Guide to the Charles Baptie photograph collection, 1917-1995 Charles Baptie photograph collection C0032

Guide to the Charles Baptie photograph collection, 1917-1995

A Collection in
Special Collections and Archives
Collection Number C0032


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George Mason University Libraries

2010 By George Mason University Libraries. All rights reserved.

Processed by: Special Collections and Archives Staff

Repository
George Mason University. Special Collections and Archives.
Collection number
C0032
Title
The Charles Baptie photograph collection 1917-1995
URL:
http://sca.gmu.edu/finding_aids/
Physical Characteristics
26 linear feet (24 document boxes, 35 3-ring photo boxes, and 12 oversize boxes)
Creator
Charles Baptie, 1914-2000
Language
English
Abstract
Mid-20th century photographs of Washington, D.C., area landmarks, including Gunston Hall, the White House, and embassies; local businesses, including Texaco stations and Hot Shoppes; and more common subjects, like artwork, animals, nature, or people. These images are in several formats: negatives, slides, prints, and publications.

Administrative Information

Access Restrictions

Collection is open to research.

Use Restrictions

There are no restrictions.

Preferred Citation

The Charles Baptie photograph collection, Collection #C0032, Special Collections and Archives, George Mason University.

Acquisition Information

The collection was donated in several stages by Charles Baptie and J. Roger Bentley. Charles Baptie, in November 1993, donated GMU materials and other material relating to Northern Virginia. He donated 2.4 linear feet of negatives in July 1994. He donated more photographic negatives and other material in September 1994. In May 2002, J. Roger Bentley donated 1900 negatives, 1,400 photographs, and some publication materials. The next year, May 2003, he donated approximately 2,000 negatives, slides, and photographs, as well as pamphlets, postcards, news clippings and other documents.

Processing Information

Several different staff members have processed this collection as it came into the archives. Instead of reprocessing the whole collection, each new addition was added on, thus making the organization of the collection rather difficult. Instead of reorganizing the thousands of photographs and negatives, the decision was made to divide the collection into series, but not resort it. Therefore, some boxes contain several different series, as well as each folder containing several series. Some individual photographs overlap series; when this occurs, it can be found in both series.

Processed by Special Collections and Archives staff. Additional processing by Sean Tennant and Stacey Kniatt in 2008-2010. EAD markup completed by Stacey Kniatt and Hal Barthold in October 2010.

Biographical Information

Charles Baptie, a photographer, printer, and publisher, was born in Munhall, PA on March 13, 1914. Early in life, Baptie became interested in photography and airplanes, interests that would eventually lead to him becoming a photographer and public relations agent for Capital Airlines. His camera recorded the life of the airline for many years. When Capital Airlines merged with United Airlines, Baptie left the company and formed his own business, Charles Baptie Studios, Inc.

While operating his own studio, Baptie provided photographs for more than fifty books and other publications, including: Capital Airlines: A Nostalgic Flight Into the Past , Great Houses of Washington , Camera on Assignment (with Ollie Atkins), the sixteen volume Encyclopedia of United States History , Guest House of the Presidents , the story of the Blair Lee House, and Mid the Hills of Pennsylvania . As a photojournalist, Baptie covered feature stories for leading magazines and other news publications. Over the course of his journalistic career, Baptie met and photographed many world leaders and public figures. He passed away in 2000.

Scope and Content

The Charles Baptie Photograph Collection contains color prints and negatives of Gunston Hall, the home of George Mason; color transparencies from the Encyclopedia of United States History; color transparencies and prints from the Great Houses of Washington, D.C.; black & white negatives of the Washington metropolitan area; and photographs of George Mason College. There are, in addition, aerial photographs, photographs of malaria prevention overseas, and publicity photographs for various publications. Also included in this collection are photographs pertaining to the childrens' book, Herkie the Pup, written by Charles Baptie. The total volume of the collection is 26 linear feet, consisting of 24 document boxes, 35 3-ring photo boxes, and 12 oversize boxes.

Series 1 is a group of images of buildings, both interior and exterior, including facades of famous houses and embassies around DC as well as images of the interior decorations; also included are images of churches, DC monuments, hotels, restaurants, schools, laboratories, service stations, theaters, hospitals, and personal homes.

Series 2 consists of images of the Belgian, Brazilian, French, Irish, Mexican, Peruvian, Spanish, and Turkish embassies; most of these items are also found in series 1.

Series 3 contains images of artwork, including of paintings, sculptures, dolls, trophies, and architecture; also images of artwork used for publications such as a baseball book, an Encyclopedia of American History, a History of the Civil War, and a Northern Virginia guidebook.

