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Carol Beery Davis Family Collection, ca. 1940s-1985

 Collection
Identifier: MS 182

Scope and Contents

This collection includes items from the life of Carol Beery Davis, Trevor Davis, and their daughters in Juneau, Alaska. The bulk of the materials cover the period from the 1940’s to the 1980’s. Correspondence of both Carol and Trevor Davis, original and copied music scores written by Mrs. Davis, music programs and concerts, three scrapbooks, logbooks from their boat Cordelia, and metal printing plates for some of her published sheet music are in the collection. A Poetry Society notebook, papers related to poetry, an article written by her about the Alaska State Museum, and various honors, awards, and certificates are included. There is also a book of music called Motion Picture Moods and a book of Organist’s Photo-Play Instructions.

Items related to Trevor Davis are business correspondence, papers from his photography store, Snap Shoppe, various awards and honors, a list of negatives, and an article written by him entitled A Trip Up the Taku River. Family business, legal documents, genealogies, newspaper clippings, photographs, tapes, papers concerning Cedric Davis, a map of Douglas, and a survey for the homestead claim of Louis Lund complete the collection.

Dates

  • ca. 1940s-1985

Conditions Governing Access

The collection is unrestricted.

Conditions Governing Use

Requests for permission to publish material from the collection must be discussed with the Librarian. Photocopying does not constitute permission to publish.

Biographical

Carol Beery Davis was a musician, poet, writer, and piano teacher. She was born in Hicksville, Ohio in 1890, and studied piano in her childhood. She came to Alaska in 1920 to work as an organist for a silent movie theater. In 1922 she married Trevor M. Davis, a photographer. The Davises had four daughters: Sylvia, Shirley, Constance, and Patricia.

Mrs. Davis wrote music including the Alaska Flag Song and many pieces based on Tlingit melodies. She also wrote poetry and established the Poetry Society of Alaska, which acclaimed her Poet Laureate 1967-69. She also wrote articles and contributed them to fourteen magazines and newspapers. Among her many awards she was voted Alaska’s Mother of the Year by American Mother’s Golden Rule Committee, 1952, and Woman of the Year by Juneau Rotary Club, 1965. She received an honorary degree from the University of Alaska Juneau in 1983. In 1984, Mrs. Davis and her husband, Trevor, were co-recipients of a state Alaskan of the Year silver anniversary honor.

Still in evidence today is her effort to restore the old Kimball theater organ and place it in the State Office Building lobby. Carol Beery Davis died in 1990 at age 99 at the Juneau Pioneers Home.

Extent

8 Linear Feet : 8 boxes

Language of Materials

English

Acquisition

The collection was donated by Carol Beery Davis in January 1989, and facilitated by her daughters, Sylvia and Connie, Acc. no. 1988-65. Constance Davis dontated three articles describing the wreck of the Islander in January, 2002, Acc. no. 2002-3. Fran Ulmer donated 8 pieces of sheet music, Acc. no. 2020-007.

Processing Information

An inventory was included with the collection but the documents were in no apparent order. Materials were organized according to format or subject and placed in folders. Fragile items were housed in mylar. A finding aid is available. Trevor Davis negatives were added to the Trevor Davis Photograph Collection, PCA 97.

Title
Finding aid for the Carol Beery Davis Family Collection, ca. 1940s-1985
Status
In Progress
Author
Processed by: Gladi Kulp and Loraine Spear March 2000 ; Revised: January 2002 ; Revised by: Jacki Swearingen, Feb. 2020 ; ArchivesSpace finding aid by: Sandy Johnston
Date
2019 May
Description rules
Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Language of description
Undetermined
Script of description
Code for undetermined script
Language of description note
English

Repository Details

Part of the Alaska State Library - Historical Collections Finding Aids Repository

Contact:
PO Box 110571
Juneau AK 99811-0571 US
907-465-2920
907-465-2925
907-465-2151 (Fax)