Content Description
Artwork, photographs, and other papers created by M. James Slack and collected by John R. Beeder, circa 1882-2007. A portion of the material relates to Slack's work documenting Acoma Pueblo in New Mexico as part of the Historic American Buildings Survey in 1934.
Included in the collection are Slack's diary for 1937, correspondence (primarily to Rosamond F. Slack as Curator at Fort Garland), and newspaper clippings (primarily relating to Fort Garland).
Included in the collection are Slack's diary for 1937, correspondence (primarily to Rosamond F. Slack as Curator at Fort Garland), and newspaper clippings (primarily relating to Fort Garland).
Dates
- circa 1882-2007
Creator
Conditions Governing Access
This collection is open for research.
Conditions Governing Use
The M. James Slack Papers is the physical property of the Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library, Yale University. Literary rights, including copyright, belong to the authors or their legal heirs and assigns. For further information, consult the appropriate curator.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
From the estate of John R. Beeder. Purchased from Walkabout Books on the Frederick W. and Carrie S. Beinecke Fund for Western Americana, 2016. Slack family tree and portrait of M. James Slack gift of Amy Beeder, 2016 December.
Arrangement
Organized into two series: I. Materials Relating to Acoma Pueblo and the Historic American Buildings Survey, 1934-2007. II. Other Materials, circa 1882-1975.
Extent
3.09 Linear Feet (6 boxes)
Language of Materials
English
Catalog Record
A record for this collection is available in Orbis, the Yale University Library catalog
Persistent URL
Overview
Artwork, photographs, and other papers created by M. James Slack and collected by John R. Beeder, circa 1882-2007. A portion of the material relates to Slack's work documenting Acoma Pueblo in New Mexico as part of the Historic American Buildings Survey in 1934.
Included in the collection are Slack's diary for 1937, correspondence (primarily to Rosamond F. Slack as Curator at Fort Garland), and newspaper clippings (primarily relating to Fort Garland).
Included in the collection are Slack's diary for 1937, correspondence (primarily to Rosamond F. Slack as Curator at Fort Garland), and newspaper clippings (primarily relating to Fort Garland).
M. James Slack
M. James Slack (1894-1951) of Denver, Colorado, attended Denver public schools and Manual Training Technical High School before studying art, architecture, and design at the Denver Atelier under architect Burnham Hoyt. He worked as a draftsman for Robert K. Fuller until 1934, when he was hired as a staff photographer on the Historic American Buildings Survey, a project established by the United States National Park Service during the Great Depression. Slack was involved in the work documenting the Acoma Pueblo in New Mexico, specifically.
In 1937, he married Rosamond F. Slack (1910-1989), with whom he had one child. The family lived in Las Cruces, New Mexico, in the 1940s, and ran the El Rio Lindo Curio Shop. In 1950, James Slack was appointed Curator of the grounds and new museum at Fort Garland, Colorado. Following his death from heart disease, Rosamond Slack was appointed Curator (a position she held until she remarried in 1954).
In 1937, he married Rosamond F. Slack (1910-1989), with whom he had one child. The family lived in Las Cruces, New Mexico, in the 1940s, and ran the El Rio Lindo Curio Shop. In 1950, James Slack was appointed Curator of the grounds and new museum at Fort Garland, Colorado. Following his death from heart disease, Rosamond Slack was appointed Curator (a position she held until she remarried in 1954).
John R. Beeder
John R. Beeder (1932-2015), mining geologist and collector and dealer in Southwestern art and antiques, intended to publish a book on M. James Slack's efforts at Acoma Pueblo in New Mexico, making use of Slack's photographs and unpublished article on the pueblo submitted to National Geographic.
Processing Information
Collections are processed to a variety of levels, depending on the work necessary to make them usable, their perceived research value, the availability of staff, competing priorities, and whether or not further accruals are expected. The library attempts to provide a basic level of preservation and access for all collections, and does more extensive processing of higher priority collections as time and resources permit.
These materials have been arranged and described according to national and local standards. For more information, please refer to the Beinecke Manuscript Unit Processing Manual.
These materials have been arranged and described according to national and local standards. For more information, please refer to the Beinecke Manuscript Unit Processing Manual.
- Acoma (N.M.) -- Pictorial works
- Acoma Indians -- New Mexico -- Pictorial works
- Acoma Pueblo (N.M.) -- Pictorial works
- Acoma architecture -- New Mexico -- Pictorial works
- Fort Garland (Colo.)
- Historic American Buildings Survey
- Indians of North America -- New Mexico -- Pictorial works
- Indians of North America -- Portraits
- New Mexico -- Pictorial works
- Photographs
- Surveys -- New Mexico
- Title
- Guide to the M. James Slack Papers
- Status
- Completed
- Author
- Sarah Lerner
- Date
- June 2021
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description note
- Finding aid written in English.
Part of the Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library Repository
Location
121 Wall Street
New Haven, CT 06511
Opening Hours
Access Information
The Beinecke Library is open to all Yale University students and faculty, and visiting researchers whose work requires use of its special collections. You will need to bring appropriate photo ID the first time you register. Beinecke is a non-circulating, closed stack library. Paging is done by library staff during business hours. You can request collection material online at least two business days in advance of your visit, using the request links in Archives at Yale. For more information, please see Planning Your Research Visit and consult the Reading Room Policies prior to visiting the library.