From collection Creating Acadia National Park: The George B. Dorr Research Archive of Ronald H. Epp

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Florentine Films
Florentine Films
Susan Shumaker , Assoc Producer
304-292-2947 (home)
304-685-1767 (cell)
9/2007 Arebuist
Julie Deenfy, Producer.
603-756-4141
)
ameridoe@sov.net
PBS TO AIR KEN BURNS'S "THE NATIONAL PARKS: AMERICA'S BEST IDEA,"
Page 1 of 3
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PBS TO AIR KEN BURNS'S "THE NATIONAL PARKS:
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AMERICA'S BEST IDEA, "A NEW SIX-PART SERIES
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THE NATIONAL PARKS, IN FALL 2009
PBS Programming
PBS Editorial Standards
Los Angeles, CA - July 14, 2008 - PBS (Public Broadcasting Service) announced today that it
will air the new Ken Burns documentary series, THE NATIONAL PARKS: AMERICA'S BEST
Producing for PBS
IDEA, in fall 2009. The 12-hour, six-part documentary series, directed by Burns and co-
Sponsorship
produced with his longtime colleague, Dayton Duncan, who also wrote the script, is the story
Support PBS
of an idea as uniquely American as the Declaration of Independence and just as radical: that
the most special places in the nation should be preserved, not for royalty or the rich, but for
ABOUT THIS-SITE
everyone. As such, it follows in the tradition of Burns's exploration of other American
STATION FINDER
inventions, such as baseball and jazz.
Filmed over the course of more than six years in some of nature's most spectacular locales
from Acadia to Yosemite, Yellowstone to the Grand Canyon, the Everglades of Florida to the
Gates of the Arctic in Alaska - the documentary is nonetheless a story of people from every
conceivable background - rich and poor; famous and unknown; soldiers and scientists;
natives and newcomers; idealists, artists and entrepreneurs; people who were willing to
devote themselves to saving some precious portion of the land they loved, and in doing so
reminded their fellow citizens of the full meaning of democracy. It is a story of struggle and
conflict, high ideals and crass opportunism, stirring adventure and enduring inspiration set
against breathtaking backdrops.
"Just as many of the lands that make up today's national parks were the spiritual homes for
the indigenous tribes who lived there, they had a profound and often spiritual impact on the
settlers who first saw them and on the visionaries who fought tirelessly to preserve them as
the common property of the American people," said Ken Burns. "They saw in them a visual,
tangible representation of God's majesty. Our film celebrates the beauty of these parks and
the vision and foresight of the men and women who made sure that this land would be
preserved."
The narrative traces the birth of the national park idea in the mid-1800s and follows its
evolution for nearly 150 years. Using archival photographs, first-person accounts of historical
characters, personal memories and analysis from more than 40 interviews, and what Burns
believes is the most stunning cinematography in Florentine Films' history, the series chronicles
the steady addition of new parks through the stories of the people who helped create them
and save them from destruction. It is simultaneously a biography of compelling characters and
a biography of the American landscape.
"Making this film was one of the greatest joys of my life," said Dayton Duncan, who has
visited all but one of America's 58 national parks and who is the author of the companion
book, to be published by Alfred Knopf. "Each park is unique and has its own fascinating
historical story. But they are all connected by the transformative idea that they belong to each
of us, providing a shared place that lives in the memory of every individual and every family
that has visited them over the years. And they are connected by the notion that individual
Americans, in the best possible example of democracy, worked to make sure that future
generations could enjoy them."
With 391 units (58 national parks, plus 333 national monuments, historic sites and other
units), the National Park Service has a presence in 49 of the 50 states (Delaware is the sole
exception). Like the idea of freedom itself, the national park idea has been constantly tested,
is constantly evolving and is inherently full of contradictory tensions: between individual rights
and the community, the local and the national; between preservation and exploitation, the
sacred and the profitable; between one generation's immediate desires and the next
generation's legacy.
As America expanded westward, pioneers would "discover" landscapes of such breathtaking
and unusual beauty that written descriptions of the lands were sometimes assumed by people
http://www.pbs.org/aboutpbs/news/20080714_nationalparks.htm
10/1/2008
PBS TO AIR KEN BURNS'S "THE NATIONAL PARKS: AMERICA'S BEST IDEA,".
Page 2 of 3
in the east to be works of fiction. Eventually, there emerged a belief that these special places
should be kept untarnished by development and commerce so that they could be experienced
by all people.
