Collection # P 0206 OM 0505 WILLIAM B. PALMER COLLECTION, 1951–1990 Collection Information Biographical Sketch Scope and Content Note Series Contents Cataloging Information Processed by Marilyn Rader and Dorothy A. Nicholson March 2014 revised May 2014 Manuscript and Visual Collections Department William Henry Smith Memorial Library Indiana Historical Society 450 West Ohio Street Indianapolis, IN 46202-3269 www.indianahistory.org COLLECTION INFORMATION VOLUME OF Photographs: 9 boxes of photographs, 1 box OVA COLLECTION: photographs, 1 OVA color photograph, 1 OVB photograph Negatives: 1 box 4x5 acetate negatives, 1 box of 120 mm acetate negatives, 6 boxes of 35 mm acetate negatives Manuscript Materials: 2 document cases, 1 OM folder Artifacts: 1 artifact COLLECTION 1951–1990 DATES: PROVENANCE: Heritage Photo Services, Indianapolis, Ind. 2002 Linda J. Kelso, Indianapolis, Ind. 2002 RESTRICTIONS: The negatives and color photograph are in cold storage and researchers must request them a day in advance and may view the negatives with the assistance of Library Staff. COPYRIGHT: The photographs in this collection were taken while William Palmer was an employee of the Indianapolis News. REPRODUCTION Permission to reproduce or publish material in this collection RIGHTS: must be obtained from the Indianapolis Star, copyright owner of the Indianapolis News. ALTERNATE FORMATS: RELATED HOLDINGS: ACCESSION 2002.0342, 2002.0424 NUMBER: NOTES: BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH William Beckner Palmer (1913–1997) was a staff photographer for the Indianapolis News. His assignments were random; society, sports, fire, accident, or human interest. Palmer had a standing assignment of “pick ups,” that meant he could take photographs of whatever he found of interest to the readers. His newspaper career began at the Indianapolis News while he was a student at Tech High School. He attended school and worked part time as an office boy. He continued at the newspaper working in different departments through the years. It was while he attended Butler University that he took his first professional photograph for the newspaper. He began working as a full time photographer in the photo lab by 1950. Through the years he won several news photography awards including the Associated Press Bushemi Award for best news photo and, “two out of ten” of the Ten Best Pictures of the Year for 1959. He retired in 1981 but continued working part-time until 1990 when he ended his 61 year career with The News. He was born May 18, 1913 and was married to Clara P. McClosky; they had one daughter, Linda J. Kelso. He died June 3, 1997 in Indianapolis. Sources: Materials in the collection Indianapolis Star, obituaries, June 1997. SCOPE AND CONTENT NOTE The photographs and negatives in this collection were taken by William Palmer for the Indianapolis News and span the years 1951–1990. They cover a variety of events and sports. Most notable are the 1956 Indiana high school basketball finals at Butler Fieldhouse when Crispus Attucks won the state championship. Other teams represented that year are: Ben Davis, Anderson, Manual, Terre Haute Gerstmeyer, and Lafayette Jefferson. Notable sports figures include Tony Hinkle, Tom Carnegie, and Ray Crowe; players from the winning Attucks team of Oscar Robertson and Bill Brown, and players from the runner-up team Lafayette Jefferson Jack Williamson and Ronnie Fisher. There are also views of baseball games at Bush Stadium, the Indianapolis 500, the 1956 Democratic Convention, and the 1979 Indiana State University celebration when the school’s basketball team led by Larry Bird arrived at Terre Haute. There are accidents, fires, storm damage, construction scenes, cute children, models, celebrities, and political figures. At the time it was customary for photographers to keep their negatives and distribute images to the newspaper for publication. Many photographs and negatives are dated and researchers will find articles in The Indianapolis News to correspond with those images in this collection. Some photographs are stamped with a different date than when the image appeared in the newspaper. Palmer often took many photos at an event but only one or two images would appear in the newspaper. This is especially true when he used 120 and 35 mm roll film. Those negative images selected for the newspaper are notched at the edge. The photographs, negatives, and papers were found in disorder. The processor arranged them into the following series. The descriptions in square brackets were provided by the processor; those without brackets came directly from the photographer’s notes. Series 1: Indianapolis News Clippings, features Palmer’s photographs. These have been photocopied and arranged in chronological order. Most years are represented but