Title: Middleton Family Photographs
Inclusive Dates: circa 1892-circa 1950s

Creators:

• Middleton family
• Middleton, Clara, 1852-1910
• Middleton, William Elwell, 1866-1955
• Middleton, Forest, 1892-1990

Call Number: PH 6407; Mss 1220

Quantity: 0.6 cubic feet of photographs (2 archives boxes), 0.4 cubic feet of negatives (6 negative boxes), and 0.2 cubic feet of papers (1 archives box)

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, negatives and papers of the Middleton family made by Clara (née Case) Middleton, her husband William Elwell and their son Forest, circa 1892-circa 1950s. The photographs document the Middleton family, their friends, the family's pets, as well as the city of Madison, Wisconsin, including the State Capitol, and the University of Wisconsin campus. Also included are some photographs taken and collected while Forest and Leonore Middleton lived in Japan (1920-1923). The papers include documentation about the Middleton family and a few original manuscripts.

Note:

There is a restriction on access to part of this material; see the Administrative/Restriction Information portion of this finding aid for details.

Language: English

URL to cite for this finding aid: http://digital.library.wisc.edu/1711.dl/wiarchives.uw-whs-ph06407

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Photographs, negatives and papers of the Middleton family made by Clara (Case) Middleton, her husband William Elwell, and her son Forest, circa 1892–1920.

The majority of the images document the Middleton family in and around their apartment on 22 East Mifflin Street in Madison, Wisconsin but also include images of the extended Middleton family; members of the Gunsolus family, Clara's relatives; and friends of Forest from his childhood and his time at college. Images in the collection also document Madison, including the Wisconsin State Capitol and the dome construction, Capitol Square, public buildings and businesses, churches, residences, Tenney Park, Lakes Mendota and Monona, and buildings and grounds on the University of Wisconsin campus. There are also images of Middleton family pets, some of which show the pets dressed in human clothes. Also included are photographs taken by Forest Middleton while he and his wife Leonore (née Judkins) lived in Japan from 1920-1923. Includes pictures in Yokohama after the April 26, 1922 earthquake (magnitude 6.8)

The papers include an essay “The Middletons [sic]: Amateur Photographers 1890-1915” written circa 2004. This includes a short history of the family, documentation of Clara's second prize win in 1908 for a photo contest celebrating the founding of the University of Wisconsin and an article she wrote that year entitled “Amateur Photography in a Flat,” as well as a typed transcript of references from Forest Middleton's diary to photographs in the collection. Another essay entitled “Forest ‘n Leonore” (2008) includes reproduction photographs from their travels starting in Madison, to San Francisco and then to Japan (circa 1920-circa 1923); transcripts of incoming and outgoing correspondence (1920-1925, 1973-1975); and copies of newspaper clippings about the Middleton’s shop in Madison selling Japanese goods. Also included is a pamphlet on the September 1, 1923 earthquake which destroyed Yokohama and Tokyo.

Some photographs avaiable online. See the Image Gallery Essay: One Family's Love Affair with Photography

Access Restrictions

Original glass plate negatives (PH 6407 Box 2-7 and DN3) are restricted. Prints are available in PH 6407 Box 1. See Archives Reference Archivist regarding access to negatives.

Acquisition Information

Presented by John Peters, Madison, Wisconsin, 2004.

Processing Information

Processed by John Nondorf and David Benjamin, 2008; and additions by Alison E. Bridger, 2020.

Mss 1220	Series: Manuscripts
Box   1 Folder   1	“The Middletons [sic]: Amateur Photographers, 1890-1915” : typescript circa 2004 Note: Includes list of negatives in collection with WHi image numbers.
Box   1 Folder   2	“Forest 'n Leonore, 1920-1923” : typescripts 2008 April 17
Box   1 Folder   3	The Great Earthquake of September 1st, 1923 : pamphlet circa 1923 Language: English with some Japanese
PH 6407	Series: Vintage Photographs and Digital Prints	⇧
	Animals
Box   1 Folder   1	Costumed pets
Box   1 Folder   2	Old Abe
Box   1 Folder   3	Miscellaneous
	People
Box   1 Folder   4	Ben Bergor and fiancé/wife
Box   1 Folder   4	Charles Brown, Charles Brown and Louis Kellogg (?)
Box   1 Folder   5	Gunsolus Family [Family of Clara (Case) Middleton]
Box   1 Folder   4	Idelle Strelow
Box   1 Folder   4	Joseph Pearson and milk wagon
Box   1 Folder   4	Lars Merkness (?)
	Middleton Family
Box   1 Folder   6	Aaron and Joanna (Brister)
Box   1 Folder   7-9	William Elwell and Clara (Case)
Box   1 Folder   10	William Elwell, Clara (Case), and Forest
Box   1 Folder   11-13	Forest and Leonore Bell (Judkins)
Box   1 Folder   14	William Elwell and Emma
Box   1 Folder   15	Unidentified
	Places
Box   1 Folder   16	Ixonia, Wisconsin, Rural school
	Madison, Wisconsin
Box   1 Folder   17	Bridges - Rustic Bridge, Iron Bridge
Box   1 Folder   18	Capitol Building, grounds, statuary
Box   1 Folder   19	Capitol Square and environs
Box   1 Folder   20	Central Fire Station and fire wagons
Box   1 Folder   21	Churches - Baptist Church, First Unitarian Society
Box   1 Folder   22	Civil War cannon
Box   1 Folder   23	Forest Lawn Cemetery
Box   1 Folder   24	Hogbin Tailor Shop
Box   1 Folder   25	Lakes, boats, ice boats, boating
Box   1 Folder   26	Parade
Box   1 Folder   27	Public buildings
	Residences
Box   1 Folder   28	Middleton home, 22 East Mifflin Street
Box   1 Folder   29	Middleton farm (?), Old Sauk Road
Box   1 Folder   30	Unidentified
Box   1 Folder   31	Schools - Madison High School, Third Ward School
Box   1 Folder   32	Tenney Park
Box   1 Folder   33	University of Wisconsin buildings and grounds
Box   1 Folder   34	Wingra Park Line - Harrison Street Viaduct
Box   1 Folder   35	Unidentified
Box   1 Folder   36	Still Life
	Forest and Leonore Middleton
	Japan
Box   8 Folder   1-2	circa 1920-1923
Box   8 Folder   2 (continued)	Commercial tourist prints, circa 1920-1923
Box   8 Folder   3	Madison, and Middleton family negatives circa 1918-1950s
	Series: Negatives Alternate Format: Some images available online. Use Restrictions: RESTRICTED: Original glass plate negatives (PH 6407 Box 2-7 and DN3) are restricted. Prints are available in PH 6407 Box 1. See Archives Reference Archivist regarding access to negatives.	⇧
Box   2 Items   1-27	Glass plates
Box   3 Items   28-56	Glass plates
Box   4 Items   57-79	Glass plates
Box   5 Items   80-91, 93-103	Glass plates
Box   6 Items   104-117	Glass plates
Box   7 Items   118-148	Oversized glass plates
Box   BN3 Items   92, 149-153	Damaged glass plates