Various Locations

Series — Box: 3

Staff Only

Scope and Contents

From the Collection: The Special Collections department of the University of Utah, Marriott Library received the photographs of Earl Douglass from his son, Gawin E. Douglass in February 1976. Earl Douglass made significant contributions to the fields of palenotology and geology. However, his most significant legacy was his discovery and work on what eventually became Dinosaur National Monument.

Douglas acquired an active interest in photography in 1909; consequently, most of the photographs in this collection were taken after that date. The collection contains numerous photographs of Douglass, his wife, Pearl, son, Gawin, sister, Nettie, and many other family members. Box two contains photographs of persons who were unidentified.

The bulk of this collection is comprised of photographs documenting the excavation of the area which is now Dinosaur National Monument. Every stage of work is illustrated including the chiseling of the bones from the rock, preparing them for shipment, and freighting them by team to the Uinta Railway for shipment to the Carnegie Museum in Pittsburgh. Also, there are photographs documenting the arrival and exhibition of some of the dinosaur bones at the University of Utah in 1928.

A section of the photographs focus on the lives and history of the people of Vernal, Utah and northeastern Utah between 1909-1929. For example, Douglass took photographs of the Uinta Railway, scenery in and around Vernal, "Days of '47" celebrations, oil and gilsonite prospects, and rock formations in northeastern Utah.

The 1988 addendum photographs were donated by Gawin Douglass on his visit to the Manuscripts Division in the Summer of 1988. The photos were to illustrate his unpublished manuscript entitled "From the Diaries of Earl Douglass: Discoverer of Dinosaur National Monument." This manuscript can be found in the Douglass Papers, MS 196, Box 8. While here, Mr. Douglass was also kind enough to supply more specific and in some cases the only identification to the original photograph collection, which he wrote on the back of the photos.

Dates

1897-1929

Conditions Governing Access

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.