TABLE OF CONTENTS
Descriptive Summary
Biographical Note:
Scope and Content Note
Arrangement
Access Points
Related Material
Administrative Information
Series Descriptions and Container List
Series 1: James W. Proctor Personal Papers, 1860-1956.
Series 2: Bound Photographs (Albums), 1908-1969.
Series 3: Unbound Photographs, ca. 1850s-ca. 2000s.
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 Guide to the James W. Proctor Jr. Collection1850-2003Bulk dates: 1930-1960MG 1641
The New Jersey Historical Society
52 Park Place
Newark, New Jersey 07102
Contact: NJHS Library
(973) 596-8500 x249
library@jerseyhistory.org
https://www.jerseyhistory.org
© 2006 All rights reserved.
The New Jersey Historical Society, Publisher
Processed by Doug Baldwin, May 2006.
Finding aid encoded by Julia Telonidis. August 2006. Production of the EAD 2002 version of this finding aid was made possible by a grant from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation.Finding aid written in English.
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Descriptive Summary
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Creator: |
Proctor, James W., Jr. |
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Title: |
James W. Proctor Jr. Collection |
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Dates |
1850-2003 |
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Abstract: |
This collection contains various types of documentary material, including photographs and military documents, related to
the life and family of James W. Proctor Jr. of Morris County, NJ. |
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Quantity: |
3.75 linear feet (7 manuscript boxes and 1 OS box) |
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Collection Number: |
MG 1641 |
Biographical Note:
William Proctor Jr. was born in Morris County, NJ on September 16th, 1919. His early years were spent living in northern NJ. He served in the US Army from 1945-1946, and was stationed in both Guam and the Philippines. Unfortunately, there is little documented detail regarding the donor’s activities after his military service. However, from the manuscripts in this collection, there is evidence that he was significantly involved in the art community in northern California during the 1950’s and 1960’s. The collection reveals that he aspired to be an artist during his adolescent years, and continued to work artistically during and after his military service. For instance, in correspondence to his parents he speaks of his participation in various creative productions. Furthermore, the collection contains a letter from his mother reflecting on his father’s reservations about his son becoming an artist.
Further evidence of his involvement in art as adult can be ascertained from his donation of watercolors and other art to the Yale University Art School. He passed away in 2004.
The donor is the grandson of Samuel Loder Garrison (b.1845), a well-known newspaper editor in Boonton, NJ. Samuel L Garrison became a newspaper apprentice in 1859, at the age of fourteen. A few years later, he became assistant editor of the Millville Republican. In 1873, he became editor of the Boonton Weekly Bulletin. He was married to the donor’s grandmother, Mary Ferguson (1847-1922), in 1867. The couple had four children: Wilbert Garrison, Thomas Ferguson, Mary Ferguson (Proctor), and Samuel C. Garrison.
The donor’s uncle Wilbert Garrison, as president and owner of Wilbert Garrison Co, a publishing company based in New York City, during the turn of the century. Another uncle, Samuel C Garrison was a prominent Morris County (NJ) based attorney.
Like the donor, there is not much information about the life of his parents. His father, James Proctor, was the son of an English immigrant (Robert Proctor). One NJ biographical history published in 1914, mentions James Proctor as being employed in the chemical business. There were some newspaper articles concerning his mother, Mary Florence Proctor (1847-1922), and her time as a golf player. The articles speak about her involvement in several women’s tournaments, and her achievement of a hole-in-one at one of them. Otherwise, the collection provides minimal biographical information about his parents.
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Scope and Content Note
This collection contains various types of documentary material related to the life and family of James W Proctor Jr. This collection contains correspondence, documents, newspaper clippings, ephemera, photographs, scrapbooks/albums, slides and photographic negatives.
The family papers in the collection contain correspondence and documents reflecting the lives of both the donor and his parents including his military service, correspondence between his parents and his role in the disposition of his uncle’s estate.
The photographs, negatives, and slides in this collection depict family members from the late 19th through most of the 20th century, foreign trips, vacations and family visits, as well as friends and works of art.
The scrapbooks in this collection contain various family photographs, although some of the scrapbooks/albums are thematic in nature.
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Arrangement
This collection is organized into three series:
Series 1: James W Proctor Personal Papers, 1860-1956.
Series 2: Bound Photographs (Albums), 1908-1969.
Series 3: Unbound Photographs, ca. 1850s-ca. 2000s.
