Chester Carlson Photographs

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Chester Carlson photographs
Creator: Carlson, Chester Floyd, 1906-1968
Call Number: D.314
Dates: 1906-1998
Physical Description: 11 boxes, 4 scrapbooks, 1 folder
Language(s): Materials are in English
Repository: Rare Books, Special Collections, and Preservation, River Campus Libraries, University of Rochester

Table of Contents:

Biographical/Historical Note
Scope and Content
Subject(s)
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Access
Use
Citation
Content List
Series I: Chester Carlson's childhood, friends, and family
Series II: Dorris Carlson's childhood, friends, and family
Series III: Chester and Dorris Carlson family life
Series IV: Portraits of Chester and Dorris Carlson
Series V: Spirituality
Series VI: Chester Carlson and xerography
Series VII: Chester Carlson's business awards
Series VIII: Newspaper and journal articles on Carlson
Collection Overview
Title: Chester Carlson photographs
Creator: Carlson, Chester Floyd, 1906-1968
Call Number: D.314
Dates: 1906-1998
Physical Description: 11 boxes, 4 scrapbooks, 1 folder
Language(s): Materials are in English
Repository: Rare Books, Special Collections, and Preservation, River Campus Libraries, University of Rochester

Biographical/Historical Note
Chester Carlson, inventor of xerography was born in 1906. His family moved to Seattle, California, Mexico and Arizona during his childhood At times the Carlson family lived in desert huts and mountain cabins. Because his father was nearly an invalid, Chester Carlson supported the family, mostly through odd jobs and manual labor.

When he was 17, his mother died, leaving him the sole breadwinner. The family at one time lived in a former chicken coop with a concrete floor. Chester slept in an alley, in a sleeping bed he made. "It looked very doubtful if I could ever go to college," Carlson had once said. "Invention was the one chance to start with nothing and end up with a fortune."

Carlson earned a spot in Caltech, graduating amid the Great Depression with a pocket notebook of 400 invention ideas such as a raincoat with gutters, a see-through toothpaste tube, and a better bottle cap. Eventually he took a job in New York City patent office.

He studied in the public library, where he was amazed by the amount of labor exerted to hand copy documents. Carlson saw the need for a quick copier. Then in 1937, he discovered photoconductivity, a property in which a material changes electrical characteristics under light. By projecting an image on a photoconductive drum, he could change the static charge on only the black spaces that formed text or images. He would then dust the drum with a dark material and static would hold the dust in place until Carlson could transfer the dust to paper and fuse it into place making a copy. Carlson spent nearly ten years trying to sell his idea to many companies, but was rejected everywhere. Eventually a small photo supply company, Haloid Co. in Rochester, NY bought the idea and developed his invention. Haloid flourished with the new invention, changing its name to Xerox, a term playing on the Greek words for "dry" and "writing."

Chester Carlson married Dorris Hudgins in January 1946. He and Dorris lived in a Rochester, NY suburb and donated to spiritual and parapsychological groups. Carlson was uncomfortable with the sudden wealth his invention brought, and dealt with that by giving the money away, usually anonymously. He made contributions to organizations that promoted world peace. He supported civil rights organizations and bought apartment buildings in New York City and Washington, D.C. and arranged for the buildings to be racially integrated.

Carlson died of a heart attack on September 19, 1968. He was 62. Dorris Carlson lived until 1998 and continued their works in community and religious programs by contributions and service.

Scope and Content
This collection is comprised of over 1700 images housed in 11 archival boxes and 4 scrapbooks and one oversized folder. These images depict the lives of Chester and Dorris Carlson, from early childhood through adolescence and young adulthood, and include their extended families. The images also reflect their lives together as husband and wife, and Dorris' life after the death of Chester Carlson in 1968.

