Acquisition:	Gift of E. O. (Eugene Omar) Goldbeck, 1967
	Processed by:	Sarah Sauri, 2016
	Processing Information:	No documentation exists on how these materials were arranged when they arrived at the Ransom Center. During the late 1970s or 1980s the negatives were partially arranged and an internal inventory was created. Negatives were assigned numbers 1 through 416, with those of similar topics and/or variants of each other assigned sequential letters after the negative number (1A, 1B, 1C, etc.). In 2015, a review of the negatives showed that not all like negatives were grouped together, so the decision was made to physically reorder the collection. Staff also imposed a more coherent arrangement by creating seventeen categories, which are reflected in the series titles, to bring similar material together. Following the final arrangement, all negatives and the prints were assigned unique accession numbers in keeping with internal standards. When possible, negatives in each series were arranged alphabetically, either by subject or name, otherwise negatives were grouped by like subject. Fewer than 200 negatives have a title written on them, so most titles either come or are derived from the early internal inventory. Descriptive titles were applied as needed either for correction or clarification. In the 1980s, Ransom Center staff created approximately 400 reference prints from the original negatives for user access. These were retained and when available are noted in the finding aid. Only three original prints corresponding to negatives arrived with the collection; these were assigned accession numbers 967:0069:0001-0003 and are noted in the container list as "vintage prints."

Repository:

Harry Ransom Center, The University of Texas at Austin

	Born in 1892 to first generation German-Americans Benno T. Goldbeck (1855-1916) and Ida Schultz (1869-1975), Eugene Omar Goldbeck was a San Antonio-based commercial photographer whose career spanned the better part of the twentieth century.
	Goldbeck’s photographic journey began on May 4, 1901 when he took a picture of President William McKinley, who was in San Antonio for a one-day visit, using a box camera he borrowed from his brother. That day set the course of Goldbeck's career. As a teenager he made and sold prints to classmates and teachers; sold photographs to the two local papers, the Light and the Express; took commissions from local car dealers; and worked for the Alamo Camera Company. After he graduated from Main Avenue High School in 1910, he traveled throughout the western United States and South America taking "kidnapped" photos--impromptu photographs taken of people and offered for sale to them afterwards.
	Two years later he purchased his first Cirkut camera, which featured a special tripod that enabled both the camera and the long, narrow film it used to rotate a full 360-degrees simultaneously, thus allowing the photographer to capture large groups of people and sweeping landscapes. It wasn’t until 1914 however, while on a trip to see the opening of the Panama Canal, that Goldbeck finally realized the full potential of the format. In a 1983 interview he recalled: "Fact of the matter is, I think what got me started on panoramic was one of the fellows down there made a picture of one of the big British battleships going through the Canal. And he had…an 8 by 20 [inch] banquet camera. And he was telling me how many pictures he sold. I thought, 'My God. I'm going to hit this new stuff right now'."
	Goldbeck went on to patent several modifications to the Cirkut camera which enabled many future practitioners to attain greater flexibility in shooting pictures. Beyond the Cirkut camera, however, Goldbeck brought his creative eye and energetic drive to the banquet panoramic format as well. Extremely well suited for documenting smaller groups and more intimate environments, the banquet camera had a fixed maximum film width of 20 inches. While not as massive or technologically complicated as the Cirkut, the banquet gave even greater flexibility of access to, and expanded the potential range of, subjects for the camera. Goldbeck could now record a wider range of subjects and places, and many more cultural, commercial, religious, educational and governmental organizations.
	Goldbeck honed his skills with these panoramic formats while serving in the Photographic Division of the Aviation Section of the Signal Corps in World War I. Toward the end of his military service, he was sent to be an instructor at the Signal Corps School of Photography at Columbia University. While in New York City, he met Marcella Fox whom he married in 1919. Two years later they moved to San Antonio where Goldbeck landed a job with Fox Photo. After working there for a brief stint, he founded his own photography company which he eventually named the National Photo and News Service.
	Throughout his career Goldbeck spent many years travelling to military bases where he photographed large groups of personnel. It became such a major theme in his work that he became known as the "unofficial photographer of the military." In addition to making panoramic group portraits, he captured events and scenes both locally and around the world. In the end, by accepting the challenge of and specializing in the unique formats of both the Cirkut and banquet cameras, Goldbeck raised panoramic photography to a true art—one which not only set him apart from other panoramic photographers of the time but also brought an important emotive power to the genre itself.
