Title: Gerhard Gesell Photographs and Negatives
Inclusive Dates: circa 1875-1950

Creators:

• Gesell, Gerhard, b. circa 1846-
• Gesell, Arnold, 1880-1961

Call Number: PH 6131; WHi(G471); WHi(G472); WHi(G473)

Quantity: 462 vintage prints, 164 modern prints, 25 laser, and 1 scrapbook in 4 archives boxes and 2 flat boxes, 330 negatives (9 negative boxes), and 21 lantern slides

Repository:

Wisconsin Historical Society, Division of Library, Archives, and Museum Collections

Archival Locations:

Wisconsin Historical Society (Map)

COLLECTION MAY BE STORED OFF-SITE: see catalog entry to request materials and for additional information.

Abstract:

Photographs made and collected by Gerhard Gesell (circa 1846-1906), an Alma, Wisconsin, photographer, and by his son, child pyschologist Arnold Gesell. Included are images of several Wisconsin towns including Alma, Chippewa Falls, Fountain City, and Stevens Point as well as Minneiska, Reed's Landing, and Wabasha in Minnesota. The collection also includes numerous images of the Mississippi River and the surrounding landscape, including Beef Slough located north of Alma along the banks of the Mississippi and Chippewa Rivers. Additional subjects documented include steamboats, railroads, and the landscape and fishermen in Maine. Much of the collection documents members of Gerherd Gesell's family most notably his son Arnold Gesell. Additional images include examples of Gerhard Gesell's work as a photographer in Alma. Also included is a scrapbook given to Arnold Gesell by his parents.

Note:

This collection includes former photographic lots PH 2638, PH 2639, PH 2640, PH 2644, PH 2654 (3), PH 3323, PH 3324, PH 4839, PH 4893 (3), PH 4840, PH 4840 (3), PH 4841, PH 4842, and PH 4842 (3).

Language: English

URL to cite for this finding aid: http://digital.library.wisc.edu/1711.dl/wiarchives.uw-whs-ph06131

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Gesell began his photographic career in Reads Landing, Minnesota, in 1873, but later moved across the Mississippi River to Alma, where in 1876 he set up his studio and gallery. There he remained until his death, photographing daily life in and around Alma and Fountain City, while developing a reputation for taking fine portraits of the townsfolk and members of his fellow German immigrant community. Gesell also spent much of his time photographing the activities of his five children. Some 245 original glass plate negatives and innumerable photoprints trace the development of this German-American family, including Gesell's illustrious son Arnold (1880-1961), director of the Clinic of Child Development at Yale University.

PH 6131	Series: Prints
	Gesell family
Box   2 Folder   9	Residence, Alma
Box   2 Folder   10	Gerhard, Sr.
Box   2 Folder   11	Gerhard, Sr. and Christine (Geisen)
Box   2 Folder   12	Christine (Geisen) with others
	Arnold
Box   2 Folder   13	Youth
Box   2 Folder   14	Young adult
Box   2 Folder   15	Adult
Box   2 Folder   16	With others
Box   3 Folder   10	At Camp Ossipee
Box   5 Folder   4	Stevens Point Normal School Senior Composite, 1899
Box   5 Folder   5	With group of men
Box   5 Folder   6	Edwin Booth Dramatic Society, 1903
Box   2 Folder   17	With wife and children
Box   3 Folder   1	California residence
Box   6 Folder   1	Scrapbook from parents
Box   3 Folder   2	Bertha
Box   3 Folder   3	Gerhard, Jr.
Box   3 Folder   4	Robert
Box   3 Folder   5	Wilma
Box   3 Folder   6	Adam?
Box   3 Folder   7	Christian
Box   3 Folder   8	Together
Box   3 Folder   9	Children together
	Towns, buildings, and landscapes
	Wisconsin
Box   1 Folder   1	Alma
Box   1 Folder   2	Chippewa Falls
Box   1 Folder   3	Fountain City
Box   1 Folder   4	Nelson
Box   1 Folder   5	Stevens Point
Box   1 Folder   6	Waumandee
	Minnesota
Box   1 Folder   7	Minneiska
Box   1 Folder   8	Reed's Landing
Box   1 Folder   9	Wabasha
Box   1 Folder   10	Maine
	Mississippi River
	Alma and vicinity
Box   2 Folder   1	Boating/swimming
Box   2 Folder   2	Birling contest
Box   2 Folder   3	Ice harvesting
Box   2 Folder   4	Beef Slough, Chippewa Falls and Mississippi River
Box   1 Folder   11-12	Steamboats
Box   1 Folder   13	Miscellaneous views
Box   1 Folder   14	Winona Grocer's excursion
Box   5 Folder   1	[Oversize]
Box   2 Folder   5	Farms, farming, farm buildings, animals
Box   4 Folder   6	Booklet
Box   4 Folder   5	Logging
Box   2 Folder   6	Railroads
Box   2 Folder   7	Tornado damage, Buffalo County vicinity
Box   3 Folder   11	University of Wisconsin
	People
	Identified
Box   3 Folder   12	Men
Box   3 Folder   13	Women
Box   3 Folder   14	Couples
Box   3 Folder   15	Groups
	Unidentified
Box   4 Folder   1	Men
Box   4 Folder   2	Women
Box   5 Folder   2	[Oversize]
Box   4 Folder   3	Children
Box   5 Folder   9	[Oversize]
Box   4 Folder   4	Couples and groups
Box   5 Folder   8	[Oversize]
Box   3 Folder   17	Bands
Box   5 Folder   7	[Oversize]
	Composites
Box   3 Folder   18	Singing societies
	Officers of Buffalo County
Box   5 Folder   3	1892
Box   5 Folder   19	1894-1896
Box   2 Folder   8	Gesell Studio miscellaneous work
Box   3 Folder   20	Cyanotype album [Alma related?]
	Series: Negatives	⇧
WHi(G471) Negative Box   1	1-14, 16-20
Negative Box   2	21-33
WHi(G472) Negative Box   1	36-38, 40-63, 65-81
Negative Box   2	82-95, 97-119, 206-212
Negative Box   3	213-239
Negative Box   4	240-248
WHi(G473) Negative Box   1	120-128, 130, 132, 134-135
Negative Box   2	156-160, 163-183, 185-193
Negative Box   3	194-195, 197-202, 204-205
PH 6131 Box   7	Series: Lantern Slides Scope and Content Note: Lantern slides, circa 1905, of the construction and finished details of a family vacation house built by members of the Gesell family at Alma, Wisconsin, about 1905, consisting of a site plan, scenes of a model of the house, cutting trees for the roof, surveying, the foundation, party gatherings during construction, finished exterior and interior views, and a site view that may include a previous structure. From photographs or negatives likely made by Gerhard Gesell. Originally catalogued as PH 3324, this has been assigned call number PH 6131. Corresponding negatives may be found in WHi(G472).	⇧