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Access Points
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The entries below represent persons, organizations, topics, forms, and occupations documented in this collection. |
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Subject Names: |
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Proctor, James W., Jr. |
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Subject Topics: |
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Artists. |
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Soldiers. |
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Travel photography. |
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World War, 1914-1918. |
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World War, 1939-1945. |
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Subject Places: |
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Jizah (Egypt) |
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Morris County (N.J.) |
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Athens (Greece) |
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Crete (Greece) |
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Florence (Italy) |
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Document Types: |
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Daugerreotypes. |
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Genealogies. |
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Photograph albums. |
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Photographs |
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Slides (Photography). |
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Related Material
For related material regarding military service correspondence in the World War II era:, see:
Manuscript Group 1337, Merritt Family
Manuscript Group 1391, Thomas Kovanich (d. 1945), World War II soldier
Manuscript Group 1395, Droppa Family
Manuscript Group 1512, Lynch-Ginter Family (Newark, NJ)
Manuscript Group 1517, Mueller Family (Newark, NJ)
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Administrative Information
Preferred Citation
This collection should be cited as: Manuscript Group 1641, James W. Proctor Jr. Collection, The New Jersey Historical Society.
Acquisition Information
Donated by the estate of James W. Proctor Jr. on June 22, 2005. Portions of this donated collection included non-manuscript
items that have been transferred to the Museum Collection.
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Series Descriptions and Container List
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Series 1: James W. Proctor Personal Papers, 1860-1956.
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Scope and Content:
This series consists of two boxes comprising the personal papers of James Proctor. Box one of this series contains six folders of family correspondence. Several folders contain correspondence between the donor and his parents during his service in the military from April 1945-February 1946 in the Philippines and Guam. These letters deal with topics from the donor’s involvement in theatrical and artistic productions, interior design for their home, as well as day-to-day activities on the base. The other folders contain correspondence between the donor, lawyers, and family members regarding the disposition of his uncle’s (Wilbert Garrison) estate, as well as miscellaneous correspondence between the donor’s parents that includes both personal letters and postcards. Box two of this series contains six folders of various types of life event documents related to the marriage of the donor’s parents, his birth, and the death of his mother. Additional content amongst these folders includes newspaper clippings related to family members and mother’s involvement in golf, as well as genealogical research and miscellaneous ephemera such as identification cards, a program, a show ticket, and a calendar book dating to 1866. Of note in the collection’s genealogical folder is a citizenship certificate for the donor’s grandfather, Robert Proctor. |
| Box |
Folder |
Title |
Date |
| 1 |
1 |
Correspondence between James Proctor Jr. and his parents during his military service |
1945 Apr-Jul |
| 1 |
2 |
Correspondence between James Proctor Jr. and his parents during military service |
1945 Aug-Sept |
| 1 |
3 |
Correspondence between James Proctor Jr. and his parents during military service |
1945 Oct-Nov |
| 1 |
4 |
Correspondence between James Proctor Jr. and his parents during military service |
1945 Dec-1946 Feb |
| 1 |
5 |
Correspondence regarding the estate of Wilbert Garrison (donor’s uncle) |
1934, 1961 May-1962 Oct |
| 1 |
6 |
Correspondence (miscellaneous) |
1910 Aug-1960 Apr, n.d. |
| Box |
Folder |
Title |
Date |
| 2 |
1 |
Marriage documents of James Proctor Sr. and Florence Proctor |
1912, n.d. |
| 2 |
2 |
Documents regarding birth of James W Proctor Jr. |
1919 Sept |
| 2 |
3 |
Documents regarding death of Florence Proctor |
1959 May |
| 2 |
4 |
Newspaper clippings |
1924 May-1933 May |
| 2 |
5 |
Genealogical research |
1866, 1917 May-1961 Jul |
| 2 |
6 |
Miscellaneous |
1860, 1938-1956, n.d. |
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Series 2: Bound Photographs (Albums), 1908-1969.
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Scope and Content:
This series consists of two boxes of bound albums and scrapbooks. These bound collections contain photographs of various family members, outings, summer camp pictures, art models, and various historic landmarks and places. While most of the albums are an assortment of pictures of different people and of different chronological periods, four albums are thematic in nature. Album two represents a baby album of pictures of the donor during the first months of his life. Album three contains photography from a 1957 trip to Greece, Italy and Egypt. Albums 6 and 7 contain photographs of an individual identified as Frank Keene. Research has not been able to reveal the nature of the acquaintance between this individual and either the donor, or his family.