	Goldbeck died in San Antonio on October 27, 1986.

	Scope and Contents
		The Banquet Negatives and Prints collection forms a small but significant part of the E. O. (Eugene Omar) Goldbeck Papers and Photography Collection. It is comprised of 993 banquet-format nitrate negatives and three gelatin silver prints, the majority of which date from the mid-1910s through 1930, with a handful dating from 1946 and 1962. Many of the negatives were taken by Goldbeck, but also included are those he acquired from his contemporaries including C. W. (Charles W.) Archer, W. W. (Walter W.) Mitchell (1890-1928), and C. A. (Charles Albert) Stead (1870-2093). The images document a period of rapid growth and prosperity in San Antonio, Texas, as well as America's involvement in the First World War on the home front both on- and off-base. The impact of World War I is especially evident. Many military bases and fields were established in San Antonio to train men for service during the War, including Fort Travis, Brooks Field and Kelly Field, and more than one third of all the negatives are of military subjects.
		The collection is divided into the following seventeen series: I. Auto, 1916-1927, undated; II. Buildings, 1917-1920, undated; III. Business, 1917-1923, undated; IV. Cityscapes, 1916-1925, undated; V. Construction, 1917-1923; VI. Events and Processions, 1917-1928; VII. Groups, 1916-1962, undated; VIII. Hospitals, Buildings and Staff, 1918-1923; IX. Industry, 1917-1923; X. Landmarks, 1916-1920, undated; XI. Landscape, 1919-1925, undated; XII. Military, 1916-1928, undated; XIII. Rail, 1917-1920, undated; XIV. Recreation, 1917, undated; XV. Renderings, 1927, undated; XVI. Rural, 1919-1920, undated; and XVII. Copy Prints, 1917-1919, undated.
	Series Descriptions
		Series I. Auto, 1916-1927, undated (967:0068:0001-0089, 0138-0141, 0145, 0337, 0990)
		The series consists of 96 negatives and is arranged into two subseries: A. General, 1916-1927, undated; and B. Business, 1917-1926, undated. The negatives in both series are arranged alphabetically by automobile brand or business name when known, followed by those of similar image content.
		Subseries A. General, 1916-1927, undated (967:0068:0001-0060, 0337)
		The subseries includes images of new makes and models of cars in the 1910s and early 1920s. Included are Elgins, Packards, Velies, the Hudson Essex, and Hupmobile cars decorated with flowers and balloons for the Battle of Flowers parade during Fiesta San Antonio. The owners of the automobiles are sometimes pictured in or beside the cars, including prominent San Antonio resident Eleanor Brackenridge with a group of her fellow suffragettes. Also included are images of the San Antonio Auto Club and its members posed with their automobiles. Additionally there are images of tours and excursions showing open-air sightseeing buses at several of the San Antonio missions including the Alamo.
		Subseries B. Business, 1917-1926, undated (967:0068:0061-0089, 0138-0141, 0145, 0990)
		This subseries contains images of businesses related to and/or demonstrating their use of automobiles, such car dealers, repair shops, and delivery services. Examples include: a truck advertising the A. E. Staacke Auto Company and Dodge Brothers Motor Cars; the Blumberg Motor Manufacturing Company building; men waiting for service at Hagner Tire Store; Holsom Bread trucks; Magnolia Petroleum trucks; and the façade of the Southern Motor Company.
		Series II. Buildings, 1917-1920, undated (967:0068:0090-0136)
		The series brings together negatives in which architecture is the primary focus. It consists of 47 negatives arranged into the following four subseries: A. Entertainment and Recreational, 1917, undated; B. Religious, 1917-1920, undated; C. Residential, 1919-1920, undated; and D. Schools, 1918-1919.
		Subseries A. Entertainment and Recreational, 1917, undated (967:0068:0090-0098)
		The nine negatives in this series are arranged alphabetically by business name when known and are primarily exterior views. The identified buildings are Hotwell’s Clubhouse, San Antonio Municipal Auditorium, and the Crystal Palace ice skating rink. The one unidentified negative shows the interior of a theater.
