Eastman-Butterfield collection
Creator: Butterfield, Roger, 1907-1981
Call Number: D.4
Dates: 1950's
Physical Description: 9 notebooks, 4 boxes, 1 package
Language(s): Materials are in English
Repository: Rare Books, Special Collections, and Preservation, River Campus Libraries, University of Rochester

Table of Contents:

Scope and Content
Subject(s)
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Access
Use
Citation
Related Materials
Content List
Series I: Notebooks
Series II: Interview notes
Series III: Eastman Biography notes
Series IV: Photography
Series V: Book correspondence and agreements
Series VI: Printed material
Collection Overview
Title: Eastman-Butterfield collection
Creator: Butterfield, Roger, 1907-1981
Call Number: D.4
Dates: 1950's
Physical Description: 9 notebooks, 4 boxes, 1 package
Language(s): Materials are in English
Repository: Rare Books, Special Collections, and Preservation, River Campus Libraries, University of Rochester

Scope and Content
The Eastman-Butterfield Collection consists of a series of notes in nine notebooks, four boxes, and one package. Roger Butterfield assembled the notes in the early 1950s to serve as the resource material for a proposed biography of George Eastman. Although Butterfield never wrote the Eastman biography, he did publish an article, "The Prodigious Life of George Eastman," in the April 26, 1954 issue of Life magazine.

The first eight notebooks contain notes and correspondence arranged in chronological order. These notebooks cover the period from c.1830 until George Eastman's death in 1932. The ninth notebook is comprised of a subject file of key elements of Eastman's life.

Researchers using the notebooks can determine the sources of Butterfield's information by looking at the initial code in the upper left-hand corner of each page. Butterfield's general information came either from the Eastman House (EH) or from the Eastman Kodak Company (EK) files. Material from either of these sources that was derived from examining letters (correspondence) can be distinguished by the presence of an L before the main initials (i.e. LEH and LEK). The Eastman Kodak Company further divided Eastman's letters into personal correspondence boxes and general (mostly business) correspondence boxes. LB stands for Letter Box, the general file, while PLB denotes the Personal Letter Box. Much of the Eastman Kodak Company correspondence collection had already been excerpted and transcribed by Kodak employees before Butterfield began his research. Butterfield notes in the text of the notebooks which letters he has only seen in incomplete transcribed versions. The Eastman House files were transferred to the Department of Rare Books, & Special Collections and can now be found in D.138, the Eastman (George) Papers .

The collection also contains four boxes and one package. The first three boxes include interviews, notes, newspaper clippings, pamphlets and other research materials. The first box contains a series of interviews and interview notes gathered by Butterfield. The interviews shed light on Eastman's private and public life, on his management of the Eastman Kodak Company, and on the continuing development of the Company since his death. The second box contains Butterfield's notes and printed materials having to do with George Eastman himself. The third box contains notes and clippings about the development of photography in general, and some specific information about the Eastman Kodak Company. This box also contains printed material distributed by Eastman Kodak to its stockholders. The last box contains copies of Butterfield's book contracts for the writing of the Eastman biography and correspondence pertaining to the proposed book.

Subject(s):
New York (State)--Rochester
Photography
Notebooks
Eastman, George, 1854-1932
Eastman Kodak Company
Immediate Source of Acquisition
This collection was the gift of Roger Butterfield in September, 1971.Access
The Eastman-Butterfield collection 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], Eastman-Butterfield collection, D.4, Rare Books, Special Collections, and Preservation, River Campus Libraries, University of RochesterRelated Materials
The Eastman-Butterfield Collection is one of five collections of materials relating to George Eastman in the Department of Rare Books & Special Collections. The other four collections are:

D.85, the George Eastman House Construction Papers, 1902-1906 , which consists of correspondence, including some to and from George Eastman, agreements, contracts, etc., relating to the construction of the home of George Eastman at 350 (now 900) East Avenue, Rochester, New York;

D.137, the Bachmann (Lawrence) Papers , a collection of notes and a draft of a proposed biography of Eastman; and

D.138, the Eastman (George) Papers , composed of Eastman's correspondence, printed ephemera, and over 4,000 photographs and negatives depicting George Eastman, his family, his friends, his homes in Waterville and at 900 East Avenue, and early Kodak factories and workers.

D.139, Eastman Research Materials , is a collection of miscellaneous items, including scrapbooks, taped oral histories, photographs, and an extensive newspaper clipping file. As relevant material is acquired, it will be added to this collection.


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