"There was a sense that in Europe, you had the Roman coliseum or Notre Dame or the
Cologne cathedral, but we didn't have anything like that in America," said Dayton Duncan.
"But we did have these spectacular natural landscapes that were as unique and ancient as
anything in the Old World. So they would become our treasures. They would be the source of
our national pride. But unlike in Europe, they did not belong to monarchs or nobility. They
belong to everyone."
Wallace Stegner called the national parks "the best idea we ever had," and no activity of the
federal government engenders such universal support and public loyalty; yet the story of how
these special places became preserved as parks, the role of individual citizens in creating
them and the powerful stories of people's emotional connection to them remains relatively
unknown.
Among the lengthy cast of characters profiled in the series is James Mason Hutchings, a
magazine publisher who was one of the first people to promote Yosemite and who sought to
develop a resort hotel on the land; John Muir, a deeply religious mountain prophet who found
inspiration in Yosemite and then inspired generations of parks enthusiasts; George Masa, a
Japanese immigrant whose photographs of the Great Smoky Mountains in North Carolina and
Tennessee served in the fight to protect the region as a national park; Marjory Stoneman
Douglas, who persuaded Congress that a swamp in southern Florida, the Everglades, should
be set aside as a national park; George Melendez Wright, a park ranger from San Francisco
who recognized the need to preserve the parks' wildlife in its natural state; Adolph Murie, a
young biologist and protégé of Wright who was instrumental in reforming park policy so that
wildlife - even predators - would have the same protections as the land itself; and Stephen
Mather, a wealthy businessman who used his personal fortune and genius for promotion to
create a National Park Service.
These historical accounts are paralleled with contemporary stories of people who continue to
be transformed and inspired by the parks today. They include Shelton Johnson, who grew up
in Detroit, where the national parks seemed distant, unreachable places until he later became
a park ranger; Gerard Baker, a Native-American park superintendent whose tribe has long
considered the land sacred; Tuan Luong, a Paris-born Vietnamese rock climber and
photographer who fell in love with the parks and dedicated himself to photographing all 58
national parks with a large format camera; and Juan Lujan, who grew up in west Texas during
the Depression and joined the Civilian Conservation Corps, with which he would help develop
Big Bend National Park in Texas. Also included in the film are interviews with best-selling
author Nevada Barr, a former park ranger; writer and environmentalist Terry Tempest
Williams; historians William Cronon, Paul Schullery and Alfred Runte; and many others.
Over six years in the making, THE NATIONAL PARKS is a visual feast, featuring some of the
most extensive, breathtaking images of the national parks system every captured on film. It
contains the most contemporary footage of any Ken Burns film since "Lewis and Clark," shot
principally by chief cinematographer Buddy Squires (who has photographed all of Burns's
films), long-time Florentine cameraman Allen Moore, Lincoln Else (who also is a former ranger
at Yosemite) and Burns himself.
"It's easy to be in awe of the scenic beauty of our national parks and lose sight of their
context within our nation's history," said John F. Wilson, PBS Sr. Vice President and Chief TV
Programming Executive. "THE NATIONAL PARKS brings to life what the national parks say
about our character as a nation and a people. The film surfaces hidden histories of passionate
and visionary individuals who persevered in preserving these majestic lands and historic sites
for the public's enrichment for generations to come. Beginning with public television stations'
broad audience and continuing with powerful new media, we're confident that this film, like all
of Ken's films, will grip our country's attention and spark a dialogue about the importance of
these sites and the need for on-going preservation and education."
As with all of Burns's films, there will be an extensive educational component, an interactive
Web site that provides more information about the film, the parks and related issues, as well
as a large-scale community engagement initiative. Four years ago, WETA and Florentine
Films, with generous support from the Evelyn and Walter Haas, Jr. Fund, launched the Untold
Stories project, designed to bring to light stories from the national parks focusing on the role
of African Americans, Asian Americans, Hispanic Americans and Native Americans in the
creation and protection of individual parks and to engage new and traditionally underserved
audiences in the educational richness of the national parks.
