Scope and Content Note
Bert and Myrtle Campbell took these photographs while working with Arizona Highways magazine. Some of the images appeared in the magazine, but most were never published. They were intended to show Arizona in a favorable light to attract tourists and depict a variety of subjects, including modern, high-quality roadways and road construction, scenic landscapes, and recreation. Recreational activities include golf, hunting, fishing, rodeos, horse shows, fashion shows, homes, public buildings, and resorts, especially the Arizona Biltmore Hotel. Scenic landscapes and pictorial views document virtually the entire state; all counties but Greenlee and La Paz (which was not yet formed) are represented. All photographs were taken in Arizona with the exception of a set showing Mexico, including Nogales, Puerto Peñasco (Rocky Point), and Guymas. The collection also includes numerous snapshots of members of the Campbell family and their friends as well as a Democratic political rally featuring Franklin D. Roosevelt.
The majority of the collection is composed of black and white negative and contact print pairs in three formats: 4" x 5" film pack, 2" x 3" sheet film, and 35mm negatives. A number of color transparencies, primarily Kodachrome in excellent condition and some Ektachrome showing moderate color shift, are also present. The color transparencies are in either 4" x 5" or lantern slide format. The photographer is unidentified in most cases but is presumed to be Bert or Myrtle Campbell. Other identified photographers include Max Kegley and Jerry McLain.
Dates
- Creation: 1937-1947
Access Restrictions
By agreement with tribal authorities and advisors, access to and duplication of ceremonial and other culturally sensitive photographs in this collection is not permitted.
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 copyright to this collection. Distinctive Collections recognizes that it is incumbent upon the researcher to procure permission to publish information from this collection from the owner of the copyright.
Biographical Note
Gilbert Alan Bert
Campbell was born to Franklin Campbell (1886-1920) and Annie Sophia (Frost) Campbell (1868-1919) in Snowflake, Arizona on September 4, 1906. He was one of nine children, including Ethel (1891-1893), Franklin Leroy (1893-1948), Archibald (1896-1975), Barbara (1898-1899), Ina (Campbell) Benedick (1901-1978), Blanche (1903-1918), Joseph Edward (1909-1975), and Grace (Campbell) Hatch (1912-1983). After completing his education in the local school system, Bert Campbell went into business as a grocer and meat packer.
As a young man, Campbell was very active in state politics. After moving to Phoenix in the early 1930s, Campbell began publication of a party newspaper, The Young Democrat, and served for a time as the Executive Secretary of the Young Democrat Club. He later purchased The Arizona Stockman magazine. As a result of his activities to help re-elect Governor Sidney Osborn, Bert Campbell was appointed to replace John C. McPhee as editor of Arizona Highways in March of 1937.
Originally targeted to the road construction industry, Campbell changed the face of the magazine by focusing on attracting tourism to Arizona. He edited only nine issues before being replaced by Raymond Carlson with the January 1938 issue. When Carlson was drafted into the Army in the late summer of 1943, Campbell returned as editor of Arizona Highways. During this two-year period, Carlson's name remained on the masthead as editor. Campbell expanded the use of color photographs, which Carlson had begun in 1938, and increased the number of photographs appearing in each issue.
Bert Campbell married Myrtle Gardner on July 9, 1925 in Whiteriver, Arizona. Myrtle Gardner was born to Charles Abel Gardner (1879-1966) and Jennie Eveline (Lee) Gardner (1883-1970) in Snowflake, Arizona on March 11, 1907. She was one of five children, including Thaddeus LeRoy (1905-1905), Lula (1909-1909), Charles Irvine (1910-1910), and Marjory (Campbell) Thornton (1911-2000). Bert and Myrtle Campbell had two children, Jackline (1925-1925) and Robert Max (1927-). Myrtle Campbell died on August 16, 1979 and Bert Campbell followed on March 10, 1985.
Full extent
21 Box(es)
Full extent
6.5 Linear Feet
Partial extent
3082 Photographic Negative(s): Plastic: Monochrome
Partial extent
2803 Photographic Print(s): Monochrome (Black/White)
Partial extent
842 Slide/Transparency: Plastic Film: Color
Language of materials
English
Abstract
Bert and Myrtle Campbell took these photographs while working with Arizona Highways magazine. Some of the images appeared in the magazine, but most were never published. They were intended to show Arizona in a favorable light to attract tourists and depict a variety of subjects, including modern, high-quality roadways and road construction, scenic landscapes, and recreation.
Arrangement
This collection is divided into four series:
- Series I: Wallets
- Series II: Loose Photographs
- Series III: Transparencies
- Series IV: Other Materials
Provenance
Arizona Highways magazine donated these photographs to the Greater Arizona Collection in 1989 (Accession #1989-00173).
Processing Note
In cases where photographs were organized into wallets, the original numbering system and order have been maintained. Each wallet is treated as a subseries unless its title is identical to that of another wallet, in which case all wallets bearing that title are combined into a single series. Each wallet is assigned a unique number, which appears directly after the series indicator in the image's identifier. For example, an image bearing the call number I.1:9
would be the ninth image in wallet 1 in Series I.
Order was imposed on the loose photographs, which were organized into broad subject categories. In Series II, image numbers 58 and higher were assigned by the archivist during reprocessing. Many of the prints were previously numbered incorrectly; in cases where the number on the print does not match the number written on its housing, the number on the housing should be accepted as authoritative.
- Title
- Gilbert Alan and Myrtle Campbell Photographs
- Status
- Completed
- Author
- Processed by Richard Pearce-Moses, Curator of Photographs; Lin Waldron, Student Assistant; Kristie L. Butler, Student Assistant; Mark Evans, Photographs Assistant. Reprocessed by Elizabeth Dunham between 2017 and 2021.
- Date
- 2011
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
Repository details
Part of the Greater Arizona Collection Repository
Contact
Arizona State UniversityP.O. Box 871006
Tempe AZ 85287-1006 United States
(480) 965-4932
archives@asu.edu