Subject(s):
New York (State)--Rochester
Xerography
Photographs
Carlson, Chester Floyd, 1906-1968
Carlson, Dorris
Immediate Source of Acquisition
This collection of personal and public images of the Carlson and Hudgins families was donated to the department of Rare Books, Special Collections and Preservation of the University of Rochester by the Carlson's daughter, Catherine Carlson in 2004. Two photographs of Dorris Carlson gift of Laura Reynolds, 2018.Access
The Chester Carlson photographs is open for research use. Researchers are advised to contact Rare Books, Special Collections, and Preservation prior to visiting. Upon arrival, researchers will also be asked to fill out a registration form and provide photo identification.Use
Reproductions are made upon request but can be subject to restrictions. Permission to publish materials from the collection must currently be requested. Please note that some materials may be copyrighted or restricted. It is the researcher's obligation to determine and satisfy copyright or other case restrictions when publishing or otherwise distributing materials found in the collections. For more information contact rarebks@library.rochester.eduCitation
[Item title, item date], Chester Carlson photographs, D.314, Rare Books, Special Collections, and Preservation, River Campus Libraries, University of Rochester
Administrative Information
Author: Finding aid prepared by Rare Books and Special Collections staff
Publisher: Rare Books, Special Collections, and Preservation, River Campus Libraries, University of Rochester
Address:
Rush Rhees Library
Second Floor, Room 225
Rochester, NY 14627-0055
rarebks@library.rochester.edu
URL:


Content List
Series I: Chester Carlson's childhood, friends, and family
Box 1, Folder 1Framed portrait of Chester Carlson as a boy, probably aged 3
Includes lock of hair
2 photographs

Box 1, Folder 2Childhood
1 photograph

Box 1, Folder 3Chester Floyd Carlson, age 2 ½ years old with mother, 1908
1 photograph

Box 1, Folder 4Chester Carlson with his mother, Ellen, and father, Olaf Carlson, in Kingsburg, CA, July 1909
2 photographs

Box 1, Folder 5Ellen, Chester, and Olaf Carlson, Kingsburg, CA, July 1909
1 photograph

Box 1, Folder 6Chester F. Carlson, with mother and father, 1911
1 photograph

Box 1, Folder 7Chester and Margaret, L.A. West 32rd, July 4, 1912
1 photograph

Box 1, Folder 8Chester Carlson, mother and Dr. McKinney
1 photograph

Box 1, Folder 9Chester Carlson in the hoop, 8th St. and school picture, 1914
2 photographs

Box 1, Folder 10Chester Carlson's family living in Crestline California, 1915
2 photographs

Box 1, Folder 11Children in school, Crestline, CA, 1915
Their fathers worked in the mine in the mountains. All the kids went down from the mountain when the mine closed in the winter. Chester remained behind as the sole student of the teacher.
1 photograph

Box 1, Folder 12Ellen Carlson, Chester's mother, 727 Gesham Court
1 photograph

Box 1, Folder 13Framed oval wedding portrait
1 photograph

Box 1, Folder 14Ellen and Olaf Carlson
2 photographs and 1 negative

Box 1, Folder 15Roy Carlson
Roy Carlson also became a scientist, chemist, physicist. He invented the Carlson stressmeter to measure the stress of dams. He worked on the Aswan Dam and also Niagara water power electricity generators.
4 photographs

Box 1, Folder 16Chester Carlson, high school age
At shack that he built for laboratory and sleeping room back of house
1 photograph

Box 1, Folder 17Hawkins family
Framed image of Ellen Hawkins Carlson and one image not framed, Ellen and Sunday School class, small image of Ellen
4 photographs

Box 1, Folder 18Chester's Aunt Ruth Hawkins
1 photograph

Box 1, Folder 19Chester's grandmother on his mother's side
1 photograph

Box 1, Folder 20Chester Carlson and Aunt Esther Hawkins
He was named for her, but never like the name, Chester
1 photograph

Box 1, Folder 21Hawkins family photographs, Minnesota, 1901
Chester Carlson's mother with family, during the year the name Hawkinson become Hawkins; image of Oscar F. Hawkins, Chester's uncle
2 photographs

Box 1, Folder 22Chester and Dorris Carlson at Uncle Wendell's in Minneapolis, September 7, 1952
1 photograph

Box 1, Folder 23Hawkins family-Roy Edenholme, Sweden, 1905
1 photograph

Box 1, Folder 24Hawkins relatives, November 1962
2 photographs

Box 1, Folder 25Howard Bliss
Junior College Professor, Howard Bliss, would take groups of students on outings. He taught at Riverside Community College.
2 photographs

Box 1, Folder 26Images of Chester and Kitty (friend at Junior College)
3 photographs

Box 1, Folder 27Group shots of friends at Junior College and Coop Club at Gas Plant
4 photographs

