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George K. Lewis papers

 Collection — Multiple Containers
Identifier: MSS 6160

Scope and Contents

Contains photographs and negatives (most of which were created by Georkee), personal art work, scrapbooks, copies of the BYU Baynan for the years that Georkee was a student at BYU, maps, letters, magazine clippings and various other correspondence. The bulk of the collection consists of stereoviews most of which are from Keystone Views Co. taken by Georkee while an employee of that company. Included in the collection is a genealogy book titled "Descendants of George William Lewis and Olena Dorthea Kempe Lewis, compiled by Ruth Lewis Peterson, 1986, updated 1990."

Dates

  • 1920-1940

Creator

Conditions Governing Access

Open for public research.

Conditions Governing Use

It is the responsibility of the researcher to obtain any necessary copyright clearances. Permission to publish material from the George K. Lewis papers must be obtained from the Supervisor of Reference Services and/or the L. Tom Perry Special Collections Board of Curators.

Biographical / Historical

George K. (Georkee) Lewis (1902-1975) was a professional stereoscopic photographer.

George K. Lewis was born in Mesa, Arizona in 1902. After he had finished his public schooling, he was sent for two years at age 16 as a proselytizing missionary for his church into the states of Montana and Washington. Upon his return he enrolled at Brigham Young University, where his mother had graduated. He acquired from his mother her hobby and skill in photography, and with his natural artistic talent he became the activity photographer for the student body. A second hobby was raising two cougars (the school mascots) which had been captured as cubs in the Grand Canyon area and which he "handled" long after they reached maturity.

G.E. Hamilton, Vice President of Keystone View Company became well acquainted with George and hired him as a photographer for the company in August, 1929. As a boy, his relatives called him George K. to differentiate him from his father George W. This name evolved to the nickname "Georkee" by which everyone knew him until his move to the job with Keystone. George subsequently traveled to many areas of the world, adding thousands of views to the library of Keystone.

In the 1930s George developed bone cancer and had a leg amputated. This forced him toward more sedentary activities. He became a principle in the Three Dimension Coin company of Chicago. In the early 1950s, George retired to his ranch in a remote canyon of southern Utah, contiguous to Zion National Park. He died in 1975.

Extent

25 boxes (10 linear ft.)

Language of Materials

English

Custodial History

Donated by Ben E. Lewis and Walter M. Lewis on October 23, 1997.

Immediate Source of Acquisition

Donated; Ben E. Lewis and Walter M. Lewis; October 23,1997.

Appraisal

Photography in Utah and the American West (Photographic Archives collection development policy II.B.4, October 2009.)

Processing Information

Processed; Jessica Tyler, student processor; 2008.

Title
Register of the George K. Lewis papers
Status
Completed
Author
Jessica Tyler, student processor
Date
2008 May 28
Description rules
Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Language of description
English
Script of description
Latin
Language of description note
Finding aid written in English in Latin script.

Repository Details

Part of the L. Tom Perry Special Collections Repository

Contact:
1130 HBLL
Brigham Young University
Provo Utah 84602 United States