covered many events, wrote many stories and produced many photographs but on June 20, 1957 Chet would document one of the worst weather disasters Fargo had seen, the Fargo tornado. From those photographs Chet won the coveted Graflex Grand Prize for his series of photographs documenting the tornado and its aftermath. Chet, along with other Fargo Forum staff also were awarded a Pulitzer Prize for the paper’s coverage of that disastrous event.
Chet would go on to report and photograph many local, state and national political figures, the 1969 Fargo flood along with many other stories. From 1955 to 1969 Chet would write a series of columns called “Column Eight”. These columns were human interest stories about local people, local topics. Stories you would not read about on the front page of the paper. Because of Chet’s inquisitive interest in people and love of travel he would write a number of investigative stories such as the journey of the replica Viking ship, the Hjemkomst, sailing on the boat Anne Fritz, or flying on an Air National Guard refueling tanker.
Chet was passionate about the 1000 year old round geological formations found at the bottom of the Rum River near his family’s farm and was overjoyed when the Mille Lacs County Historical Society added those formations to their collection in 2012 one year before his death.
Many people remember and comment about Chet’s storytelling, meeting new people, his love of travel, his generosity, and his strong loyalty to friends, old and new. Chester A. Gebert passed away on December 7, 2013.
Extent
254 Photographic Prints
2484 Photographic Negatives
Language of Materials
English
Abstract
The Chet Gebert Photograph Collection, contains images he took as a news photographer and writer for the Fargo Forum from 1955-1979 as well as pictures he collected over the years that he had found interesting.
Provenance
Donated by Chet Gebert, 2012 and 2013 (Acc. 3016 & 2013-019irs)
Separated Materials
Manuscript materials processed seperately as Mss 3121.
Property rights
The NDSU Archives owns the property rights to this collection.
- Title
- Finding Aid to the Chet Gebert Photograph Collection
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
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