Box 1, Folder 28Chester on camping trip to Death Valley while attending Riverside Community College
5 photographs

Box 1, Folder 29Images of California including Big Sur, Carmel
17 photographs

Box 1, Folder 30Images of Utah and Nevada
30 photographs

Box 1, Folder 31More scenic images of California, Utah, and Nevada
50 photographs

Box 1, Folder 32Chester at California Institute of Technology
1 photograph

Box 1, Folder 33Chester on beach, 1930
1 photograph

Box 1, Folder 34Overlooking Palm Springs, California, National Land Trust, February 1930
1 photograph

Box 1, Folder 35Chester in Cement Plant where he worked while attending college
1 photograph

Box 1, Folder 36Scenic images of California from Howard Bliss (college friend)
10 photographs

Box 1, Folder 37Chester in New York City, 1934
2 photographs

Box 1, Folder 38New York City years
5 photographs

Box 1, Folder 39Chester Carlson and his first wife, Elsa von Mallon
1 photograph

Box 1, Folder 40Astoria, NY
11 photographs and 1 negative

Box 1, Folder 41Chester, 1946
1 photograph

Box 8, Volume 1Chester Carlson's parents, grandparents, and childhood until meeting Dorris Talbot Carlson
200 photographs

Box 8, Volume 2Chester Carlson in Canandaigua, Fairport, Pittsford, and traveling, 1946-1968
175 photographs

Volume 1Scrapbook no. 1: Chester Carlson's family, relatives, and friends
225 photographs

Series II: Dorris Carlson's childhood, friends, and family
Box 5, Folder 1School certificates of Dorris Hudgins (Chester Carlson's second wife)
Box 5, Folder 2Dorris as a young girl
6 photographs

Box 5, Folder 3Dorris, early childhood
12 photographs

Box 5, Folder 4Dorris, teen years
17 photographs

Box 5, Folder 5Dorris, parents and grandparents
6 photographs

Box 8, Volume 5Early photographs of Dorris and family
100 photographs

Box 5, Folder 6Sarah Bonwell Hudgins (Dorris' mother)
2 images and some notes and a letter from Chester Carlson

Box 5, Folder 7Dorris' sister, Violet, and Frank Greco
9 photographs

Box 5, Folder 8Dorris' brother, Rupert Eugene Hudgins
2 photographs

Box 5, Folder 9Hudgins family
10 photographs

Box 5, Folder 10Dorris and Lu Talbott wedding day, December 7, 1921
15 photographs

Box 5, Folder 11Memorabilia and pictures of Dorris and Lu Talbott's wedding
Box 5, Folder 12Dorris and Lu visiting the farm, and Lu in military, 1920's and 1930's
31 photographs

Box 5, Folder 13Dorris Carlson, 1921
1 image) with negative

Box 5, Folder 14Dorris Carlson, 1930's
2 photographs

Box 5, Folder 15Dorris Carlson working in New York City, 1920's and 1930's
72 photographs

Box 5, Folder 16Friend: Alice LeGaroff
Box 5, Folder 17Friend: Mrs. Wheeler, mother of Carl Wheeler, friend of Dorris
Box 5, Folder 18Reprints of miscellaneous photographs
5 Sheets

Box 5, Folder 19Miscellaneous negatives
Box 6, Folder 1Relatives and friends of Dorris, including first husband, Lu Talbott, 1920-1970's
50 photographs

Box 6, Folder 2Relatives and friends of Dorris, including first husband, Lu Talbott, 1920-1970's
80 photographs

Box 6, Folder 3Scrapbook
7 photographs

Box 6, Folder 8Correspondence from the family of Dorris' niece, Alla, married to Paul Fialcowita
Box 6, Folder 9Dorris' sister, mother of Alla, early 1940's-1950's
53 photographs

Box 6, Folder 10Fialcowita family, 1960's
21 photographs

Box 6, Folder 11Fialcowita family, 1970-1972
56 photographs

Box 6, Folder 12Fialcowita family, 1973-1980's
57 photographs

Volume 2Scrapbook no. 2: Dorris Carlson's family, relatives, and friends
175 photographs

Volume 3Scrapbook no. 3: Dorris Carlson's family, relatives, and friends
175 photographs

Series III: Chester and Dorris Carlson family life
Box 2, Folder 1Wedding day, Chester and Dorris, January 20, 1946
5 photographs