		Subseries B. Religious, 1917-1920, undated (967:0068:0099-0104)
		Consisting of just six negatives, the series is arranged by similar images content. Saint Patrick Hall, which is adjacent to Saint Patrick Church on Carson Street in San Antonio, is the one identified structure. The other negatives show interiors, exteriors, and a church banner.
		Subseries C. Residential, 1919-1920 (967:0068:0105-0129)
		This negatives in this subseries show the exteriors of a variety of houses including modest cottages, Craftsman style bungalows, and multistory homes in both new and established neighborhoods. Several negatives show homes along River Avenue, now called Broadway Street, and at least one negative shows large homes built during San Antonio's "Gilded Age" (1890-1930) in the Laurel Heights neighborhood. The negatives are arranged alphabetically by street or neighborhood name when known, followed by those of similar image content.
		Subseries D. School, 1918-1919 (967:0068:0130-0136)
		The seven negatives in this subseries show the exteriors of schools in the San Antonio area and are arranged alphabetically by name. Depicted are George W. Brackenridge High School, Our Lady of the Lake College, and Westmoreland College.
		Series III. Business, 1917-1923, undated (967:0068:0137, 0142-0144, 0146-0175, 0512-0515)
		Unlike the negatives in Series I. Subseries B, the content of these negatives is primarily focused on non-automotive businesses, distribution, and advertising. Twelve negatives in the series document the ice trade at a time when natural ice was being rapidly replaced by manufactured or plant ice. All but one of these negatives are interior views of the machinery used during production. The distribution and sale of goods are reflected in negatives of warehouses, business interiors, and a tradeshow in San Antonio’s Beethoven Hall. Advertisements for products and businesses including Lipschultz's "44" Cigars, Maxwell House Coffee, and Mills Engraving Company are seen in negatives of billboards, building exteriors, and a miniature exhibit of made-in-San Antonio Goods sponsored by the local Manufacturers’ Club.
		Series IV. Cityscapes, 1916-1925, undated (967:0068:0176-0188; 967:0069:0001-0003)
		Consisting of just 13 negatives, the negatives in this series are arranged first by city and then by similar image content. Seven of the photographs are of San Antonio and range from sweeping views of the city to bustling street corners and Alamo Plaza. The remaining images are of the Texas towns Eastland and Ranger and offer a glimpse into what those cities were like in the early 20th century. Also included are three vintage gelatin silver prints which correspond to three of the San Antonio cityscape negatives.
		Series V. Construction, 1917-1923 (967:0068:0189-0220)
		The series consists of 32 negatives and is arranged into two subseries: A. Buildings, 1917-1923, and B. Infrastructure, 1917-1919. The majority of the negatives fall under the first subseries and are arranged alphabetically by business name when known and then by similar image content. Named businesses and developments include: Bear Rubber Mills, the Morgan-Woodward Ford building, Santa Rosa Hospital, the Scottish Rite Cathedral, and the Palm Heights housing subdivision. The seven negatives in Subseries B, which are arranged by subject, show work on the Galveston sea wall and causeway, and the laying of telephone and telegraph lines in San Antonio.
		Series VI. Events and Processions, 1917-1928 (967:0068:0221-0232)
		Consisting of 12 negatives, arranged by subject, the series documents festival and circus parades, a funeral procession, and the 1928 Democratic National Convention in Houston. Included are images of an Alzafar Shrine parade outside San Antonio’s City Auditorium, and a Bell Telephone parade float carrying female operators.
		Series VII. Groups, 1916-1962, undated (967:0068:0233-0476, 0991)
		This series, the second largest, brings together most negatives in which groups of people are the focus. Not included here are group portraits of military personnel, those form part of Series XII. Military. The 245 negatives in this series show people both formally posed and at leisure, and are arranged into seven subseries: A. General, 1917-1925, undated; B. Business, 1916-1930; C. Civic, 1917-1962, undated; D. Events, 1917-1930, undated; E. Performers, 1917-1927, undated; F. Religious; and G. Schools.
		Subseries A. General, 1917-1925, undated (967:0068:0233-0262, 0320-0323, 0357-0358)
		This subseries, arranged by similar image content, consists of negatives featuring a wide variety of subjects. Included are formal portraits of unidentified groups of men and women, and candid photographs of people engaged in social activities. Eleven of the negatives were taken outside San Antonio’s Community House and Club House for Soldiers and Sailors.
