Guide to the Phil Teigen North American churches postcard collection, 1904-2010 Phil Teigen North American churches C0317

Guide to the Phil Teigen North American churches postcard collection, 1904-2010

Phil Teigen North American churches
C0317


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George Mason University. Libraries. Special Collections Research Center.

Special Collections & Archives
Fenwick Library (2FL)
George Mason University
Fairfax, Virginia 22030-4444
USA
Phone: (703) 993-2220
Fax: (703) 993-2669
Email: speccoll@gmu.edu
URL: http://www.gmu.edu/library/specialcollections

October 11, 2018

Finding aid prepared by Elizabeth Beckman

Repository
George Mason University. Libraries. Special Collections Research Center.
Collection Number
C0317
Title
Phil Teigen North American churches postcard collection 1904-2010
URL:
http://scrc.gmu.edu/finding_aids/churchpostcards
Quantity
3.0 linear ft.
Creator
Teigen, Philip M., 9999-9999
Language
Collection is primarily in English. Some postcard messages are in Swedish.
Abstract
This collection contains postcards of churches of many Christian denominations from the United States and Canada.

Administrative Information

Use Restrictions

There are no restrictions on personal use. Permission to publish material from the Phil Teigen North American churches postcard collection must be obtained from the Special Collections Research Center, George Mason University Libraries.

Access Restrictions

There are no access restrictions.

Acquisition Information

Donated by Phil Teigen on 9/11/2018.

Processing Information

Processing completed by Elizabeth Beckman in October 2018. EAD markup completed by Elizabeth Beckman in October 2018.


Historical note

Immigrants from Europe and Asia brought a wide variety of Christian beliefs to North America. As Peter Williams notes, "The pluralism of America's religious experience is a given from the beginnings, first for the colonial settlements in aggregate, then later in virtually every town, city, and state" ("Houses of God", xii). He goes on to describe how these many religious groups impacted the built environment as they came "in succeeding waves of immigration, each bringing with them and/or adapting for their own purposes a wide variety of types of houses of worship and other sacred sites and structures" ("Houses of God," xii). This diversity of religious architecture is reflected in material commemorative culture, including through postcards.

Scope and Content note

This collection contains postcards from churches of many denominations across the United States and Canada. The postcards date from 1904-2010, although many are undated. The processor included undated in the date range for a series or box if it seemed likely that some of the postcards in the group date from outside the given range. More than half of the postcards depict Lutheran churches; there are also many postcards of Roman Catholic churches and Episcopal churches, as well as other Christian denominations. The postcards are organized by denomination and alphabetically by state (sometimes city), as well as whether they depict church interiors or exteriors.

Series 1: Lutheran churches, 1904-2010 (Boxes 1-7) includes postcards of Lutheran churches from the United States and Canada. It is divided into two subseries, Lutheran church exteriors and Lutheran church interiors.

Series 2: Roman Catholic churches, 1907-1995 (Boxes 8-10) includes postcards of Roman Catholic churches across the United States and Canada.

Series 3: Episcopal churches, 1908-1983, undated (Boxes 10-11) includes postcards of Episcopal churches across the United States and Canada.

Series 4: Other denominations, 1908-2000 (Boxes 11-12) is the smallest series, and includes postcards of a variety of churches, including Methodist, Presbyterian, Baptist, Orthodox, and other denominations, as well as non-denominational.

Arrangement

The collection is organized into four series by denomination. Within Series 1-3, postcards are organized alphabetically by state or province.

Series 1: Lutheran churches, 1904-1910 (Boxes 1-7) Series 2: Roman Catholic churches, 1907-1995 (Boxes 8-10) Series 3: Episcopal churches, 1908-1983, undated (Boxes 10-11) Series 4: Other denominations, 1908-2000 (Boxes 11-12)

Related Material

The Special Collections Research Center also holds the Gustav Klemp German World War I collection, which contains postcards from a German World War I medic.

Index Terms

    Subjects:

  • Catholic church buildings.
  • Church buildings.
  • Lutheran church buildings
  • Document Types:

  • Postcards.

Bibliography

Williams, Peter W. "Houses of God: Region, Religion, and Architecture in the United States." Urbana/Chicago: University of Illinois Press, 1997.

Contents List

A detailed inventory of individual postcards in the collection can be found here: Postcard Inventory

Series 1: Lutheran churches,
1904-2010 (Boxes 1-7)
Scope and Content

This series contains postcards of Lutheran churches. It is divided into two subseries: Lutheran church exteriors and Lutheran church interiors.

  • Subseries 1.1: Lutheran church exteriors,
    1904-2010
    • Box: 1
      Alabama-Indiana,
      1905-2001

    • Box: 2
      Iowa-Minnesota,
      1904-1988

    • Box: 3
      Minnesota,
      1907-1986

    • Box: 4
      Mississippi-Ohio,
      1906-1977, undated

    • Box: 5
      Ohio-South Carolina,
      1905-2010

    • Box: 6
      South Dakota-Wisconsin,
      1906-1999

    • Box: 7
      Wisconsin-Wyoming,
      1907-1967, undated

  • Subseries 1.2: Lutheran church interiors,
    1906-2000
    • Box: 7
      Alabama-Wisconsin,
      1906-2000

Series 2: Roman Catholic churches,
1907-1995 (Boxes 8-10)
Scope and Content

This series includes postcards of Roman Catholic churches across the United States and Canada.

  • Box: 8
    Alabama-Massachusetts,
    1907-1986

    Also includes unknown at beginning

  • Box: 9
    Michigan-Pennsylvania,
    1907-1989

  • Box: 10
    Prince Edward Island - Wyoming,
    1907-1995

Series 3: Episcopal churches,
1908-1983, undated (Boxes 10-11)
Scope and Content

This series includes postcards of Episcopal churches across the United States and Canada.

  • Box: 10
    Alabama-New York,
    1908-1983, undated

  • Box: 11
    North Carolina-Wyoming,
    1910-1976, undated

Series 4: Other denominations, 1908-2000 (Boxes 11-12)
Scope and Content

This is the smallest series, and includes postcards of a variety of churches, including Methodist, Presbyterian, Baptist, Orthodox, and other denominations, as well as non-denominational.

  • Box: 11
    African Methodist Episcopal churches,
    circa 1960s-1970s

  • Box: 11
    Baptist churches,
    1953-1983, undated

  • Box: 11
    Churches of the Brethren,
    circa 1950s-1983

  • Box: 11
    Christian churches,
    1957-1977, undated

  • Box: 11
    Christian Science churches,
    1934-1962

  • Box: 11
    College and university non-denominational churches,
    circa 1960s-1970s

  • Box: 11
    Community churches,
    circa 1950s-1970s

  • Box: 11
    Congregational churches,
    1908-1986

  • Box: 11
    Evangelical and Reformed churches,
    1910-1974, undated

  • Box: 11
    Mennonite churches,
    1964

  • Box: 11
    Methodist churches - Alabama-Missouri,
    1920-1990

  • Box: 12
    Methodist churches - Montana-Wyoming,
    1908-circa 1970s, undated

  • Box: 12
    Military churches,
    1953-1977, undated

  • Box: 12
    Assemblies of God, Nazarene, Moravian, etc. churches,
    1952-1954, undated

  • Box: 12
    Non-denominational churches,
    1908-1990

  • Box: 12
    Orthodox churches,
    1959-1973, undated

  • Box: 12
    Presbyterian churches,
    1908-2000

  • Box: 12
    Unitarian/Universalist churches,
    1936-1970, undated

  • Box: 12
    United Church of Christ,
    1956-1992, undated