Dawn Powell papers, 1890s-2012, bulk 1890s-1965

After clicking 'Submit Request', users will login with their UNI and password (Columbia affiliates) or their special collections account (external users). Appointments are required and will be arranged according to each individual repository's policy.


Series VI: Photographs, 1890s-1960s

This series contains primarily personal and professional photographs of Powell, her family, and places of residence in both New York and Ohio. Many photographs were identified by Tim Page in the course of his research work, but the series also contains many unidentified snapshots.



Box 85 Folder 1 Ault, Miller, Sherman Reunion at Ault's Farm, 1908 or 1909

Portrait photograph of several families at the Ault family farm. Includes Dawn Powell.



Box 57 Folder 1 Chapman Family, undated

From John Chapman, Royal Oak, Michigan.


Box 57 Folder 2 Margaret De Silver, undated


Box 57 Folder 3 Coburn Gilman--Photograph, circa 1934-1937, 8x10"


Box 57 Folder 4 Joseph R. Gousha, 1910s


Box 57 Folder 5 Joseph R. Gousha, 1950s


Box 57 Folder 6-10 "Photographs--Mainly Joe [Gousha]", 1910s-1940s

File probably created by Tim Page.


Box 57 Folder 11 Joseph R. Gousha?, 1950s


Box 57 Folder 12 Joseph R. Gousha, Jr., 1921


Box 57 Folder 13-16 Joseph R. Gousha, Jr., 1921-1950s

Includes photographs of him alone, and with his parents.


Box 57 Folder 17 Joseph R. Gousha, Jr.?, circa 1930s

These two photographs were originally framed in a single frame. They are unidentified.


Box 57 Folder 18 Hannah Green and John Wesley, 1990s


Box 57 Folder 19 John Howard Lawson, circa 1927


Box 57 Folder 20 "I'm Looking for a Lady", circa 1918

Photograph of Powell, E. Southward, and Ida Durham in the musical "I'm Looking for a Lady" by Charlotte Johnson and Dawn Powell.


Box 57 Folder 21 Mabel Powell Pocock, 1897 or 1898


Box 57 Folder 22 Hattie Sherman Powell--Portrait Photograph, circa 1890s


Box 57 Folder 23 Hattie Sherman Powell and her daughters Mabel, Phyllis, and Dawn Powell, circa 1901

Original, plus enlarged copy of only the persons in the photograph (used in Tim Page's biography).


Box 57 Folder 24 Roy King Powell and Sabra Powell, 1910s or 1920s


Box 57 Folder 25 Dawn Powell--Portrait Photograph, 1897 or 1898


Box 57 Folder 26 Dawn Powell--Portrait Photograph, 1890s


Box 57 Folder 27 Dawn Powell--Portrait Photograph of Dawn, Mabel, and Phyllis Powell, circa 1903

This is the original, which is damaged. There is a copy in the file of portait photographs used by Tim Page.


Box 57 Folder 28 Dawn Powell--Snapshot Photograph of Dawn, Mabel, and Phyllis Powell, 1948



Box 85 Folder 2 Dawn Powell--Portrait Photograph, 1913

Powell's high school portrait, as part of a hanging calendar for Christmas gift. Piece is fragile but photograph is intact.



Box 57 Folder 29 Dawn Powell--Portrait Photograph, 1918

Portrait photograph, perhaps a senior portrait for Lake Erie College.


Box 57 Folder 30-31 Dawn Powell--Portrait Photographs, 1920s


Box 57 Folder 32 Dawn Powell--Portrait Photographs, circa 1930


Box 57 Folder 33 Dawn Powell--Portrait Photograph, 1950s or 1960s

Portrait photograph, with negative.


Box 57 Folder 34 Dawn Powell--Portrait Photograph, 1950s or 1960s

Photographed by B.B. Adler.


Box 57 Folder 35 Dawn Powell--Portrait Photographs used by Tim Page, circa 1903, 1920-1930

The 1903 photograph is a copy of a photograph of Powell and her sisters. There are other copies of the others in the portrait photographs in the collection.


Box 57 Folder 36 Dawn Powell and other children, 1900s

This is a group photograph of Dawn and five other girls. Two are her sisters, the others may be cousins.


Box 57 Folder 37 Dawn Powell, 1910s



Box 58 Folder 1 Dawn Powell, circa 1940s


Box 58 Folder 2-3 Dawn Powell, circa 1950s


Box 58 Folder 4 Dawn Powell, circa 1960s


Box 58 Folder 5 Dawn Powell--New York World's Fair Souvenir Photograph, 1939


Box 58 Folder 6 Dawn Powell--Final Photograph, 1965 September


Box 58 Folder 7-10 Dawn Powell--"Informal", circa 1903-1950s

File probably created by Tim Page. Titled as "Powell - Informal" with a note that these had been id'd.


Box 58 Folder 11 Dawn Powell--Lake Erie College Honorary Degree, 1960


Box 58 Folder 12 Dawn Powell--Marjorie Peabody Waite Award, 1964

Powell receiving the award from Malcolm Cowley, President of the National Institute of Arts and Letters. Photograph has some damage.