Accompanying the series will be a companion book, written by Dayton Duncan and introduced
by Ken Burns, which will be published by Alfred A. Knopf, Burns' longtime publisher. "THE
NATIONAL PARKS, like our previous collaborations with Ken Burns, will be a signature
publishing event," said Sonny Mehta, Chairman of the Knopf Publishing Group. "It is the first
accounting of the national parks to weave together dramatic narrative, personal testimony
http://www.pbs.org/aboutpbs/news/20080714_nationalparks.html
10/1/2008
PBS TO AIR KEN BURNS'S "THE NATIONAL PARKS: AMERICA'S BEST IDEA, " Page 3 of 3
and breathtaking images. Indeed, of all the books we have published in partnership with Ken,
this may be the most visually spectacular."
PBS Home Video is producing a complete DVD box set that will feature "making of" footage
and an interview with Burns and others involved in the film.
In
addition to Peter Coyote's narration, THE NATIONAL PARKS features first-person voices
read by some of America's greatest actors. Tom Hanks reads the voices of several characters
in the film, including Congressman John F. Lacey, who helped push a bill through Congress to
protect Yellowstone's last wild buffalo herd. Other voices include Andy Garcia, Josh Lucas, Eli
Wallach, Campbell Scott, Sam Waterston, John Lithgow, George Takei, Philip Bosco, Carolyn
McCormick, Adam Arkin and Kevin Conway.
THE NATIONAL PARKS: AMERICA'S BEST IDEA is a production of Florentine Films and
WETA Washington, DC. Director/producer: Ken Burns. Producer/Writer: Dayton Duncan. Co-
producers: Craig Mellish, Julie Dunfey and David McMahon. Supervising Editor: Paul Barnes.
Episode Editors: Paul Barnes, Erik Ewers and Craig Mellish. Cinematography: Buddy Squires,
with Allen Moore, Lincoln Else and Ken Burns. Narrator: Peter Coyote.
Corporate funding is provided by General Motors and Bank of America. Major funding is
provided by the Evelyn & Walter Haas, Jr. Fund; Corporation for Public Broadcasting; The
Arthur Vining Davis Foundations; Park Foundation, Inc.; Public Broadcasting Service; National
Park Foundation; The Peter Jay Sharp Foundation; and The Pew Charitable Trusts.
For more information and photos go to pbs.org/pressroom
About WETA
WETA Washington, DC, is the third-largest producing station for public television and the
flagship public broadcaster in the nation's capital. WETA productions and co-productions
include THE NEWSHOUR WITH JIM LEHRER, WASHINGTON WEEK WITH GWEN IFILL AND
NATIONAL JOURNAL, AMERICA AT A CROSSROADS and IN PERFORMANCE AT THE WHITE
HOUSE. Additionally, for more than 20 years, WETA has partnered with filmmaker Ken Burns
to bring his landmark documentaries to the nation via public television, including the 2007 film
THE WAR. Sharon Percy Rockefeller is president and CEO of WETA. More information on WETA
and its programs and services is available at www.weta.org.
About PBS
PBS, with its 356 member stations, offers all Americans - from every walk of life - the
opportunity to explore new ideas and new worlds through television and online content. Each
week, PBS reaches more than 65 million people and invites them to experience the worlds of
science, history, nature and public affairs; hear diverse viewpoints; and take front row seats
to world-class drama and performances. PBS' broad array of programs has been consistently
honored by the industry's most coveted award competitions. Teachers of children from pre-K
through 12th grade turn to PBS for digital content and services that help bring classroom
lessons to life. PBS' premier children's TV programming and Web site, pbskids.org, are
parents' and teachers' most trusted partners in inspiring and nurturing curiosity and love of
learning in children. More information about PBS is available at www.pbs.org, one of the
leading dot-org Web sites on the Internet.
-PBS-
CONTACTS:
Carrie Johnson, PBS, 703-739-5129
Dave Donovan/Cassin Donn/Brian Moriarty, Dan Klores Communications, 212/685-4300
www.pbs.org/pressroom
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http://www.pbs.org/aboutpbs/news/20080714_nationalparks.html
10/1/2008
ns' National Parks Documentary: Where Does it Stand? | National Parks Traveler
Page 1 of 4
HOME
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NATIONAL PARKS
TRAVELER
Ken Burns' National Parks Documentary:
Where Does it Stand?
Posted May 10th, 2008 by Kurt Repanshek
Filmmaker Ken Burns' documentary on the
national park system is still more than a
year away from beaming into your home.
It's been quite a while since the Traveler mentioned the national parks
documentary that Ken Burns was working on. So what's he been up to since then?
Quite a lot, it turns out.
