Abstract
The E. W. Smith Glass Plate Negatives (approximately 1900-1916) contain original glass plate negatives created by E. W. Smith during his time in Tonopah, Manhattan, Goldfield, and other central Nevada mining towns in the early 1900s. All photographs were taken by E. W. Smith unless noted otherwise in the inventory.
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Extent
Related People/Corporations
Scope and Contents Note
The E. W. Smith Glass Plate Negatives (approximately 1900-1916) contain original glass plate negatives created by E. W. Smith during his time in Tonopah, Manhattan, Goldfield, and other central Nevada mining towns in the early 1900s. All photographs were taken by E. W. Smith unless noted otherwise in the inventory. The negatives were collected by Warren Virgil "Mac" McGowan, who along with his wife Hilda lived in Tonopah, Nevada from approximately 1930 to the 1960s. He was the town photographer and ran a store and boarding house located at what is now 111 N. Main Street in Tonopah.
Access Note
Collection is open for research. Materials are extremely fragile and advance notice is requested. Please contact special.collections@unlv.edu for more information.
Publication Rights
This material is made available to facilitate private study, scholarship, or research. The donor, Elizabeth Tucker, transferred all right, title and interest they had in the E. W. Smith Glass Plate Negatives (PH-00460) to UNLV. However, some material may be protected by copyright, trademark, privacy, publicity rights, or other interests not owned by UNLV. Users are responsible for determining whether permissions are necessary from rights owners for any intended use and for obtaining all required permissions. Acknowledgement of the UNLV University Libraries is requested. For more information, please see the UNLV Special Collections policies on reproductions and use or contact us at special.collections@unlv.edu.
Arrangement
Material remains as it was received.
Biographical / Historical Note
Emory Willard "E. W." Smith was born October 1, 1850 in Deerfield, Massachusetts. He was a photographer, primarily known for taking pictures of the town of Tonopah, Nevada. He graduated from photography trade school where he met George Eastman, who later founded Eastman Kodak Company. Smith then moved around, first west and then in 1898, to Dawson City, in northwest Canada. In 1902, he moved to Tonopah, Nevada, where he remained until his death in 1941. Smith photographed the town and the surrounding mining districts including Goldfield and Manhattan. Smith died September 19, 1941.
Source:
Historical Society, Nevada. “Nevada Historical Society Quarterly,” 1979. http://epubs.nsla.nv.gov/statepubs/epubs/210777-1979-3Fall.pdf
Preferred Citation
E. W. Smith Glass Plate Negatives, approximately 1900-1916. PH-00460. Special Collections and Archives, University Libraries, University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Las Vegas, Nevada.
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Acquisition Note
Materials were donated by Elizabeth Tucker in 2025; accession number 2025-002.
Processing Note
In 2025, Sarah Jones accessioned the collection, rehoused the collection, and wrote a brief finding aid in ArchivesSpace. Any information present on the photographs were retained and placed in quotation marks within the description.