		Subseries B. Business, 1916-1930 (967:0068:0263-0275, 0313-0314, 0991)
		The fourteen negatives in this subseries are arranged alphabetically by business or association name when known, followed by those of similar image content. Most images are group portraits of men and/or women formally posed inside or in front of their places of business, including the First National Bank of San Antonio and South Texas Willy’s Light Company. Also present are group portraits of businessmen, such as those associated with the Overland Motor Company, and images of corporate events including Delco Light & Frigidaire dealers at a convention and the Retail Druggists Association Annual Banquet.
		Subseries C. Civic, 1917-1962, undated (967:0068:0276-0312)
		This subseries brings together negatives of people associated with fraternal organizations and city departments. The negatives are arranged by name when known, followed by those of similar image content. The significance of automobiles is evident in several images, such as those of the San Antonio Fire and Garbage departments. Many of the group portraits of fraternal organizations, including the Elks Club, Knights of Columbus, and Alzafar Shrine, show the groups’ bands.
		Subseries D. Events, 1917-1930, undated (967:0068:0315-0319, 0324-0356, 0411)
		Arranged by like image content, this series includes negatives of a variety of events ranging from a one-man tractor demonstration to annual bathing beauty reviews in Galveston, Texas. Many of the images are of celebrations such as the PALS Christmas party. Others show banquet halls before and after guests arrive, hotel rooftop parties, festivities in San Antonio city parks, and a variety. Many of the events appear to be patriotic celebrations likely at the end of the First World War.
		Subseries E. Performers, 1917-1927, undated (967:0068:0359-0393)
		This subseries consisting of 35 group portraits of both musical and theatrical performers. The majority of the negatives were taken on the grounds of a large two-story home and feature men and women dressed in a variety of ethnic- and allegory-themed costumes. These performers may be from the nascent San Antonio Little Theatre company. The remaining negatives feature the Palace Symphony Orchestra; “The Dames” at a Jaycee Review; a group of men in blackface.
		Subseries F. Religious, 1917-1929 (967:0068:0394-0410)
		Group portraits of congregants from different Christian denominations are found in this subseries. All of the photographs were taken outdoors, primarily in front of churches or church halls, in both downtown San Antonio and more rural areas. Four of the negatives feature attendees of a Christian Endeavor Convention posed in front of a Presbyterian church and the Alamo. The 17 negatives are arranged alphabetically by group or church name when known, followed by those of similar image content.
		Subseries G. School, 1917-1946, 967:0068:0412-0476
		The 65 negatives in this subseries document education in San Antonio. Included here are images of students of all ages, ranging from elementary school to college, of faculty and staff, and of school buildings. The negatives show students at class, engaged in activities, and posed formally in class pictures. More than a third of the negatives are of school bands. Identified schools include: Bon-Avon School; George W. Brackenridge High School; Mexican Methodist Institute; Incarnate Word High School; Saint Joseph Infirmary Training School; Thomas School; and Westmoreland College.
		Series VIII. Hospitals, Buildings and Staff, 1918-1923 (967:0068:0477-0511, 0961-0963, 0969-0970)
		The series consists of 40 negatives of the primary health care facilities in San Antonio. Arranged alphabetically by hospital name, the majority of the negatives are formal group portraits of nurses posed in front of their places of work. Several negatives show hospital exteriors, and one negative shows a group of nurses attending to a patient in a hospital room. Facilities represented include: Baptists Sanitarium and Hospital, Baylor Hospital, Dr. Kinney’s Sanitarium, King’s Daughters Hospital, Physician and Surgeon’s Hospital, and Santa Rosa Hospital.
		Series IX. Industry, 1917-1923 (967:0068:0146-0147, 0161-0162, 0516-0539, 0993)
		This series, consisting of 29 negatives, documents industries involving petroleum. Found here are images of oil wells and refineries, bitulithic and gravel plants, and documents and maps of oil fields in Vera Cruz, Mexico. The negatives are arranged alphabetically by company name when known, followed by those of similar image content. Companies represented include Dixie, Dexico, and Kan-Oka Oil.
		Series X. Landmarks, 1916-1920, undated (967:0068:0544-0581, 0992)
		The series brings together images of historical structures, cemeteries, and other outdoor attractions. The 39 negatives are arranged alphabetically by name followed by those of similar image content. Subjects include the Alamo, Mission Concepción, the Japanese Sunken Gardens, and various cemeteries in San Antonio, and the Texas State Capitol in Austin.