The project, destined to arrive on PBS in the fall of 2009, has taken the noted
filmmaker to 53 of the 58 "national parks," consumed 797 rolls of film (at 400 feet
per roll, no less), and involved more than 40 interviews with historians, writers
and park supporters. Oh yeah, the team also had great response to the call for
home movies and some of that footage received will be appearing in the sixth and
final episode of the 12-hour series.
http://www.nationalparkstraveler.com/2008/05/ken-burns-national-parks-documentary-wh... 10/1/2008
urns' National Parks Documentary: Where Does it Stand? I National Parks Iraveler
Page 2 of 4
Also, the title of the film was tinkered with a bit since the project was first
announced back in 2005. It's now officially called, "The National Parks: America's
Best Idea."
For trivia buffs, know that the project was filmed over the course of more than six
years in parks as wide-ranging as Acadia and Everglades to Yosemite and Gates of
the Arctic.
That said, Mr. Burns' team prefers to call the documentary "a story of people:
people from every conceivable background - rich and poor; famous and unknown;
soldiers and scientists; natives and newcomers; idealists, artists and
entrepreneurs; people who were willing to devote themselves to saving some
precious portion of the land they loved, and in doing so reminded their fellow
citizens of the full meaning of democracy. It is a story full of struggle and conflict,
high ideals and crass opportunism, stirring adventure and enduring inspiration -
set against the most breathtaking backdrops imaginable."
Here's more from the team:
The narrative traces the birth of the national park idea in the mid-1800s
and follows its evolution for nearly 150 years. Using archival photographs,
first-person accounts of historical characters, personal memories and
analysis from more than 40 interviews, and what Burns believes is the most
stunning cinematography in Florentine Films' history, the film chronicles
the steady addition of new parks through the stories of the people who
helped create them and save them from destruction. It is simultaneously a
biography of compelling characters and a biography of the American
landscape.
Like the idea of freedom itself, the national park idea has been constantly
tested, constantly evolving, and inherently full of contradictory tensions:
between individual rights and the community, the local and the national;
between preservation and exploitation, the sacred and the profitable;
between one generation's immediate desires and the next generation's
legacy.
It has been called "America's best idea," and no activity of the federal
government engenders such universal support and public loyalty, yet the
story of how these special places became preserved as parks, the role of
individual citizens in creating them, and the powerful stories of people's
emotional connection to them remains relatively unknown.
Among those who lent their voices to the project were Peter Coyote, who provides
the narration; Tom Hanks; Andy Garcia; Sam Waterston; Amy Madigan; Eli
Wallach; Carolyn McCormick, and many others.
More trivia: The film includes more contemporary footage than any Burns film
since the 1997 LEWIS & CLARK.
http://www.nationalparkstraveler.com/2008/05/ken-burns-national-parks-documentary-wh. 10/1/2008
Tarks delights Bar Harbor audience - Bangor Daily News
Page 1 of 3
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INTERNET FOR THE
PARKS
WAY YOU CONNECT
'Parks' delights Bar Harbor audience
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minutes of excerpts
(PLUS TAXES & FEES)
from Ken Burns' new
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film, "The National
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Test your skills
MINI NETBOOK
Idea."
with our daily
Documentary filmmaker Ken Burns (left) jokes Wednesday with
tourists Ross and Candice Finnelly of Lemont, III., as he stops at
The audience
crossword
Thunder Hole in Acadia National Park. The park's
delighted in a segment
superintendent, Sheridan Steele (center), accompanied Burns
showing bear cubs
bangordailynews.com
during a promotional visit for Burns' new public television series,
"The National Parks: America's Best Idea. The six-part series will
catching salmon
MOST
BDN
premiere Sept. 27 nationwide, including broadcasts on Maine
beside their mothers,
STORIES
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Public Broadcasting Network. Buy Photo
oohed and aahed at
the aerial shots of
(CUSTOMER RESPONSIBLE FOR TAXES,
COMMENTS
SHIPPING AND HANDLING.)
their state's park taken from a helicopter, and laughed in all the right places.
That is the kind of reception the film has received around the country, Burns
said after the event.
Man bolts Bangor fair during arrest
attempt
"This is as good as it gets," he said, posing for photos with the descendants of
Delta pulling Boston flights from BIA
LEGAL
Charles W. Eliot, one of the men who created Acadia National Park.
Vandals sink two lobster boats in Owls
Order Now!