Box 2, Folder 2Fairport home
23 photographs

Box 2, Folder 3-4Family life in Pittsford, NY
23 photographs

Box 2, Folder 5Chester with dog, Dandy, in Pittsford home
2 photographs

Box 2, Folder 6Fairport and Pittsford, NY – negatives
Box 2, Folder 11-12Images published in the biography, Copies in Seconds, by David Owen
28 photographs

Box 2, Folder 13Christmas cards
Box 2, Folder 15Notes and copies
Box 3, Folder 15Chester and Dorris at Niagara Falls, 1954
1 photograph

Box 7, Folder 11Large image of Dorris and Chester at their home in Pittsford, NY
Box 8, Volume 4Early photographs of vacations of Dorris and Chester
100 photographs

Box 4, Folder 19Family friends: Duke Slater and Mary Barnitz
Box 4, Folder 20Family friends: Dr. Marie Higsbee
Box 4, Folder 21Family friends: Ona and Loring Blanchard
Box 4, Folder 22Family friends: Carlson home 'The Barnitz' and Ralph Chapin
Box 4, Folder 23Family friends: W. Taylor' cocktail party, December 1967; Richard and Pauline, 1973
2 photographs

Box 4, Folder 24Family friends: Christmas greetings from A. J. Twogoods ; Christmas greetings from the Barnitzs'
Series IV: Portraits of Chester and Dorris Carlson
Box 3, Folder 1Chester Carlson portraits in jackets
10 photographs

Box 3, Folder 2Chester Carlson portrait from Xerox Corporation, undated
1 photograph

Box 3, Folder 3Chester Carlson studio portrait, 1962
10 photographs and negatives

Box 3, Folder 4Chester Carlson studio portrait, 1962
18 photographs

Box 3, Folder 5Chester Carlson portrait
1 photograph

Box 3, Folder 6Chester Carlson portrait, 1968
7 small photographs, 1 large photograph

Box 3, Folder 7Chester Carlson portrait, undated
1 photograph

Box 2, Folder 14Portrait of Chester Carlson, undated
2 photographs

Box 3, Folder 8Chester Carlson small portraits, various dates
Box 3, Folder 9Chester Carlson portrait etched in glass
Box 3, Folder 12Image of Chester Carlson at R.M.S. Nieuw Amsterdam
1 photograph

Box 3, Folder 13Image of Chester Carlson in boat at Benares India, 1964
1 photograph

Box 9Reproduction of painted portrait of Chester Carlson presented at Xerox Corporation
3 photographs

Box 9Chester Carlson image taken by Life Magazine photographer, July 20, 1963
Box 9Chester Carlson portrait, June 13, 1968
Box 2, Folder 9Portrait of Chester Carlson, June 13, 1968
16 photographs and negatives

Box 9Chester Carlson portrait, undated
3 photographs

Box 4, Folder 15Photograph of 6x6 foot portrait of Chester Carlson for the Xerox Lubey by Dick Lubey, October 1989
Box 4, Folder 16Photograph of bust of Chester Carlson
Box 4, Folder 17Artistic rendering of portrait of Chester Carlson
5 photographs

Box 4, Folder 18Xerox portrait presentation
5 photographs

Box 7, Folder 1Framed portrait of Dorris Carlson as a young girl
1 photograph

Box 7, Folder 2Portrait of Dorris Carlson, 1921
1 photograph

Box 7, Folder 3Studio portrait of Dorris Carlson, 1945
2 photographs

Box 7, Folder 4Portrait of Dorris Carlson, March 1963
2 images and negatives

Box 7, Folder 5Portrait of Dorris Carlson, 1967
10 photographs

Box 7, Folder 6Various portraits of Dorris Carlson, 1970's
Box 7, Folder 7Photograph of Dorris Carlson, 1983
1 photograph

Box 7, Folder 8Portrait of Dorris Carlson - 50th anniversary of xerography, 1988
8 photographs

Box 7, Folder 9Portrait of Dorris Carlson - 85th birthday, 1988
9 photographs

Box 7, Folder 10Portrait of Dorris Carlson, undated
7 photographs

Box 2, Folder 10Portrait of Chester and Dorris Carlson, December 3, 1986
35 color slides