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| Box |
Folder |
Title |
Date |
| 3 |
1 |
Album 1: Miscellaneous family pictures (scrapbook) |
1908-1910 |
| 3 |
2 |
Album 2: Baby pictures of James W Proctor Jr. (scrapbook) |
1919 |
| 3 |
3 |
Album 3: Trips to Greece, Italy and Egypt (scrapbook) |
1957,1960 |
| 3 |
4 |
Album 4: Miscellaneous family pictures (photo album) |
1936-1938 |
| 3 |
5 |
Album 5: Miscellaneous family pictures (scrapbook) |
n.d. |
| 3 |
6 |
Album 6: Pictures of Frank Keene and landscapes (scrapbook) |
1956, n.d. |
| 3 |
7 |
Album 7: Pictures of Frank Keene |
1964-1969 |
| Box |
Folder |
Title |
Date |
| 4 |
1 |
Album 8: Miscellaneous family pictures and local places |
ca. late 19th century- early 20th century |
| 4 |
2 |
Album 9: Summer camp and art model photographs |
1930-1943 |
| 4 |
3 |
Album 10: Historic landmark photographs |
1897, 1925-1937 |
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Series 3: Unbound Photographs, ca. 1850s-ca. 2000s.
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Scope and Content:
This series consists of 25 folders (2 oversized) of loose and matted photography, scrapbooks, 35mm negatives, two daguerreotypes, and two sleeves of slides as well as two oversized folders of matted portraits. The loose and matted photography (including the matted portraits) largely depict family members from the 19th through the 20th century, including the donor’s parents, grandparents, uncles, aunts and others. There are a significant amount of loose photographs from family trips and visits as well as pictures from foreign countries depicting various tourist sites and attractions. Of note, are two rolled pictures of the Women’s Motor Corp of which the donor’s mother Florence was a member during World War I. The two daguerreotypes in this collection are both direct ancestors of the donor, Robert Proctor (his paternal grandfather) and Mary Ferguson Garrison (his maternal grandmother). Most of the 35mm negatives were not identified during processing, but likely are representative of the loose 35mm photographs in this collection. This collection also contains two sleeves of slides that represent images of family members (personal), as well as foreign and domestic tourist attractions (commercial). |
| Box |
Folder |
Title |
Date |
| 5 |
1 |
Loose photographs |
ca. 1930s-1940s |
| 5 |
2 |
Loose photographs |
ca. 1930s-1940s |
| 5 |
3 |
Loose photographs |
ca. 1950s-1970s |
| 5 |
4 |
Loose photographs |
ca. 1950s-1970s |
| 5 |
5 |
Loose photographs |
ca. 1950s-1970s |
| 5 |
6 |
Loose photographs |
ca. 1930s-1940s |
| 5 |
7 |
Loose photographs |
ca. 1930s-1940s |
| 5 |
8 |
Loose photographs |
ca. 1980s-2000s |
| 5 |
9 |
Slides, Personal |
1950s-1970s |
| 5 |
10 |
Slides, Commercial |
1950s-1970s |
| 5 |
11 |
Two photographs of the Women’s Motor Corps |
ca. 1920s |
| Box |
Folder |
Title |
Date |
| 6 |
1 |
Negatives |
ca. 1850s-2000s |
| 6 |
2 |
Negatives |
ca. 1850s-2000s |
| 6 |
3 |
Negatives |
ca. 1850s-2000s |
| 6 |
4 |
Negatives |
ca. 1850s-2000s |
| 6 |
5 |
Negatives |
ca. 1850s-2000s |
| 6 |
6 |
Negatives |
ca. 1850s-2000s |
| 6 |
7 |
Negatives |
ca. 1850s-2000s |
| 6 |
8 |
Negatives |
ca. 1850s-2000s |
| Box |
Folder |
Title |
Date |
| 7 |
1 |
Loose photographs |
ca. 1850s-1880s |
| 7 |
2 |
Loose photographs (includes two daguerreotype photographs) |
ca. 1850s-1880s |
| 7 |
3 |
Loose photographs |
ca. 1900s-1920s |
| 7 |
4 |
Loose photographs |
ca. 1900s-1920s |
| 7 |
5 |
Loose photographs |
ca. 1900s-1920s |
| 7 |
6 |
Loose photographs |
ca. 1900s-1920s |
| Box |
Folder |
Title |
Date |
| OS |
1 |
Matted Portraits |
1850s-1920s |
| OS |
2 |
Matted Portraits |
1930s-1950s |
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