Head
The documentary filmmaker and his longtime producer, Dayton Duncan,
both of Walpole, N.H., took a half-dozen questions before the crowd
Inside man in 'shocking' robbery gets 1
streamed out into the muggy night, so that the 200 people who were unable
year
to get tickets for the sold-out session with Burns and Duncan could be let
'Clunkers' destined for scrap heap
into the art deco-style theater for a second showing of the film clips.
Creeping water problem solved in
Howland
Burns and Duncan spent Wednesday afternoon touring Maine's only
Moose freed after being caught in
national park before heading to a private fundraiser at the Rockefeller estate,
Camden building
then to the theater to promote the film. It is set to air on public television,
including the Maine Public Broadcasting Network on Sept. 27. The 12-hour,
six-episode series tells the story of the national park system, which began in
1872 with the formation of Yellowstone National Park. The system now
Acadia National Park
includes 58 parks and 333 national monuments and historic sites.
Cheap Rates at Hotels Near Acadia
National Park in Bar Harbor, Maine!
Filmed over six years, the program includes more than 50 interviews as well
Travel.Calibex.com/Acadia-Park
as footage from the Grand Canyon, Yosemite and, of course, Acadia. Duncan
oversaw the filming on Mount Desert Island in 2004 and 2005. Burns shot
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146 hours of film for the series, he said, and used about 1,800 of the still
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sound track includes music of the eras profiled, modern folk music and
sounds that match many of the activities shown in photographs.
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The clips shown Wednesday included two segments from Episode 3 that tell
on hotels.
the story of Acadia, the first park in the nation created from privately
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donated land. Segments also included the introduction in Episode 1;
President Theodore Roosevelt's trip to Yellowstone National Park, which
V
V
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sparked the creation of the park system, from Episode 2; a clip from the
fourth episode titled "Ask a Ranger," that humorously honors the work of
park rangers; and an interview with Ranger Sheldon Johnson, the man
Burns said is the Shelby Foote of this series.
http://www.bangordailynews.com/detail/114798.htm
8/7/2009
Parks delights Bar Harbor audience - Bangor Daily News
Page L of 3
Foote was a Civil War historian whose commentary - liberally sprinkled
throughout Burns' 1990 series "The Civil War" - made the soft-spoken
Southerner an instant celebrity. In the last years of his life, Foote, a
confirmed bachelor, received dozens of proposals of marriage and the quiet
academic was sought after for interviews nearly as often as Burns was,
according to previously published reports.
"The National Parks: America's Best Idea" is structured similarly to Burns'
previous long-form films, "Baseball," "Jazz" and "The Civil War." Actor Peter
Coyote narrates the series and actors, including John Lithgow, Tom Hanks
and Sam Waterston, read the writings of the famous and the unknown, who
played a part in the history of the parks.
The segments on Acadia include aerial shots of the park's rocky coast,
historic photos of Mount Desert Island from the late 19th and early 20th
centuries and some of the famous paintings which lured the rich and famous
to become "cottagers" for part of the year.
The film links the idea of the creation of the parks, owned by the people, to
the themes of democracy outlined by the nation's founders. Burns warned
that despite the concern over the past two decades about heavily visited
parks such as Acadia and Yellowstone being "loved to death," recent
attendance at some parks has leveled off.
The National Park system will turn 100 in 2016, an audience member
pointed out when she asked Burns what he hoped for its future.
"We must figure out a way to renew our vigor for parks," he said. "With
ownership comes responsibility."
The filmmaker said that more study guides, including one on Acadia, and
educational materials have been created for this film than for any of his
previous projects. Much of that material is linked to the series' Web site.
Burns' next projects include a "10th inning" update of "Baseball," a look at
the three Roosevelts - Theodore, Franklin and Eleanor - and histories of
Prohibition and the Dust Bowl, the filmmaker said in answer to a question.
For the next two months, however, Burns' focus will be on "The National
Parks: America's Best Idea." He said Wednesday that he is working with the
Department of the Interior, which manages the park system, on a possible
screening of the series at the White House.
"If Sasha and Malia [Obama] became junior rangers," he said, "that would
represent a sea change in attitude."
Burns said the symbolism of the president's young daughters, ages 8 and 11,
respectively, taking part in a program offered at parks for children would
send a message to Americans about the importance of sharing the national
parks with the next generation.
"Liberty requires vigilance," Burns told the audience. "Too many of our kids
are addicted to a virtual world. If we don't create a new generation with
memories [of their visits to national parks], we'll be losing the next
generation."