Series V: Spirituality
Box 2, Folder 7Chester Carlson in front of Zen Center, 1968
Contributed heavily to the beliefs of Zen Buddhism
1 photograph

Box 3, Folder 14Chester Carlson at Acolman Monastery near Mexico City, April 1957
1 photograph

Box 6, Folder 4International Layman's Movement, February 24, 1970
3 photographs

Box 6, Folder 5Dalai Lama visit, September 8, 1979
Includes notes and 6 images

Box 6, Folder 6Dalai Lama, Dorris, and Catherine Carlson
1 photograph

Box 6, Folder 7Tuesday Meditation Group, 1970's-1990
6 photographs

Volume 4Scrapbook of American Society Psychical research
Includes drawings and other artwork by Chester Carlson

Folder 1Photograph of Swami Vivekananda birth centenary dinner, March 1963
Oversized folder

Series VI: Chester Carlson and xerography
Box 4, Folder 1First Xerographic print- Astoria, NY, October 22, 1938
Box 4, Folder 2Image of Dr. John H. Dessauer, Chester Carlson, Joseph Wilson of Haloid Co. demonstrating the xeroprinter, November 22, 1948
3 photographs

Box 4, Folder 3Chester Carlson with model of first electrophotographic machine
1 photograph

Box 4, Folder 4Chester Carlson and Nywan Levin, London, April 1958
1 photograph

Box 4, Folder 5Xerography, 1962
16 photographs

Box 4, Folder 6Chester Carlson and Dr. V.M. Fridkin, Moscow, July 23, 1965
1 photograph

Box 4, Folder 7Presentation of Xerography equipment by Chester Carlson, Inventor of Xerography in Museum of History and Technology Auditorium, October 17, 1965
Box 4, Folder 8George Carr and Chester Carlson, Xerox, Webster, NY, 1966
1 photograph

Box 4, Folder 9Joseph Wilson – portrait
1 photograph

Box 4, Folder 10Images are color xerographic copies developed at Xerox from a slide projector to Xerox machine, 1974
6 photographs

Box 4, Folder 11Postcard of the Xerox building, Rochester, NY
Box 4, Folder 12Xeroxed copies of Chester Carlson demonstrating his invention
3 photographs

Box 4, Folder 13Annual report cover, 1988
Box 4, Folder 14Artistic rendering of college image
3 photographs

Box 2, Folder 8Dr. Cornelis de Kiewiet, President of the University of Rochester, and Chester Carlson, May 15, 1959
Establishment of the Ellen Hawkins Carlson scholarship
1 photograph

Series VII: Chester Carlson's business awards
Box 3, Folder 10Images of Chester Carlson receiving awards and honors
Box 3, Folder 11Negatives of Chester Carlson receiving awards and honors
Box 8, Volume 3Chester Carlson's business awards and ceremonies
100 photographs

Box 9Award: Edward Longstreth Medal, October 21, 1953
Box 9Award: The John Scott Medal and Premium, June 19, 1964
Box 9Award: Inventor of the Year Award, 1964
Box 9Award: Societe Encouragement au Progres- Medaille D'Honeur, 1968
Box 9Award: American Society of Mechanical Engineers, Holley Medal, 1968
Box 9Award: World Academy of Art and Science
Resolution of Appreciation - in honor of the late Fellow of the World Academy of Art and Science

Series VIII: Newspaper and journal articles on Carlson
Bound paperbacks of copied newspaper and journal articles of the life of Chester Carlson and his invention of the Xerox machine

Box 10, Volume 1Book 1, 1940-October 1948
Box 10, Volume 2Book 2, 1948-1950
Box 10, Volume 3Book 2, Microfilm blowback, 1948-1950
Box 10, Volume 4Book 3, 1950-1953
Box 10, Volume 5Book 4, 1953-May 1955
Box 10, Volume 6Book 5, 1955-1956
Box 10, Volume 7Book 6, 1957-1959
Box 10, Volume 8Book 6 ½, supplement for books 6-7, 1960-1966
Box 10, Volume 9Book 7, 1963-1968
Box 11, Volume 1Book 8, 1968-1969
Box 11, Volume 2Book 9, 1970-1979
Box 11, Volume 3Book 10, plus cartoons, 1980
Box 11, Volume 4Haloid Company, 1947-1948


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