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William Collier papers and slides
The papers collected here are divided into two major segments; one that features William Collier's work as an amateur historian during the 1960s and 1970s, and one about his work in government and labor during the 1930s through to his retirement in the 1960s. There is also a small segment of mi...
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| Collection: | William Collier Papers and Slides |
| Collection Number: | 4536 |
| Format: | Manuscript |
| Language: | English |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | Link to finding aid |
| Item Description: |
Processing Information: Summary descriptive information on this collection was compiled in 2012-2014 as part of a project conducted by the Historical Society of Pennsylvania to make better known and more accessible the largely hidden collections of small, primarily volunteer run repositories in the Philadelphia area. The Hidden Collections Initiative for Pennsylvania Small Archival Repositories (HCI-PSAR) was funded by a grant from The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. This information was recompiled, revised, and updated by HSP staff in 2023 when the collection was processed. |
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| Physical Description: |
13.4 Linear feet ; 23 boxes |
| Access: |
The collection is open for research. |
| Summary: |
The papers collected here are divided into two major segments; one that features William Collier's work as an amateur historian during the 1960s and 1970s, and one about his work in government and labor during the 1930s through to his retirement in the 1960s. There is also a small segment of miscellaneous papers that cover various topics. Included in most folders is a document providing context and related information for the subject matter therein.
In his retirement, Collier attempted to preserve the history of rural southeastern Pennsylvania, specifically Berks, Bucks, Lehigh, and Northampton counties. He did this by photographing one-room schoolhouses, creameries, houses, and other surviving buildings, while also doing research and attempting to provide context for these buildings. Collier’s local history papers provide insights into his research and methodology. These are contained in Boxes 1-5.
During his professional life, Collier worked in quite a few jobs. He started as a plasterer in the Great Depression before getting a job in the Works Progress Administration (later the Work Projects Administration). He then worked for the Pennsylvania Bureau of Employment and Unemployment Compensation, and later for the United Mine Workers of America in Philadelphia. After that, he went back to being a plasterer and working in his local union before retiring in the 1960s. Boxes 5-15 contain documents, letters, photographs, and other papers highlighting Collier’s different careers until his retirement in the 1960s.
The remaining boxes in the collection comprise Collier's slides -- approximately 5,200 slides taken between 1966 to 1977 -- and card index and register of them. Collier's slides (Boxes 16-19) depict farm structures, one-room schools, old bridges, churches, and other geographic and architectural features of Upper and Central Bucks County and surrounding areas. Many of the slides focus on features that were destroyed by the creation of Lake Nockamixon State Park shortly after Collier photographed them. The slides are sorted by subject. Collier created a card index to his slides (Boxes 20-22) that provides background and historical notes about each subject. He also compiled a four-volume chronological register of his slides, which is available in Box 23. |