For more information on the series, visit www.pbs.org/nationalparks.
Related Stories
Ken Burns promotes park series at Acadia
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http://www.bangordailynews.com/detail/114798.html
8/7/2009
Critical Comments on Acadia sections of Florentine Films "National Parks" Series
Of the eight items I jotted down in the notes I left with you on September 18th, several do
not require your attention and have been reconciled with my archival resources.
However, the following important items require your consideration.
1. Were you able to date the second of two images of women boating on Frenchman Bay
in the late 19th century? Was it a 20th century image?
2. The organization founded by President Eliot and Mr. Dorr was the Hancock County
Trustees of Public Reservations. Consistency requires that the narration be changed from
"for" to "of."
3. Regarding the source of Dorr's wealth the narration perpetuates the "textile industry"
anecdote that is without historic foundation. I cannot find any basis for this claim. The
documentation I uncovered locates his wealth as inheritance derived largely from
grandparents and great grandparents on both sides of his family.
Prior to Dorr's day, Boston's first families generally owed their position to maritime
success, much of it derived in Salem from late 18th -century China trade. As sociologist
Paul Goodman has pointed out, commercial wealth in this era was accumulated through
achievement and not hereditary privilege.
On Dorr's paternal side there are merchants and bankers (his grandfather is a New
England Bank executive). On his maternal side, as the exclusive American representative
of the London banking giant Baring Brothers & Co., Thomas Wren Ward (Mr. Dorr's
grandfather) developed (1820 to 1850) an innovative and unique system for granting
credits that antedated John Bradstreet's first rating book-and brought him considerable
wealth. Harvard College--where more than a dozen of Dorr's relatives had graduated--
recognized Thomas Wren Ward's abilities and appointed him Treasurer (1830-1842).
All in all, best to account for Dorr's wealth in more general terms as derived from family
success in the development of the American mercantile system.
4. I have checked the timetable for correspondence between Mr. Dorr and J.D.
Rockefeller Jr. and find that your assertion as its stands is correct-their interaction and
cooperative efforts were almost entirely during the period after Lafayette National Park
was established in 1919.
5. The narrator's claim that "most of Mount Desert Island became a national park":
should only be retained if it can be substantiated by NPS officials. My resources indicate
that this is not the case. Internet searches yield claims from non-governmental sources
Mainland,
that the park contains in excess of 47,000 acres with no discrimination between island
nut
holdings and offshore holdings.
Since the statement was not contextualized with a timeframe, we will take the best case
scenario and assume that it is current. The data provided in numerous Department of the
Interior publications shows that MDI is 108 sq. miles (65,120 acres). According to a the
recent official National Park Service 2004 planning document for the mainland Schoodic
district of Acadia National Park (Schoodic: Draft General Management Plan Amendment
and Environmental Impact Statement) park acreage is "approximately 35,500 acres."
What needs to be excluded are large offshore holdings at Schoodic (2,366 acres) and Isle
au Haut (2,726 acres), lowering the total to roughly 31,400 acres, or less than half the
island acreage. It would be accurate to say that "nearly half of Mount Desert Island
became a national park." As I mentioned to you, I have no evidence that any park
developers aimed at turning the entire island into a national park.
6. The final Acadia section ("It's Mr. Dorr !) that ends with Dorr's ashes being scattered
from an airplane might have some aesthetic appeal but there is no documentation that I
have uncovered to support this apocryphal tale-and there are important reasons not to
believe it !
The evidence to the contrary is derived from a report written by his second in command,
Assistant Superintendent Benjamin Hadley who sends (8.14.1944) an official report to
Horace Albright (National Archives and Records Administration & Acadia National Park
Archives, B.218, f. 10) that funeral services were held at Bar Harbor's St. Saviour's
Episcopal Church August 7th and "the remains were taken to Boston for cremation. The
ashes were returned to Bar Harbor and scattered on the Old Farm land which he loved SO
dearly at a spot which he personally selected years ago."
Several newspaper accounts refer to the scattering of his ashes at the estate but there is no
mention in the Bar Harbor Times of any air dispersal and I know of no author who has
committed this anecdote to print. Moreover, not only would an airplane release of ashes
over the hundred acre Old Farm estate be unlikely to pinpoint the "spot" Dorr selected
but the use of an airplane for this purpose during WWII is highly unlikely-- and may have
been in violation of coastal security policies.