Box 58 Folder 13-18 Photographs from Scrapbooks, 1920s

Photographs are primarily of Powell, Joseph Gousha, and their son Joseph Gousha, Jr. Photographs are still glued to the unbound black scrapbook pages; the paper is quite brittle.



Box 60 Folder 1-7 "Recent Photos", circa 1920s-1950s

File probably created by Tim Page. Includes note from Steerforth Press on returning photographs of Powell to Page. These are primarily of Powell and other family members including her sisters, cousins, and aunt. Many photographs are identified.



Box 58 Folder 19 Dawn Powell--Photograph in Homemade Frame, 1950s

Image is actually a clipping of Powell. Frame is made to look as if Powell is looking out a window.


Box 58 Folder 20 Dawn Powell--Residences in Mt. Gilead, Mansfield, Shelby, undated

Although residences were from her childhood, at least one was taken around 1940 and includes Powell in the photograph.


Box 58 Folder 21 Dawn Powell--Souvenir Photographs, 1940s

Souvenir photographs of Dawn Powell and Joseph Gousha from Billy Rose's Diamond Horseshow at the Paramont Hotel, Sammy's Bowery Follies, and one unidentified establishment. Include souvenir enclosures. Ones of these is a matchbook.



Box 86 Dawn Powell and Family--Photographs, 1920s-1979

Includes photographs of Dawn Powell, Joseph and Jojo Gousha. Includes 1979 photographs of Jojo Gousha and Leontine Gousha Vavrous.

Accession# 2023-2024-M112



Box 59 Folder 1-6 Dawn Powell and Family--Photographs, 1935-1947, undated

These are snapshot photographs. Some are dated, but most are unidentified. It is possible that not all the snapshots are of family members.


Box 59 Folder 7 Dawn Powell and Family--Negatives, undated

These were found together with the snapshot photographs.



Box 58 Folder 22-27 Dawn Powell and Others, 1910s

Several photos of Powell and others. Photographs are primarily of Powell and others of similar age. There are photographs at the beach, on a farm, with horses, and a few where the subjects are outside in costumes. Two items, including a group photograph of girls, identify the individuals in the photograph.


Box 58 Folder 28 Dawn Powell, James Putnam, and John La Touche, Probably 1954-1964

Note on photo indicates that this was from a television program of John Hewlett's.



Box 59 Folder 8 Jacqueline Miller Rice and Hiliary Dawn Rice, circa 1965


Box 59 Folder 9 John Sherman, Orpha May Sherman Steinbrueck and her home in Shelby, Ohio, 1930s-1950s


Box 59 Folder 10-18 Snapshots of Mt. Sinai, 1930s-1950s

Envelope label reads "Snapshots of Mt. Sinai - Bill and Harry, Bobby and Jojo, Mabel and Phyllis, etc., Effie and Charles, Auntie May." Includes photographs of Dawn and Joseph Gousha.



Box 58 Folder 29 View from Powell's Writing Room at 35 East 9th Street (Roof Level), undated

Includes photographs and one negative.



Box 59 Folder 19 Miscellaneous Identified Photographs, 1940s, 1964

Two items. Persons are identified, but significance is unknown: perhaps friends or family.



Box 60 Folder 8 Photographs used in Dawn Powell Biography

This file includes several photographs used in Tim Page's biography of Powell. Most are copies of photographs of persons associated with Powell - Hemmingway, Dorothy Parker, etc. Some photographs are originals of family members and other personal friends.


Box 60 Folder 9-15 Photographs and Negatives, 1890s-1990s

This appears to be a working file of Tim Page's. The photographs are primarily of Powell and her family. Many of the photographs are copies of originals, and several appeared in his biography of Powell. However, there are a few original photographs in the file. There are also some negatives, which may be originals or copies. Page also took his own photographs of people and places related to Powell, which may date from the 1990s. Many are identified by Tim Page. Includes photographs of Powell and her immediate family, and her cousin John Sherman.


Box 60 Folder 16-21 "Identified Photographs - Mainly Not Dawn Powell", 1890s-1960s

This appears to be a working file of Tim Page's. The photographs are primarily of Powell, Joseph Gousha, Joseph Gousha, Jr., and their extended family members. Includes the original copy of the early photograph of Roy Powell used in the Powell biography.



Box 61 Folder 1-2 "Identifications Needed", 1910s-1950s

Various photographs, unable to be identified by Tim Page.



Box 60 Folder 22-28 "Information Needed", 1900s-1950s

Various photographs, unable to be identified by Tim Page. Most of these do not include Powell. A few include some indentification, but most do not.



Box 61 Folder 3 Unidentified Photographs (Joseph Gousha?), 1910s

These include photographs of a young man, and groups of young men.


Box 61 Folder 4 Unidentified Photographs, circa 1890s-1950s, 3 items


Box 61 Folder 5-11 Unidentified Snapshots, 1910s-1960s

Various snapshots of people and places. Some of these may be of family members.


Box 61 Folder 12-13 Unidentified Snapshots from Scrapbooks, 1910s-1920s

Various snapshots of people and places. Some of these may be of family members.


Box 61 Folder 14 Negatives, various, undated



Box 24 Miscellaneous photographs