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Carlos Hall Elmer Photographs circa 1938-1988

CP SPC 214

Biographical Note

Carlos Hall Elmer, son of Charles Percival and Dorothy Winslow (Hall) Elmer, was born on July 22, 1920 in Washington, D.C. He took his baccalaureate at UCLA in 1947 and served as a civilian employee of the United States Navy at the United States Naval Ordnance Test Station (now the United States Naval Weapons Center) in China Lake, California, from 1947 to 1957. He was a instrumentation salesman from 1957 to 1972.

Elmer began making travel photographs in 1940, working in China Lake, California, and in Scottsdale and Kingman, Arizona. He was chairman of the Ninth International Conference on High Speed Photography in Denver, Colorado in 1970. Elmer is also a Fellow in the Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers, a member of the Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers, and a member of the American Society of Magazine Photographers.

Elmer has worked as an author and photographer for Arizona Highways magazine and other publications since 1940. In 1967 he published his first book, Carlos Elmer's Arizona, and is the author of eight additional books on Arizona and the Southwest.

Elmer married Wilma Virginia Hudson (1920-1986) in 1943 and the couple had two children, Frank Hudson and Elizabeth Anne. Frank has worked with his father in the photography business. Carlos Elmer died on May 22, 1993.

Scope and Content Note

The Carlos H. Elmer Photographs consist principally of work created by Elmer during his career as a commercial photographer in Arizona. The collection also contains a small amount of work by other photographers acquired by Elmer.

Elmer's emphasis has been in photographing scenic views. A great deal of the material is from Arizona and many images have been reproduced in Arizona Highways. The Elmer Photographs also include images from other portions of the United States and from many other nations. The collection consists of 35mm, 6x7cm, 6x9cm, 2x3", 4x5", and 2x7" panorama photographs, principally negatives and transparencies; the collection also contains prints of many of these images.

Arrangement

Restrictions

Access Restrictions

Some images may be refrigerated to prevent deterioration and are available to patrons only by appointment.

To view this collection, make an appointment at least five business days prior to your visit by contacting Ask an Archivist or calling (480) 965-4932. Appointments in the Wurzburger Reading Room at Hayden Library (rm. 138) on the Tempe campus are available Monday through Friday. Check the ASU Library Hours page for current availability.

Copyright

The Arizona Board of Regents retains copyright to this collection for and on behalf of the Arizona State University Library. Requests to publish, display, or redistribute information from this collection must be submitted via our online application.

Access Terms

Preservation Note

Many of Elmer's photographs were made on Ektachrome film and show significant color shift towards the magenta. Some images may be refrigerated to prevent further deterioration; these images are available to patrons only by appointment.

It is possible to digitize individual images and correct the color shift by computer, although the accuracy of the restored color cannot be guaranteed. The Department does not offer this service, but will work with patrons who require it.

Administrative Information

Alternative Form Available

Some photographs from this collection have been individually cataloged in ASU's Special Materials Index. These photos can be found by searching the index for "Elmer, Carlos."

Preferred Citation

[Identification of item], Carlos Hall Elmer Photographs, CP SPC 214, Arizona State University Library.

Provenance

Mr. Carlos Elmer, Mrs. Wilma Elmer, and Ms. Mary Lou Moore donated these photographs in multiple accessions between 1992 and 1996.

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