Photographs 1930-1960.

ArchivalResource

American Lutheran Church (1930-1960). Board of Foreign Missions. Photographs 1930-1960.

Photographs 1930-1960.

http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/758993401

This collection comprises approximately 2300 black and white photographs, several color photographs, and 283 negatives of missionary activities of the American Lutheran Church (ALC) in India during the 1930s-1960s. It is unknown through which activities or in what context these photographs were taken and retained. The photos are of various sizes. Most of the negatives are 2 1/2 x 3 1/2 inches. Subjects represented in this collection include: missionary communities, missionaries' families, missionary schools, hospital and leper communities, religious scenes, and scenes of everyday life in rural India. Most of the collection comprises candid photos, but there are some posed group photos of mission communities. The Education -- Adult Literacy folder contains 8 prints illustrations for use in instruction on not scratching and the use of the insecticide gamexane on clothing and beds. About half of the prints were labeled and organized in envelopes most likely by the donor. Those items were arranged by Archives staff according to the organizational scheme. Unorganized photos were either incorporated into the existing scheme or a new scheme was imposed on them. A few 8 1/2 x 11 inch color photographs have been interfiled with the bulk of the photos. The India - Missionary Portraits folder contains numbered half tones glued onto three-hole punched 8 1/2 x 11 inch paper. It is unclear what the numbers correspond to. Box 10 includes cloth addresses of welcome and loose photo album photos. A label on the album cover reads: "These general pic's give a general background for Indian missions. 1910. They were not taken by a missionary." A folder of cut proofs are also included in this box. Negatives are housed in folders with corresponding labels to the prints. Some negatives may have prints, but the prints are not stored with the negatives--they are incorporated into the subject folders. Many of the negatives and prints are numbered with a letter and number. These may have been assigned by the donor. There may be matches between the negatives and prints, but they are not foldered together. Box 9 contains 21 rolled 35mm film identified only as "Herb Schaefer negatives." Photos are arranged by subject.

10 boxes.

Evangelical Lutheran Church in America Library, ELCA Library