Series 4 is for Publications for which Baptie either provided photos or printed at his studio including brochures and pamphlets, guide books, logos, small print books, magazines, and poetry collections.

Series 5 shows images of Texaco stations in the area, both on the ground and in the air throughout the Washington, D.C., area included are aerial views and on-the-ground images, as well as plans, blueprints, portraits, and vehicles.

Hot Shoppes restaurant photos make up Series 6, Hot Shoppes were a chain of restaurant owned by the Marriott Company and the series includes images of food, their Airline service, their kitchens, and the dining rooms of the restaurants.

Series 7 includes photographs of D.C. monuments and landmarks including Capitol Hill, the Lincoln Memorial, the Jefferson Memorial, the Washington Monument, the White House, and Mount Vernon.

Series 8 contains images from several other series that happen to be aerial shots, as well as general aerial views from around the country; images of nearby locations include Alexandria, Annandale, Texaco service stations, construction sites, DC monuments, Gunston Hall, Sully Plantation, and the Potomac River.

Series 9 consists of nature scenes, such as trees, mountains, clouds, gardens, fireworks, sunsets, clouds, bodies of water, landscapes, and cemeteries.

Series 10 contains maps and building plans, such as blueprints or architectural renderings, specific topics include St. Agnes School, Baltimore, Texaco, Hazelton labs, Woodbridge Toll Center, and Fairfax Hills.

People make up the subject of Series 11, where the people are doing something else or just taking a portrait. Many photos have unidentified subjects, while others show notable Washingtonians and politicians, athletes, scientists, wedding guests, presidents, actors, the National Symphony, and military leaders.

Series 12 consists of pictures of food from restaurants, Hot Shoppes, and holiday events.

Series 13 is made up of museum exhibits and artifacts including the Star Spangled Banner, dolls, and various Smithsonian objects and exhibits.

Series 14 documents various animals including monkeys, horses, birds, bees, cattle, dogs, hippopotamuses, snakes, butterflies and animals for scientific testing.

Series 15 shows different types of technology such as science labs, computers, a space shuttle, factories, and a camera.

George Mason College is featured in Series 16 with images of athletic teams, staff members, buildings, campus, students, graduations, George Mason Day, and printed materials.

Series 17 includes pictures of vehicles, such as cars, baby carriage, planes, trains, ships, helicopters and bicycles.

Series 18 consists of images from Gunston Hall, the historical home of George Mason. Images in the series include the Mason coat of arms, publications, postcard images, aerial views, and a car show hosted by Gunston Hall.

Series 19 is consists of images of international subjects taken during Baptie's many travels, including various settings in Central America, like Brazil, Honduras, and Ecuador; and other locations, such as Paris or India.

Series 20 is made up of documents consisting of correspondence between Charles Baptie and others about photograph orders and publications.

Finally, Series 21 contains electronic media, specifically a number of 5 1/4 inch floppy discs used for a program called Wordstar.

Arrangement

The collection is organized into 21 series.

Series 1: Buildings: Interior and Exterior, 1947-1975 Series 2: Embassies, 1950s-1970s Series 3: Art, 1947-1975 Series 4: Publications, 1942-1994 Series 5: Texaco Stations, 1950-1972 Series 6: Hot Shoppes, 1948-1953 Series 7: Washington, D.C., Monuments, 1944-1991 Series 8: Aerial Photographs, 1934-1991 Series 9: Nature, 1917-1988 Series 10: Maps and Building Plans, 1941-1973 Series 11: People, 1944-1976 Series 12: Food, 1950s-1960s Series 13: Museum Exhibits, 1952-1970s Series 14: Animals, 1946-1980s Series 15: Technology, 1948-1974 Series 16: George Mason College, 1959-1976 Series 17: Vehicles, 1946-1995 Series 18: Gunston Hall, 1960s-1993 Series 19: International, 1958-1989 Series 20: Correspondence, 1955-1990s Series 21: Electronic Media, 1970s-1980s

Related Material

Special Collections and Archives also holds the Richard Nixon presidential photograph collection the Jack Rottier photograph collection, 1953-1983 and the Oliver Atkins Photograph Collection.

Index Terms


Adjunct Descriptive Data

Significant Persons Associated With the Collection

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Significant Places Associated With the Collection

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Contents List

Series 1: Buildings: Interiors and Exteriors,
1947-1975

This series contains photographic prints, negatives and slides that show various building interiors and exteriors. Some of these photographs appear in other series based on the image. Images include facades of famous houses and embassies around Washington, D.C., as well as images of the interior decorations. Also included are images of churches, Washington, D.C., monuments, hotels, restaurants, schools, laboratories, service stations, theaters, hospitals, and personal homes.