there are gaps and not all of his images are represented. Series 2: Dated Photographs and Negatives, arranged in chronological order with brief descriptions. Most years are represented but there are gaps. Series 3: Undated Photographs and Negatives, arranged by subject. Series 4: William Palmer, Photographs, Papers, and Clippings, images of Palmer at work, some correspondence and papers, and full-page newspaper articles featuring Palmer’s photographs. Series 5: Other Indianapolis News Photographers, contains photographs, negatives, and newspaper articles that were found mixed in with Palmer’s materials. SERIES CONTENTS Series 1: Indianapolis News, Clippings, 1951–1990, n.d. CONTENTS CONTAINER Indianapolis News 1951 Manuscripts: Box 1, Folder 1 Indianapolis News 1952 Manuscripts: Box 1, Folder 2 Indianapolis News 1953 Manuscripts: Box 1, Folder 3 Indianapolis News 1954 Manuscripts: Box 1, Folder 4 Indianapolis News 1955 Manuscripts: Box 1, Folder 5 Indianapolis News 1956 Manuscripts: Box 1, Folder 6 Indianapolis News 1957 Manuscripts: Box 1, Folder 7 Indianapolis News 1958 Manuscripts: Box 1, Folder 8 Indianapolis News 1959 Manuscripts: Box 1, Folder 9 Indianapolis News 1960 Manuscripts: Box 1, Folder 10 Indianapolis News 1961 Manuscripts: Box 1, Folder 11 Indianapolis News 1962 Manuscripts: Box 1, Folder 12 Indianapolis News 1963 Manuscripts: Box 1, Folder 13 Indianapolis News 1964 Manuscripts: Box 1, Folder 14 Indianapolis News 1965 Manuscripts: Box 1, Folder 15 Indianapolis News 1966 Manuscripts: Box 1, Folder 16 Indianapolis News 1967 Manuscripts: Box 1, Folder 17 Indianapolis News 1968 Manuscripts: Box 1, Folder 18 Indianapolis News 1969 Manuscripts: Box 1, Folder 19 Indianapolis News 1970 Manuscripts: Box 1, Folder 20 Indianapolis News 1971 Manuscripts: Box 1, Folder 21 Indianapolis News 1972 Manuscripts: Box 1, Folder 22 Indianapolis News 1973: January–May Manuscripts: Box 1, Folder 23 Indianapolis News 1973: June–December Manuscripts: Box 1, Folder 24 Indianapolis News 1974 Manuscripts: Box 1, Folder 25 Indianapolis News 1976: January–May Manuscripts: Box 1, Folder 26 Indianapolis News 1976: June–December Manuscripts: Box 1, Folder 27 Indianapolis News 1977 Manuscripts: Box 2, Folder 1 Indianapolis News 1978: January–May Manuscripts: Box 2, Folder 2 Indianapolis News 1978: June–December Manuscripts: Box 2, Folder 3 Indianapolis News 1979 Manuscripts: Box 2, Folder 4 Indianapolis News 1980 Manuscripts: Box 2, Folder 5 Indianapolis News 1981 Manuscripts: Box 2, Folder 6 Indianapolis News 1982 Manuscripts: Box 2, Folder 7 Indianapolis News 1984 Manuscripts: Box 2, Folder 8 Indianapolis News 1985 Manuscripts: Box 2, Folder 9 Indianapolis News 1986 Manuscripts: Box 2, Folder 10 Indianapolis News 1987 Manuscripts: Box 2, Folder 11 Indianapolis News 1988 Manuscripts: Box 2, Folder 12 Indianapolis News 1990 Manuscripts: Box 2, Folder 13 Tear sheets, n.d. OM 505 Folder 1 Series 2: Photographs and negatives, 1951–1990 CONTENTS CONTAINER March 13, 1951 Photographs: Edwin J. Koch home Box 1, Folder 1 Jan. 12, 1952 4x5 Acetate Negatives: Basketball: Shortridge vs. Ben Davis Box 1, Negative 1 Feb. 5, 1952 Photographs: [Ayres fashion model for Irene of California] Box 1, Folder 2 September 10, 1952 Photographs: [man standing in shadows smoking] Box 1, Folder 2 September 26, 1952 Photographs: [Adlai Stevenson arriving for Democrat political rally] Box 1, Folder 2 November 6, 1952 Photographs: [train on track] Box 1, Folder 2 April 11, 1953 4x5 Acetate Negatives: Statehouse Interior Box 1, Negative 2 May 27, 1953 Photographs: [man seated in Indy 500 race car] Box 1, Folder 3 August 24, 1953 Photographs: [Indianapolis high school cheerleaders] Box 1, Folder 3 1954 Photographs: [North Meridian Street looking south to Monument] Box 1, Folder 4 January 20, 1954 Photographs: [parking meter and policeman] Box 1, Folder 4 Feb. 12, 1954 4x5 Acetate Negatives: Basketball: Attucks vs. Manual at Butler Box 1, Negatives 3–7 Feb. 12, 1954 4x5 Acetate Negatives: Basketball: Shortridge vs. Broad Ripple at Butler Box 1, Negatives 8–11 Feb. 12, 1954 4x5 Acetate Negatives: Basketball: Basketball at Butler [people behind bench] Box 1, Negative 12 Feb. 12, 1954 4x5 Acetate Negatives: Basketball at Butler [coaches at the bench] Box 1, Negative 13 Feb. 12, 1954 4x5 Acetate Negatives: Basketball at Butler [audience] Box 1, Negative 14 March 4, 1954 4x5 Acetate Negatives: Basketball: Attucks-Pre-Regional Box 1, Negative 15 [students in classroom with teacher] March 4, 1954 4x5 Acetate Negatives: Basketball: Attucks-Pre-Regional Box 1, Negative 16 [No. 43, Oscar Robertson shooting a basket] March 4, 1954 4x5 Acetate Negatives: Basketball: Attucks-Pre-Regional [team with coach] Box 1, Negatives 17, 18 March 4, 1954 4x5 Acetate Negatives: Basketball: Attucks-Pre-Regional