		Series XI. Landscape, 1919-1925, undated (967:0068:0582-0599)
		The 18 negatives in this series are arranged by similar image content and include views of Medina Lake, bluebonnet fields, rural areas around San Antonio, and various parks.
		Series XII. Military, 1916-1928, undated (967:0068:0600-0911)
		This series, the largest in the collection, documents military efforts and camp life in and around San Antonio during and shortly after the First World War. Many of the bases and training fields pictured, including Camp Travis, Brooks Field, and Kelly Field, were established at the start of the War to train men for service. The 312 negatives in the series are arranged into nine subseries: A. Bands & Performers, 1919-1927, undated; B. Bases, 1919-1926, undated; C. Events & Activities, 1916-1928, undated; D. Hospitals & Staff, 1919; E. Living Insignia, 1926; F. Navy, 1919-1927, undated; G. Portraits, 1917-1927, undated; H. Schools, 1918-1921; and I. Support, 1916-1919, undated.
		Subseries A. Bands and Performers, 1919-1927, undated (967:0068:0600-0615)
		The first subseries consists primarily of group portraits of bands of various sizes both formally posed and mid-performance. Several images show a seven-piece jazz or swing ensemble from the 54th Field Artillery, whereas others show more traditional military bands of nearly 100 men. Also included are two images of an African American band, the 1st Group Colored Minstrel 165 Depot Brigade at Camp Travis, in which several members appear in blackface. Additionally, there are two negatives of a performance, entitled “The Spirit of Argonne,” being performed at Fort Sam Houston in which both men and women appear. The 16 negatives are arranged numerically by regiment, then alphabetically by group, and finally by similar image content.
		Subseries B. Bases, 1919-1926, undated (967:0068:0616-0630, 0640)
		Birds-eye and aerial views of military bases and encampments throughout Texas are documented in this subseries. Included are images of Camp John Wise, which was established in late 1917 as a training field for the U.S. Army Balloon Corps and was the home of the Army Balloon School. The fifteen negatives in this subseries are arranged alphabetically by base name, followed by those of similar image content.
		Subseries C. Events and Activities, 1916-1928, undated (967:0068:0631-0639, 0641-0701)
		The second largest subseries, which is arranged by base name, followed by those of similar image content, consists of 71 negatives documenting a variety of military events and activities. Included are images of an air show at Brooks Field featuring several biplanes and a blimp; troops in formation, doing calisthenics, and posed with vehicles; military reviews; and parades. Also present are images of on- and off-base social gatherings and celebrations, ranging from formal banquets to a boxing match.
		Subseries D. Hospitals and Staff, 1919 (967:0068:0702-0709)
		This small subseries, which is arranged alphabetically by hospital name followed by similar image content, focuses on images of hospital structures and staff. Several photographs are of the Base Hospital and nursing staff from Ft. Sam Houston, which today is one of the largest military medical training facilities in the world.
		Subseries E. Living Insignia, 1926 (967:0068:0710-0715)
		Among Goldbeck’s multitude of military photographs, his "living insignia" projects are of particular interest. To create the "living insignia," soldiers of a selected division were posed so as to form a representation of their division's insignia when seen from the vantage point of a tower built for the occasion. Careful planning and preparation were required, and this group of six images includes before and after photographs of the Living Air Service Insignia by the personnel of Kelly Field.
		Subseries F. Navy, 1919-1927, undated (967:0068:0716-0728)
		The thirteen negatives in this subseries are arranged alphabetically by ship name, followed by those similar image content. Included are images of sailors both formally and casually posed onboard naval ships including the USS Eagle; the USS Eastport; and the USS Salinas. Also included is one of the few images from the collection that was not made in Texas. It shows the U.S. Navy Tanker USS Salinas, in its entirety, in Gatun Lake in the Panama Canal Zone.