Relatives of Superintendent Hadley report to this day that their understanding is that once
Dorr's ashes were returned from Mount Auburn Cemetery-and I have in my possession
a copy of the order for cremation--they were scattered at the Old Farm estate in the small
garden glade behind Storm Beach Cottage. This area had special significance for Dorr
since it was the residence he and his parents first occupied prior to the completion of the
separate Old Farm residence which later became his exclusive residence (Old Farm being
rented during the Summer) year round from the Spring of 1929 until September 1941,
though he again took up residence at Old Farm for the last four years of his life.
Ronald H. Epp, Ph.D.
September 29, 2007
Re: Dorr Finding Aid
Page 1 of 23
Epp, Ronald
From:
Susan Shumaker [susan@stonecircleinc.com]
Sent:
Monday, August 02, 2004 4:59 PM
To:
Epp, Ronald
Subject: Re: Dorr Finding Aid
Hi Ron,
Thanks so much for sending the finding aid and - of course - for the enormous
effort that went into compiling it. Much of the material looks of interest,
especially the correspondence, but I'm not sure if the contents of all letters are
worth sending on. I would love to see, in Box 1, Folder 5, the CWE to GBD letter
from 8/12/1901 and possibly the CWE to Woodrow Wilson letter, 4/14/1914.
Also, in Box 2, folder 1: "What do National Parks Stand For?"; Box 2, folder 6:
dictaphone transcription on JDR Jr. and the need for a park ranger horse-road,
8/15/1940.
Do you recall what the Pinchot letters are about? These might be of interest,
too, depending upon the content.
Thanks again for your offer to send materials on, Ron. Just so you know, I will
be out of the country beginning this Thursday until Tuesday, 8/17. I won't have
email access while I'm away (egads!).
With best regards,
Susan
From: "Epp, Ronald"
Date: Mon, 2 Aug 2004 16:14:40 -0400
To: "Susan Shumaker"
Subject: Dorr Finding Aid
Dear Susan,
The attachment contains the completed Dorr Papers Finding Aid. If you find anything that looks
promising for America's Best Idea let me know within the next two weeks--before I return the
8/4/2004
Re: Dorr Finding Aid
Page 2 of 23
microfilm--and I'll make a copy for you.
Now that this is behind me, I can turn a part of my attention to the Dorr Timeline.
Hope you are progressing with your research.
Ron
Ronald H. Epp, Ph.D.
Director of Shapiro Library
Southern New Hampshire University
Manchester, NH 03106
603-668-2211, ext. 2164
603-645-9685 fax
Original Message
From: Susan Shumaker [mailto:susan@stonecircleinc.com]
Sent: Tuesday, July 20, 2004 1:57 PM
To: Epp, Ronald
Subject: Re: Acadia N.P.
Hi Ron,
Sorry for the delay; I've been out of the office these past
few days and am just catching up.
I did receive your packets; thank you so much for sending
the materials and for your advocacy with Judith Goldstein. I
will dig into Goldstein's pieces at the end of the week (am
knee-deep in Zion and Bryce at the moment). I also very
much appreciated the extra J. Horace McFarland piece from
the American Civic Association meeting; I did some research
on McFarland a few months back, but without the aid of the
original of his talk arguing for a bureau of parks. I pulled
many wonderful quotes and sent them off as soon as I
received the article. Thank you again.
8/4/2004
Message
Page 1 of 34
Epp, Ronald
From:
Epp, Ronald
Sent:
Friday, July 23, 2004 10:13 AM
To:
'susan@stonecircleinc.com"
Cc:
Epp, Ronald
Subject: Mather's 1915 Mountain Party & Other ANP Images
Dear Susan,
I appreciated your time yesterday. I hope I didn't come across too strong in cautioning you about Collier's
"Triumph of George Dorr" but again this morning I received a response from the Massachusetts State Archives
informing me that Richard Hale was not a an archivist with the State, as Mr. Collier had claimed. And so it
goes.
On the plus side, here is the full citation information you requested:
"The Mather Mountain Party of 1915: a full account of the adventures of Stepehn T. Mather and his friends in
the High Sierra of California" by Horace Marden Albright and Marian Albright Schenck. Three Rivers, CA:
Sequoia Natural History Assoc., 1990. 37pp.
