Ralph Brown aerial farm negatives PN.311 This finding aid was produced using the Archivists' Toolkit July 02, 2015 Describing Archives: A Content Standard Ball State University Archives and Special Collections Alexander M. Bracken Library 2000 W. University Avenue Muncie, Indiana, 47306 765-285-5078 libarchives@bsu.edu
Table of Contents Summary Information... 3 Biographical Note... 4 Scope and Contents... 4 Arrangement...4 Administrative Information...5 Controlled Access Headings...5 Collection Inventory... 7 Series 1: Portland area farms negatives... 7 Series 2: Parker City area farms negatives... 9 - Page 2 -
Summary Information Repository Ball State University Archives and Special Collections Creator - Photographer Brown, Ralph Title Ralph Brown aerial farm negatives Date c. 1950s Extent 0.4 Cubic feet 26 negatives Language English Preferred Citation Ralph Brown aerial farm negatives, Archives and Special Collections, Ball State University Libraries - Page 3 -
Biographical Note Ralph O. Brown was born on February 1, 1911 in Rock Creek Township of Huntington County, Indiana. Brown had his first plane ride in at biplane at the 1926 Bluffton Street Fair. Four years later, Brown was given his first camera, a 1927 Kodak. In the late 1930s, Brown took flying lessons from Lloyd K. Pierce, and on May 22, 1940, made his first solo flight at Smith Field in Fort Wayne, Indiana. He later joined the Civil Air Patrol of Indiana, which was dedicated to search and rescue, disaster relief, and aerospace education for youth and the general public. An avid lover of both photography and flight, Brown combined his passions and established The Northern Indiana Aerial Photography Picture and Survey Service, which he operated alongside his portrait photography business South Side Studios. His aerial photograph subjects included farms, businesses, factories, churches, homes, quarries, and landscapes. Brown was not only well-known for his photography, his aerial photography methods were also prolific. Brown, who flew solo, was in charge of both operating the plane and the camera. He would let go of the plane's joystick for two to three seconds to snap a picture, which left the aircraft completely unmanned. This would happen within low proximity to the ground (at approximately 150-300 feet). He would frequently sell his photographs to the owners of the farms, business, or houses he used as subjects. By 1974, the year of his retirement, Brown had taken approximately 41,000 aerial photographs. Brown passed away on August 18, 2000 at the age of 89. Scope and Contents This collection contains negatives of aerial farm photographs taken by Ralph Brown in Portland, Indiana and Parker City, Indiana during the 1950s. Arrangement Arranged in the following series: Series 1: Portland area farms negatives, Series 2: Parker City area farms negatives, - Page 4 -
Administrative Information Publication Information Ball State University Archives and Special Collections Conditions Governing Access This collection is open for research. Conditions Governing Use Literary rights, including copyright resides with the creators of the documents or their legal heirs and assigns. All requests to publish or quote from manuscripts must be submitted to Archives and Special Collections. The publisher must also obtain permission of the copyright holder. Custodial History This collection was received by Archives and Special Collections as a donation from Jeff Koenker on 2015/03/16. Addition donated by Jeff Koenker on 2015/06/30. Accruals No further additions are expected. Processing Information Collection processing completed 2015/06/15 by John Renschler. EAD finding aid created 2015/06/15 by Lindsey M. Vesperry. Addition processed and EAD finding aid revised on 2015/07/02 by Lindsey M. Vesperry Controlled Access Headings Genre(s) Aerial photographs - Page 5 -
Geographic Name(s) Jay County (Ind.)--History--20th century--sources Parker City (Ind.) Portland (Ind.) Randolph County (Ind.) Subject(s) Farms Photography - Page 6 -
Series 1: Portland area farms negatives Collection Inventory Series 1: Portland area farms negatives Box Item Bailey, Orla R., aerial farm negative, Salamonia, Portland 2nd R-6, PN.311 1 Barnett, Herbert, aerial farm negative, 6W-m#26, Portland 2nd R-2, PN.311 2 Beall, Omer, aerial farm negative, 1.5N-3.5W, Portland R-2 2nd, PN.311 3 Beers, Robert H., aerial farm negative, 1.5 E Salamonia, Portland 2nd R-6, PN.311 4 BieRel, Clarence, aerial farm negative, 1N-4.5E, Portland 2nd R-3, PN.311 5 Bifler, Carl, aerial farm negative, 6E-2S, Portland 2nd R-6, PN.311 6 Bowen, Fred, aerial farm negative, 5.5W-m#26, Portland 2nd R-2, PN.311 7 Breymier, Luther, arial farm negative,.5w Salamonia 2nd., Porland 2nd R-6, PN.311 8 - Page 7 -
Series 1: Portland area farms negatives Brumm, Fred, aerial farm negative, 7E-1.25N, Portland 2nd R-3, PN.311 9 Hampson, Thelma, aerial farm negative, 3S-3W, Portland R-5, PN.311 10 Hilfiker, Bernard, aerial farm negative, 2N-.5W Salamonia, Portland 2nd R-6, PN.311 11 Hilfiker, Howard, aerial farm negative,.5s Salamonia, Portland 2nd R-6, PN.311 12 Houck, Roscoe, aerial farm negative, 6W-2N, Portland 2nd R-2, PN.311 13 Jetter, Victor, aerial farm negative,.5s Salamoniea, Portland 2nd R-6, PN.311 14 Johnson, James L., aerial farm negative, 1N-4W, Portland 2nd R-2, PN.311 15 Lare, Clyde, aerial farm negative, 2.5 SW, Portland 2nd R-5, PN.311 16 Lawson, Orla, aerial farm negative, 2W, Portland 2nd R-2, PN.311 17 Locker, Jesse, aerial farm negative, 6E, Portland 2nd R-6, PN.311 18 Lynch, Elza, aerial fram negative, 4E on #22/27 (mn.), Portland 2nd R-4, PN.311 19 Lyons, Bob, aerial farm negative, 8E, Portland 2nd R-6, PN.311 20 - Page 8 -
Series 2: Parker City area farms negatives Ralph Brown aerial farm negatives PN.311 McAfee, Doreey, aerial farm negative, 7E, Portland 2nd R-3, PN.311 21 Miller, W., aerial farm negative, 6E, Portland 2nd R-3, PN.311 22 Owen, Ward, aerial farm negative, 4W-.5N, Portland R-2, PN.311 23 Stoner, Wilbur, aerial farm negative, 7E-1N, Portland 2nd R-3, PN.311 24 Taylor, Carl, aerial farm negative, 7W-Portland m#26, Portland R-2, PN.311 25 Whitenack, Donald, aerial farm negative, 5W-1N, Portland R-2, PN.311 26 Williams, Irma B., aerial farm negative, 6NW, Portland 2nd, PN.311 27 Series 2: Parker City area farms negatives Box Item Parker City area farms negatives, 1950s PN.311 28-76 - Page 9 -