Guide to the SC-277 Harrison Morton Bretz Photographs

Biography of Harrison Morton Bretz

Harrison Morton Bretz was born July 24, 1888, in Dayton, Ohio. He married Nellie Carter in 1907. At the time that these photographs were captured, he lived with his family at 49 Stratford (between West First and Monument, just west of Perry Street) in downtown Dayton. In 1913, he was working as a paper cutter at a box factory. In 1917, he was a paper cutter at United Brethren Publishing House. He does not appear to have served in World War I. From about 1920 onward, he worked mainly in clerical positions. He died September 10, 1972, and is buried in Woodland Cemetery in Dayton.

Scope and Content

This collection consists of 38 original photographic prints (of 30 different pictures) in downtown Dayton, Ohio. About half of the photos depict damage following the Great 1913 Flood of Dayton, and the rest show various landmarks, buildings, and scenes of Dayton between 1913 and 1920 (several alluding to World War I). Landmarks shown include Memorial Hall, the "New" Courthouse, Union Station, the Third Street post office, the Dayton Daily News building, the Old Main Library, and the Miami Hotel. One of the scenes showing flood damage shows Bretz's home at 49 Stratford Avenue, which was in downtown Dayton near West First Street. Each photo in the collection is individually numbered and sleeved. Each sleeve contains the original print(s) for that picture, as well as an enlarged reproduction print with additional details (known or inferred) printed at the bottom, including subject, location, and date. This information was provided by the donor, Herbert V. Markle, the grandson of Harrison Morton Bretz. All of the photos are believed to have been taken by Harrison Morton Bretz himself.

Statement of Arrangement

Restrictions on Use

Copyright restrictions may apply. Unpublished manuscripts are protected by copyright. Permission to publish, quote or reproduce must be secured from the repository and the copyright holder.

Restrictions on Access

There are no restrictions on accessing paper-based material in this collection. However, researchers are requested to provide at least 2 days' notice when requesting electronic records. Access to the original electronic media is also restricted.

A collection of poetry written by Harrison's daughter Marie (Bretz) Markle can be found in MS-638.

Subject Terms

The following terms have been used to index the description of this collection in the library's online public access catalog.

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Technical Requirements

computer with hardware and software capable of accessing JPEG/JPG files will be required to view the electronic records (digitized/scanned photographs) in e-item sc277_e0001 of this collection.

Preferred Citation

[Description of item, Date], SC-277, Harrison Morton Bretz Photographs, Wright State University Libraries' Special Collections and Archives, Wright State University, Dayton, Ohio.

Acquisition Information

This collection was donated by Herbert V. Markle, grandson of Harrison Bretz, in September 2012.

Processing Information

Digital scans of the photographs were provided by the donor via optical disk, available in the E-Archive.

Other Finding Aid

The finding aid is available on the Special Collections & Archives, Wright State University Libraries web site at
https://wright.libraryhost.com/repositories/2/resources/1433.