Robert R. McCormick. Photographs for With the Russian Army
Scope and Contents
In the first part of 1915, Robert R. McCormick and photographer Donald C. Thompson traveled to France and Russia to gather first-hand information on the war. Thompson and McCormick created approximately 200 still images (possibly more), and Thompson shot motion picture film. Thompson and McCormick appear then to have parted company: McCormick returned to the United States via Sweden and Norway, but Thompson remainded in Europe. McCormick wrote about his experiences in the book With the Russian Army (Macmillan, 1915), which included about two dozen photographs; and the motion picture film was presented as With the Russians at the front.
This collection consists primarily of the surviving still negatives and prints collected during McCormick and Thompson's travels. (Most of these images were never published.) The bulk of the images show activities of the Russian Army, in both Russia and Poland. The collection includes the envelopes that originally contained the images (with handwritten captions and other information), and associated information on separate slips of paper.
Dates
- 1915
Creator
- McCormick, Robert R. (Robert Rutherford), 1880-1955 (Person)
- Thompson, Donald C., 1885-1947 (Person)
Conditions Governing Access
There are no restrictions on use of the materials in the department for research; all patrons must comply with federal copyright regulations.
Conditions Governing Use
Many of the negatives and prints are extremely brittle, and require careful handling.
Extent
5 Boxes
Language of Materials
English
Abstract
In the first part of 1915, Robert R. McCormick and photographer Donald C. Thompson traveled to France and Russia to gather first-hand information on the war. Thompson and McCormick created approximately 200 still images (possibly more), and Thompson shot motion picture film. Thompson and McCormick appear then to have parted company: McCormick returned to the United States via Sweden and Norway, but Thompson remainded in Europe. McCormick wrote about his experiences in the book With the Russian Army (Macmillan, 1915), which included about two dozen photographs; and the motion picture film was presented as With the Russians at the front. This collection consists of the surviving still negatives and prints collected during McCormick and Thompson's travels.
Arrangement
This inventory is arranged in two principal series: images (negatives and prints, together with envelopes and other material discovered with the images); and paper materials not found in association with images. The images are arranged into groups by broad location (France; travel through the Mediterranean and Balkan countries to Russia; Russia and Poland; Sweden and Norway; and a few images whose location could not be determined). Each group is arranged in alphabetical order by the descripive caption created for each image.
The different types of material are housed in separate containers: prints (including associated paper materials such as envelopes; 2 boxes), negatives (2 boxes), and other paper items (envelopes, and handwritten and typed captions).
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Received from the Robert R. McCormick Foundation, Chicago Tribune Company, and Nexstar Media Group on January 10, 2020, accession #SPEC-2020-1. These materials were contained in a box labeled "Col Robert R. McCormick. With Russian army. Photos & negatives" discovered within a larger box of uninventoried photographic negatives. (The box itself was not retained.)
General
Some of these images were published in the 1915-08-22 issue of the Tribune's Rotogravure section (pages 4-5)
- Title
- Guide to Robert R. McCormick. Photographs for With the Russian Army
- Author
- Gary L. Strawn
- Date
- 2021-04-17
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Repository Details
Part of the Charles Deering McCormick Library of Special Collections Repository
Deering Library, Level 3
1970 Campus Drive
Evanston IL 60208-2300 US
847-491-3635
specialcollections@northwestern.edu