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Hortense and R. Merritt Baker Photograph Album

 Collection
Identifier: MS-0487

Scope and Contents

The Hortense and R. Merritt Baker Photograph Album, titled "Snapshots and Flashlights," documents the social and extra-curricular activities of Hortense and R. Merritt Baker from 1906 to 1909.  The album includes candid and posed photographs of the Bakers, Sidney Frantz, and their friends play-acting and staging home-made theatrical productions; Manual Training High School athletic teams and events; as well as trips to Los Angeles, Salt Lake City, Grand Lake (Colorado), and Bloomerville (Colorado).  Although there are few captions, most pages contain colorful hand-painted decorations and illustrations.

Dates

  • Creation: 1906-1909

Creator

Conditions Governing Access

This collection is open for research.

Conditions Governing Use

The copyright interests in some or all of these materials have not been transferred to San Diego State University. Copyright resides with the creator(s) of materials contained in the collection or their heirs. The nature of archival collections is such that multiple creators are often applicable and copyright status may be difficult or even impossible to determine. In any case, the user must assume full responsibility for any use of the materials, including but not limited to, obtaining publication rights and copyright infringement. When requesting images from Special Collections & University Archives for publication, we require a signed agreement waiving San Diego State University of any liability in the event of a copyright violation.

Biographical Note

Hortense Baker was born in 1889 and her younger brother, Robert Merritt (known as Merritt) was born in 1890. They also had a brother named Melvine. The Bakers grew up in Denver, Colorado. Merritt was a student at the Manual Training High School in the Whittier neighborhood, and graduated in 1910. As teenagers, both Hortense and Merritt staged home-made theatrical productions with friends. During the 1910s, Hortense married Sidney Frantz. They had two children. Sometime in the early to mid-1920s, the Frantzs moved to San Diego where Sidney worked as a set designer, and Hortense acted with the Yorick Players. Merritt lived in San Diego during the early 1940s and worked at the John Weiss Organization, a real estate firm. He later became the City Manager of Sierra Madre. He died in Los Angeles in 1955. Hortense passed away in San Diego in 1958.

Extent

0.92 Linear Feet

Language of Materials

English

Custodial History

Separated from the John and Jane Adams Ephemera Collection.

Source of Acquisition

Unknown

Accruals and Additions

9999-212

Related Materials

Louise Patterson Scrapbook

Annie L. Jobs Photograph Album

Shen Yo Scrapbook

San Diego Scrapbook Collection

Denver Public Library – Manual Training High School Yearbooks

Title
Hortense and R. Merritt Baker Photograph Album
Status
Completed
Author
Amanda Lanthorne
Date
02/03/2012
Description rules
Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Language of description
English
Script of description
Latin
Language of description note
eng

Repository Details

Part of the Special Collections & University Archives Repository

Contact:
5500 Campanile Dr. MC 8050
San Diego CA 92182-8050 US
619-594-6791