		Subseries G. Portraits, 1917-1927, undated (967:0068:0729-0863)
		Formal portraits of various military groups are documented in this, the largest, subseries. Many different companies and regiments are represented, including: the 14th Company, U.S. Marine Corps; the 110th Company, 8th Regiment, U.S. Marine Corps; the 156th Company, U.S. Marine Corps; as well as dozens of other unidentified groups of soldiers and officers. The groups range in size from fewer than ten to more than 100, and the portraits were taken in various locations ranging from hillsides to in front of barracks buildings. A number of the photographs include the company's dog. The 135 negatives are arranged by company name or number when known, followed by those similar image content.
		Subseries H. Schools, 1918-1921 (967:0068:0864-0876)
		This group of thirteen negatives, which is arranged alphabetically by school name, documents various military institutes in the San Antonio area, including Peacock Military School, San Antonio Military Academy, and West Texas Military Academy. The images show students engaged in a variety of activities including training exercises and calisthenics, posed in formally group portraits, and, in the case of the Peacock Military School, arranged to form their school's initials.
		Subseries I. Support, 1916-1919, undated (967:0068:0877-0911)
		Civilian support of the military was a crucial part of the United States’ involvement in WWI, and many of the efforts on the home front in San Antonio are documented in this subseries. These 35 negatives show: workers constructing army clothing and shoes at a Q.M.C. supply depot; office staff at their desks in the Subsistence and Transportation Branches at the Zone Finance System military office located at Ft. Sam Houston; a formally posed group of men and women from the War Service Board; and a group of civilian men posed in front of a construction site at an unknown military base. The subseries is arranged by similar image content.
		Series XIII. Rail, 1917-1920, undated (967:0068:0912-0938)
		The series documents rail yards and depots, railroad crossings, and locomotives. The 27 negatives are arranged alphabetically by known entities, followed by those of similar image content. Subjects include International & Great Northern (I. & G.N.) erecting shops near Kelly Field, the San Antonio Depot, the San Antonio Special to Chicago at the Katy Depot, various San Antonio Uvalde and Gulf (S.A.U. & G.) railroad locomotives, and small town railroad crossings.
		Series XIV. Recreation, 1917, undated (967:0068:0939-0945)
		One of the smallest series, Recreation consists of just seven negatives arranged by similar image content. Included are negatives of people swimming and enjoying other outdoor activities at “Ye Old Swimming Hole” in San Antonio and at a boat dock and swimming barge on an unidentified lake.
		Series XV. Renderings, 1927, undated (967:0068:0946-0960)
		The series consists of 15 negatives of architectural drawings and illustrations arranged alphabetically by building or place name when known followed by those of similar image content. Identified subjects include the Aransas Sporting Club; Main High School, Park Hills Estates, and Peden Iron & Steel Company.
		XVI. Rural, 1919-1920, undated (967:0068:0964-0968, 0971)
		This is the smallest series consisting of just six negatives that are arranged by similar image content. Depicted are chicken shacks, deer in a fenced enclosure, and an inter-urban trolley car at the end of its line beside a rural road.
		XVII. Copy Prints, 1917-1919, undated (967:0068:0972-0989)
		This group of 18 negatives are of other panoramic prints, sometimes pinned to boards or walls or extended in what is likely Goldbeck’s studio. The negatives are arranged alphabetically by subject name when known followed by those of similar image content. Included are photographs of the engine room at D’Hanis Brick & Tile Company, the Texas Company Oil Refinery, Brooks Field, Camp Funston, various cemeteries, and oil derricks in Burkburnett, Texas.

This collection is part of a larger collection of works by Goldbeck, including his High School Panoramic Negatives, Non-Panoramic Prints, Living Insignia Collection, and business records, as well as the Mitchell Collection which contains similar military photographs.

	People
		Archer, C. W. (Charles W.).
		Goldbeck, E. O. (Eugene Omar), 1892-1986.
		Stead, C. A. (Charles Albert), 1870-1932.
	Subjects
		Alamo (San Antonio, Tex.)--Pictorial works.
		Automobiles--American--1910-1930.
		Group portraits.
		Military--Pictorial works.
		Photography, Panoramic.
		Railroads--Pictorial works.
		Schools--Pictorial works.
	Places
		Galveston (Tex.)--Pictorial works--1910-1970.
		Houston (Tex.)--Pictorial works--1910-1970.
		San Antonio (Tex.)--Pictorial works--1910-1970.
		Texas--Pictorial works--1910-1970.
	Document Types
		Banquet camera negatives.
		Gelatin silver prints.
		Nitrate negatives.
		Photographs.