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This is a finding aid. It is a description of archival material held in the Wilson Library at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Unless otherwise noted, the materials described below are physically available in our reading room, and not digitally available through the World Wide Web. See the Duplication Policy section for more information.
Size | 2.0 feet of linear shelf space (approximately 68 items) |
Abstract | John H. Tarbell (1849-1929) was a white photographer who operated a studio in Asheville, N.C., between 1896 and 1901. Originally from Massachusetts, Tarbell returned to New England around 1902 and remained there until his death in 1929. The collection includes 68 images taken by John H. Tarbell between 1897 and 1907 (bulk 1897-1901). A majority of the images are believed to have been be taken in Asheville, N.C., and surrounding areas. Images include the Biltmore Estate, which at that time was the private residence of George Vanderbilt, and people and residences believed to be in the vicinity of Asheville, N.C. Tarbell's images depicting African Americans in the southern parts of the United States were widely published during the early part of the twentieth century and appeared in publications including Cosmopolitan and New England Magazine; however, the collection contains none of those published images and only one image of an African American woman who may be Ms. "Aunt" Betsy Washington, whom Tarbell photographed/interviewed for an article in New England Magazine. |
Creator | Tarbell, John H., 1849-1929. |
Curatorial Unit | University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Library. North Carolina Collection Photographic Archives. |
Language | English |
The following terms from Library of Congress Subject Headings suggest topics, persons, geography, etc. interspersed through the entire collection; the terms do not usually represent discrete and easily identifiable portions of the collection--such as folders or items.
Clicking on a subject heading below will take you into the University Library's online catalog.
John H. Tarbell was born in 1849 in Groton, Mass. He was an active photographer between 1896 and 1908, with a studio in Asheville, N.C., between the years 1896 and 1901. Originally from Massachusetts, he returned to New England around 1902 and remained there until his death in 1929. Tarbell stopped taking photographs in or around 1908. Tarbell's images depicting African Americans in the southern parts of the United States were widely published during the early part of the twentieth century and appeared in publications including Cosmopolitan and New England magazine (Boston, Mass.: 1887). A selection of Tarbell's work is held at the United States Library of Congress.
Back to TopThe collection includes images depicting people and places believed to be in the vicinity of Asheville, N.C., between the years 1896 and 1908. The only images that have been identified depict areas in the vicinity of Asheville and include the Biltmore Estate. None of the individuals in the collection are identified. Tarbell's images depicting African Americans in the southern parts of the United States were widely published during the early part of the twentieth century and appeared in publications including Cosmopolitan and New England Magazine; however, the collection contains none of those published images and only one image of an African American woman who may be Ms. "Aunt" Betsy Washington, whom Tarbell photographed/interviewed for an article in New England magazine.
Back to TopPortraits made in the studio and in the field of unidentified individuals believed to have been taken in Asheville, N.C., and its vicinity; New York; and Massachusetts.
Images depict places and scenes located in the vicinity of Asheville, N.C. Some of the images may depict New York and Massachusetts locations.
Processed by: Patrick Cullom, 2013
Encoded by: Patrick Cullom, 2013
Updated by Patrick Cullom, 2019
Since August 2017, we have added ethnic and racial identities for individuals and families represented in collections. To determine identity, we rely on self-identification; other information supplied to the repository by collection creators or sources; public records, press accounts, and secondary sources; and contextual information in the collection materials. Omissions of ethnic and racial identities in finding aids created or updated after August 2017 are an indication of insufficient information to make an educated guess or an individual's preference for identity information to be excluded from description. When we have misidentified, please let us know at wilsonlibrary@unc.edu.
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