Fonds MSS 526 (A2017-140) - Wilhelm Hummel fonds

Title and statement of responsibility area

Title proper

Wilhelm Hummel fonds

General material designation

  • Graphic material

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Fonds

Reference code

MSS 526 (A2017-140)

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Physical description

1.7 m of graphic material including 47 wooden boxes of lantern slides (approx. 2820 individual glass slides), 15 photo albums, 1 large scrapbook with documents, 6 binders of photographs, 1 binder of photocopies and biographical content, and 6 boxes of loose lantern slides

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Archival description area

Name of creator

(1862-1933)

Biographical history

Hugo Carl Wilhelm Hummel was born in Weimar, Germany in 1862. He was born into a relatively successful family; his father was the famous German landscape painter Carl Hummel, and his grandfather was Johann Nepomuk Hummel, a piano virtuoso and composer who was personally mentored by Mozart. In his early life, Wilhelm displayed an aptitude for languages and chemistry. In February of 1888, at the age of 26, he was drafted into the Imperial Army as an infantryman. This would be his first introduction to international travel. It was sometime in 1890 that Hummel traveled to England, where he met Max Engelbert Adolph Holzapfel (b.1861). In 1881, Holzapfel, his brother Albert and a man named Charles Petrie founded Holzapfel Ltd., a company which produced marine anti-fouling coating. Wilhelm Hummel became their international correspondent later on in 1890. He also enrolled at Durham College, where he studied chemistry.

The element which gave the Holzapfel Company’s product its signature red pigment and anti-fouling property was called cinnabar, the mineral from which mercury is extracted. As the company grew, their demand for cinnabar did as well. Hummel frequently traveled to Turkey and Spain which, during the 19th and 20th centuries, had the most significant known deposits of cinnabar in the world. Ultimately, the demand began to exceed the output of the Turkish and Spanish mines, and so Hummel continued to travel to other locales such as Russia, Persia, North Africa and other parts of the Mediterranean in an attempt to source more mercury. It is these travels which are captured in his collection of photography, memorializing his visits to iconic locations such as the pyramids of Giza, the Parthenon, the Blue Mosque and many others. He was a man who clearly aimed to make the most of his unique opportunity to travel so extensively, and wanted to be able to share his experiences with others. Ongoing health concerns forced Hummel into early retirement, and he passed away in 1933 at his home in Florence, Italy.

Custodial history

The materials of this fonds were collected and organized originally by Mr. Hugo Carl Wilhelm Hummel (1862-1933). Insofar as the archives are aware, the collection remained with the family after his passing. It was then donated to the University of Manitoba Archives and Special Collections by his daughter-in-law, Mrs. Yvonne Hummel, in 2017.

Scope and content

Travel photography and other material. The fonds are divided into 3 series: Lantern slides (wooden boxes), Lantern slides (cardboard boxes) and Albums. This includes his travels in the Mediterranean, Middle East, Central Asia (?), and the United States.

Notes area

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Arrangement

The original order has been kept.

Language of material

  • German

Script of material

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There are no restrictions on access.

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A finding aid can be downloaded from the fonds-level description by clicking on the “Download’ link under “Finding Aid” on the right hand side of the screen.

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Status

Draft

Level of detail

Partial

Dates of creation, revision and deletion

Finding aid created by Alexandra Moreau (July 2019). Revised by N. Courrier (July 2019).

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