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Series 2: Embassies,
1950s-1970s

This series contains photographic prints, negatives and slides that show various embassies. Some of these photographs appear in other series based on the image. The embassies shown include the Belgian, Brazilian, French, Irish, Mexican, Peruvian, Spanish, and Turkish embassies.

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Series 3: Art,
1947-1975

This series contains photographic prints, negatives and slides that show artwork. Some of these photographs appear in other series based on the image. The artwork includes that for a baseball book, an Encyclopedia of American History, a History of the Civil War, a Northern Virginia guidebook, as well as paintings, sculptures, dolls, trophies, and architecture.

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Series 4: Publications,
1942-1994

This series contains publications for which Charles Baptie provided pictures or helped print at his studio. The series includes many brochures and pamphlets, guide books, logos, small print books, magazines, and poetry collections.

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Series 5: Texaco Stations,
1950-1972

This series contains negatives of Texaco stations in the greater Washington, D.C., area. There are aerial views and on-the-ground images, as well as plans, blueprints, portraits, and vehicles included in the collection.

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Series 6: Hot Shoppes,
1948-1953

This series contains negatives of Hot Shoppes Restaurants in the greater Washington, D.C., area. This was a restaurant owned by the Marriott company and the series includes images of food, their Airline service, their kitchens, and the dining rooms of Hot Shoppes.

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Series 7: D.C. Monuments,
1944-1991

This series contains photographic prints, negatives, and slides of D.C. monuments. Some of these images are listed in other series as necessary. The monuments include Capitol Hill, the Lincoln Memorial, the Jefferson Memorial, the Washington Monument, the White House, and Mount Vernon, for example.

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Series 8: Aerial Photos,
1934-1991

This series contains aerial photographs and negatives of the D.C. area. Some of these photos are listed in other series as necessary. Aerial views include those of Alexandria, Annandale, Texaco service stations, construction sites, Washington, D.C., monuments, Gunston Hall, Sully Plantation, and the Potomac River.

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Series 9: Nature,
1917-1988

This series contains photographs, negatives and slides of nature, including gardens, fireworks, sunsets, clouds, bodies of water, landscapes, and cemeteries. Some of these photos are listed in other series as necessary.

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Series 10: Maps and Building Plans,
1941-1973

This series contains photographs and negatives of various maps and building plans. This includes blueprints and architectural designs too. Some of these photos are listed in other series as necessary. Specific topics include St. Agnes School, Baltimore, Texaco, Hazelton labs, Woodbridge Toll Center, and Fairfax Hills.

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Series 11: People,
1944-1976

This series contains prints and negatives of people in various settings. Some of these photos are listed in other series as necessary. Many photos have unidentified subjects, while others show notable Washingtonians and politicians, athletes, scientists, wedding guests, Presidents, actors, the National Symphony, and military leaders.

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Series 12: Food,
1950s-1960s

This series contains photographs and negatives of food from restaurants and Hot Shoppes.

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Series 13: Museum Exhibits,
1952-1970s

This series contains photographs and negatives of various museum exhibits and artifacts. Some of these photos are listed in other series as necessary. Artifacts and exhibits include the Star Spangled Banner, dolls, and Smithsonian objects.

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Series 14: Animals,
1946-1980s

This series contains photographs and negatives of animals. Some of these photos are listed in other series as necessary. Animals include monkeys, horses, birds, bees, cattle, dogs, butterflies and animals for scientific testing.

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Series 15: Technology,
1948-1974

This series contains photographs and negatives of technology. Some of these photos are listed in other series as necessary. Images in this series include science labs, computers, a space shuttle, factories, and a camera.

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Series 16: George Mason College,
1959-1976

This series contains photographs and negatives of George Mason College. Some of these photos are listed in other series as necessary. Specific subjects include athletic teams, staff members, buildings, campus, students, graduations, George Mason Day, and printed materials.

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Series 17: Vehicles,
1946-1995

This series contains photographs and negatives of vehicles, such as cars, baby carriage, planes, trains, and ships. Some of these photos are listed in other series as necessary.

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Series 18: Gunston Hall,
1960s-1993

This series contains photographs and negatives of Gunston Hall, home of George Mason. Some of these photos are listed in other series as necessary. Images include the Mason coat of arms, publications, postcard images, aerial views, and a car show.

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Series 19: International,
1958-1989

This series contains photographs and negatives of various settings in Central America, like Brazil, Honduras, and Ecuador; and other international locations, like Paris or India. Some of these photos are listed in other series as necessary.

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Series 20: Correspondence,
1955-1990s

This series contains correspondence between Charles Baptie and others about photograph orders and publications.

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Series 21: Electric Media,
1970s-1980s

This series contains electronic media, specifically a couple of floppy disks for a computer program called Wordstar.

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