Guide to the United Presbyterian Church in the U.S.A. Support Agency Photographs

Descriptive Summary

Title

United Presbyterian Church in the U.S.A. Support Agency Photographs

Inclusive Dates

ca. 1870-ca. 1982

Call Number

RG 303

Creator(s)

United Presbyterian Church in the U.S.A. Support Agency.

Quantity

13.50 cubic feet

Restrictions on Access

Open for research. Medical, educational, and psychological records of living people are closed.

Digital Content

To browse this collection's digitized materials visit Pearl.

Materials marked "Digital" in the Collection Inventory may not be available on Pearl or in their entirety.

Repository

Presbyterian Historical Society, 425 Lombard Street, Philadelphia, PA 19147-1516 USA

Biographical Note / Administrative History

Administrative History

The Board of National Missions (BNM) was created as a result of the PCUSA's reorganization of its board and agencies in 1923. The Board consolidated the work of seven previous boards and agencies including the former Board of Home Missions. Its purpose, as designated by the General Assembly, was to extend the Gospel throughout the Unites States. In 1958 the Board of American Missions (1928) of the UPCNA merged with the Board of National Missions of the UPCUSA. The Board remained in existence through 1972 when its work was transferred to the Program Agency of the UPCUSA. The Department of Audio-Visual Aids figures prominently in this collection, however, other departments are represented as well. A brief outline of the organizational changes within this area of the BNM follows. The divisions and departments of the BNM underwent many structural and name changes over the years and this outline is intended only as a brief guide to these changes.

1920-23 Board of Home Missions. Educational Work

1924-29 Board of National Missions. Department of Education and Publicity

1930-42 Board of National Missions. Department of Missionary Support. Young People's Work

1942-48 Board of National Missions. Department of Missionary Support. Unit of Visual Aids

1949-50 Board of National Missions. Division of Missionary Support. Office of Visual Aids

1951-59 Board of National Missions. Division of Missionary Support. Office of Audio-Visual Aids

1960-61 Board of National Missions. General Department of Public Relations and Interpretation. Department of Interpretation. Department of Audio Visuals

1962-63 Board of National Missions. General Department of Public Relations and Interpretation. Division of Interpretation. Department of Audio Visuals

1964 Board of National Missions. General Department of Public Relations and Interpretation. Division of Communication. Audio Visuals

1965 Board of National Missions. General Department of Mission Communication and Interpretation. Division of Radio, Television and Audio-Visual

1966 Board of National Missions. General Department of Mission Interpretation and Communication. Division of Radio, Television and Audio-Visual

1967-69 Board of National Missions. General Department of Mission Interpretation and Communication. Division of Mass Media

1970-71 Board of National Missions. Department of Program Services. Division of Mass Media

1972 Program Agency

Collection Overview

This record group consists of photographs from the above listed departments as well as others within the BNM and its predecessor agencies. The department of origin of many of the earlier photographs is not known. A large percentage of the photographs in the collection dating from the late 1940s to mid 1960s were produced by the Department of Audio Visual Aids. The Department organized and cataloged them into a working collection of images available to the BNM. This grouping, as well as the majority of the photographs included in this record group, were used to document and promote the various missions carried out by the Board. Some of the images were used in brochures, exhibits, filmstrips, newsletters, and slide sets. Images represent schools, hospitals, community and neighborhood centers, mission and non-mission churches, missionaries and mission workers, and general assemblies.

The Subseries 5 photographs (General Assemblies) were originally housed in ring-binders and were organized somewhat loosely in chronological order. A number of non-photograph items such as broadcast schedules and letters were originally included and have been kept within this grouping. The Radio and Television photo stills under the subject heading in Subseries 1 were originally included with the General Assemblies photographs (Subseries 5). The date spans for this collections are as accurate as possible given the relatively large amount of nondated items.

Organization and Arrangement

SERIES I: PHOTOGRAPHS, 1870s-1980s
Subseries 1: MIssions--Geographic, 1870s-1980s
Subseries 2: Missions--Subject, 1870s - 1960s
Subseries 3: Missionaries and Mission Workers, 1870s-1950s
Subseries 4: Church Buildings, 1890s-1960s
Subseries 5: General Assemblies, 1949-1961

SERIES II: PHOTOGRAPH ALBUMS, ca. 1920-1963

SERIES III: OVERSIZE PHOTOGRAPHS, 1890s-1967

SERIES IV: GLASS SLIDES/NEGATIVES, ca. 1910s-1930s

Alternative Formats

To browse this collection's digitized materials visit Pearl.

Materials marked "Digital" in the Collection Inventory may not have been digitized in their entirety.

Related Material

Administrative Information

Processing Information

Collection processed and finding aid prepared: February 1994
Julian H. Preisler, Project Archivist

Catalog Headings

The following headings have been used to index the description of this collection in the society’s electronic catalog.

Corporate Subject

United Presbyterian Church in the U.S.A. Support Agency--Pictorial works.

United Presbyterian Church in the U.S.A.--Home missions--Pictorial works.

Presbyterian Church in the U.S.A.--Home missions--Pictorial works.

Topical Subject

Home missions--United States--Pictorial works.

Presbyterian Church--United States--Home missions--Pictorial works.

Church buildings--United States--Pictorial works.

Geographic Subject

Alaska.

United States.

Genre-form

Photographs. aat

Photograph albums. aat

Pictorial works. aat

Corporate Added Name

United Presbyterian Church in the U.S.A. Division of Mass Media.

Presbyterian Church in the U.S.A. Board of Home Missions. Educational Work.

Presbyterian Church in the U.S.A. Unit of Visual Aids.

Presbyterian Church in the U.S.A. Office of Visual Aids.

Collection Inventory

Box

Folder

Description

Alternative Formats

Finding Aid to Record Group 303

SERIES I: PHOTOGRAPHS, 1870s-1980s

Subseries 1: Missions--Geographic, 1870s-1980s

Alabama--Anniston--Margaret Barber Seminary, 1939-40, n.d.

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Guide to the United Presbyterian Church in the U.S.A. Support Agency Photographs

Creator(s)