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Ryder Ridgway Photographs

 Collection
Identifier: CP SPC RR

Scope and Content Note

The Ryder Ridgway Photograph Collection contains 800 photographs, lantern slides, oversized images, and panoramas. The majority of the images show the economic and social development of Southeastern Arizona (primarily the Thatcher and Safford areas in Graham County, but also including Bisbee, Morenci, Clifton, and Superior).

Many of the photographs depict businesses, buildings, and street scenes. Other images show mining operations and railroads in these areas. Other subjects include San Carlos Apache Indians, the George Lobb family, the William H. Parks family, and hunting. A few items depict scenes in Alaska, Nevada, New Mexico, and California. The 800 photographs are mostly silver gelatin prints, but a few Cirkut panoramas are included.

Dates

  • Creation: 1862-1974
  • Creation: Majority of material found within 1875-1925

Language of Materials

Material in English

Access Restrictions

Reproductions from this collection may not be exhibited, published, or copied in any fashion without the advance written permission of the department. A fee may be charged for some forms of use. Reproductions from this collection may not be placed in another archive or repository without the written consent of the department.

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

Arizona State University does not own the copyright to this collection. We recognize that it is incumbent upon the researcher to procure permission to publish information from this collection from the owner of the copyright.

Biographical Note

William Ryder Ridgway, author and historian, was born to David Lawrence and Ella Young Ridgway in Safford, Arizona on May 11, 1909. He graduated from Safford High School in 1927 and was employed at the Young and Ridgway Store at Safford. Later he worked as an inspector at the Arizona Agricultural Inspection Station at San Jose on Arizona 70.

Ridgway was an avid historian and collector of historical records showing Graham County and Mormon history. He was a regular columnist in the Eastern Arizona Courier and contributed a number of articles to Arizona Highways Magazine, particularly the September 1968 issue. Ridgway was also a lecturer in history at Eastern Arizona College at Thatcher. He was a member of the Graham County Historical Society and the Church of Safford. Ryder Ridgway died in Safford on May 21, 1985.

Full extent

12 Box(es)

Full extent

800 Photograph(s)

Abstract

The Ryder Ridgway Photograph Collection contains 800 photographs, lantern slides, oversized images, and panoramas. The majority of the images show the economic and social development of Southeastern Arizona (primarily the Thatcher and Safford areas in Graham County, but also including Bisbee, Morenci, Clifton, and Superior).

Arrangement

This collection consists of twelve boxes.

Provenance

The Ryder Ridgway Collection was received in at least thirteen accessions from 1968 to 1991. Nine accessions were received from Ryder Ridgway between 1968 and 1974 (accession numbers 1968-00067, 1972-00067, and 1974-00067). Four accessions were received from Mrs. Ryder Ridgway from 1987 to 1991 (accession numbers 1987-00111, 1989-00180, 1990-00381, and 1991-00468). Accessions received from 1968 to 1974 were originally processed as MSS-68. Later accessions have been added to MSS-68.

Related Materials

MSS-68: Ryder Ridgway Collection (guide available at http://www.azarchivesonline.org/xtf/view?docId=ead/asu/ridgway.xml contains correspondence, manuscripts, research files, printed matter, and family papers showing Graham County and Mormon history from 1799 to 1980. The majority of the collection consists of personal papers and government and business records that Ridgway collected documenting Graham County history from 1890 to 1960.

Separated Materials

A number of publications have been removed from the Ridgway Ephemera series. Ephemera relating to Arizona or the Southwest has been individually indexed and is accessible through the Arizona and Southwest Index (http://spmi.lib.asu.edu/). Ephemera not related to Arizona and the Southwest has not been retained. A complete card index to the original ephemera collection is available in Box 11A of this collection.

Processing Note

Materials received directly from Ridgway were originally processed as MSS-68. Materials received from Mrs. Ridgway were added to the collection in 1994 and the collection was rearranged to reflect the entirety of the Ridgway papers. A conversion sheet identifying the current location of materials cited by the old box and folder numbers is available from the University Archivist.

Subject

Title
Ryder Ridgway Photographs
Status
Completed
Author
Processed by Richard Pearce-Moses and Mark Evans in January of 1991; machine-readable finding guide created by Michael Lotstein in April of 2005.
Date
2013
Description rules
Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Language of description
English
Script of description
Latin
Language of description note
Finding guide encoded in English.

Repository details

Part of the Greater Arizona Collection Repository

Contact

Arizona State University
P.O. Box 871006
Tempe AZ 85287-1006 United States
(480) 965-4932