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Herbert Herman Fiedler Photograph Collection

 Collection
Identifier: AC-298

Scope and Content Note

This collection contains photographs taken by Herbert Herman Fiedler during his automobile travels across several states, from Orange, Texas, to Denver, Colorado, to New York, New York, and then back to Texas again. As he drove Mrs. Francis Ann Lutcher of Orange, Texas, and her companions, he made contact with city and town newspapers who reported about the road travel hardships and advertised the reliability of the Pierce-Arrow automobile. His photography includes diverse scenery and documents the difficult travel of the automobile in the early 1900's. The accompanying newspaper articles report Mr. Fiedler's route progress and road conditions encountered.

Dates

  • 1909-1920

Creator

Language of Materials

Materials are in English.

Access Restrictions

There are no restrictions.

Copyright

The Tyrrell Historical Library does not hold copyright for most of its collections. The researcher must secure permission to publish. All requests for permission to publish or quote from manuscripts must be submitted to the Tyrrell Historical Library. The researcher assumes full responsibility for complying with copyright, literary property rights, and libel laws.

Biographical Note

Herbert Herman Fiedler was born in Hoboken, New Jersey, on October 26, 1886, son of Herman and Pauline Fiedler, German immigrants of twelve years at the time of his birth. At the age of thirteen he had the occupation of messenger while living with his family in New York. His father was a night watchman at one of the New York factories. By the 1910 New York census, Herbert H., age 23, had gained employment as a chauffeur and his younger brother was a delivery boy for a drug store. By 1920, a Herbert Fiedler, born in New Jersey, with German immigrant parents, had made his way to Orange, Orange County, Texas. At this time, he gave his occupation as machinist or mechanic at a private home. He had met and married Ruth, a Texas born woman, in about 1915.

In 1909, Fiedler was chosen to drive President William Howard Taft during his visit to Houston, Texas. Then, shortly after the New York census of 1910, Herbert Herman Fiedler was hired by Frances Ann Lutcher to drive her and her friends from Orange to Austin, Texas, to visit her grandson Lutcher Stark, graduating from the University of Texas. After Henry Lutcher's death in 1912, Herbert drove Mrs. Lutcher on several trips including a cross country trip in the United States which he photographed.

Extent

0.75 Cubic Feet (0.75 cubic feet in two boxes)

Abstract

Herbert Herman Fiedler was the personal chauffeur of Mrs. Frances Ann Lutcher of Orange, Texas. The Lutcher family owned vast tracts of timber in and around the Orange area and ran the Lutcher Moore Lumber Company. As prominent citizens of Orange, the Lutcher family owned two Pierce-Arrow touring automobiles and traveled extensively on sight-seeing trips throughout the United States, Canada, and western Europe. Many of these early road trips were documented in photographs by Mr. Fiedler.

Abstract

These photographic images depict the lack of good roads during the early 1900's and the difficult terrain and conditions that automobile drivers faced in cross-country excursions. One photograph of particular importance is Mr. Fiedler as the honorary chauffeur driving President William Howard Taft in a Houston, Texas, parade on the date of October 24, 1909.

Organization of Collection

This collection is organized into 25 folders in two flat boxes, with photographs numbered consecutively.

Acquisition Information

Donated by C. L. (Larry) Manley of Beaumont, Texas.

Accruals

No further accruals are expected.

Related Material

No known related archival collections; only a Lutcher-Stark Museum booklet with history remarks and an article in the Tyrrell Historical Library Association "Journal" about Francis Ann Lutcher.

Processing Information

Processed by Tyrrell Historical Library staff.

Finding aid revised and encoded by Tyrrell Historical Library staff, 2012 August.

Title
Finding Aid for the Herbert Herman Fiedler Photograph Collection, 1909-1920
Language of description
Undetermined
Script of description
Code for undetermined script

Repository Details

Part of the Tyrrell Historical Library Archives Repository

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