You may recall that I suggested that the photographs of Herbert W. Gleason ought to be considered for the
project and that I pointed out the vast resources available at the Concord (MA) Library. I assumed that you
were aware of the fact that the Acadia Park Archives contains more than 1,400 negatives, plates, and original
film taken by Gleason in 1922 restricted to the MDI environment. I have a 60 page inventory of this collection
but be cautioned that the NPS has determined that many of these are in such poor condition as to be
unusable. While B&W images of the environment predominate, there are images of homes, gardens, and
persons both notable and not. Several hundred have been digitized.
On a related matter, some of these images--as well as some from the Concord repository--are used in the
more than twenty "Sieur de Monts National Publications" that Mr. Dorr generated between 1916-1919 to
promote public awareness about the Monument and new Lafayette National Park. Have you seen these? If not,
we should discuss them because they are also a rich source of quotable dialogue by Dorr and the other
scientific authorities that were involved in their publication. I have a list of these publications, have assembled
all but four of them ( I'm resigned to the fact that if they were ever published they are inaccessible), and have a
separate image list that I've compiled.
On Sunday I will complete the Dorr Papers Finding Aid and send it off to you as an attachment.
Have a relaxing weekend.
Ronald H. Epp, Ph.D.
Director of Shapiro Library
Southern New Hampshire University
Manchester, NH 03106
7/23/2004
Re: Mather's 1915 Mountain Party & Other ANP Images
Page 1 of 25
Epp, Ronald
From:
Susan Shumaker [susan@stonecircleinc.com]
Sent:
Friday, July 23, 2004 10:35 / AM
To:
Epp, Ronald
Subject: Re: Mather's 1915 Mountain Party & Other ANP Images
Thanks, Ron. We've ordered a copy of The Mather Mountain Party of 1915.
Thanks also for the information on the photo resources at Acadia and elsewhere.
I will pass it along to our photo research team.
I'm not familiar with the Dorr public relations materials you mention. I have to
be a little careful, however, of getting too in-depth with Mr. Dorr, simply
because there's so much other ground I need to cover, too. If you can act as
our expert and point out a few gems that you think would yield good quotes
without too many hours of research, we would be very grateful.
Good luck with the finding aid this weekend!
Best,
Susan
From: "Epp, Ronald"
Date: Fri, 23 Jul 2004 10:12:50 -0400
To:
Cc: "Epp, Ronald"
Subject: Mather's 1915 Mountain Party & Other ANP Images
Dear Susan,
I appreciated your time yesterday. I hope I didn't come across too strong in cautioning you about
Collier's "Triumph of George Dorr" but again this morning I received a response from the
Massachusetts State Archives informing me that Richard Hale was not a an archivist with the
State, as Mr. Collier had claimed. And so it goes.
On the plus side, here is the full citation information you requested:
"The Mather Mountain Party of 1915: a full account of the adventures of Stepehn T. Mather and
his friends in the High Sierra of California" by Horace Marden Albright and Marian Albright
Schenck. Three Rivers, CA: Sequoia Natural History Assoc., 1990. 37pp.
7/23/2004
Re: Mather's 1915 Mountain Party & Other ANP Images
Page 2 of 25
You may recall that I suggested that the photographs of Herbert W. Gleason ought to be
considered for the project and that I pointed out the vast resources available at the Concord (MA)
Library. I assumed that you were aware of the fact that the Acadia Park Archives contains more
than 1,400 negatives, plates, and original film taken by Gleason in 1922 restricted to the MDI
environment. I have a 60 page inventory of this collection but be cautioned that the NPS has
determined that many of these are in such poor condition as to be unusable. While B&W images
of the environment predominate, there are images of homes, gardens, and persons both notable
and not. Several hundred have been digitized.
On a related matter, some of these images--as well as some from the Concord repository--are
used in the more than twenty "Sieur de Monts National Publications" that Mr. Dorr generated
between 1916-1919 to promote public awareness about the Monument and new Lafayette
National Park. Have you seen these? If not, we should discuss them because they are also a rich
source of quotable dialogue by Dorr and the other scientific authorities that were involved in their
publication. I have a list of these publications, have assembled all but four of them ( I'm resigned
to the fact that if they were ever published they are inaccessible), and have a separate image list
that I've compiled.
On Sunday I will complete the Dorr Papers Finding Aid and send it off to you as an attachment.
Have a relaxing weekend.
Ronald H. Epp, Ph.D.
Director of Shapiro Library
Southern New Hampshire University
Manchester, NH 03106
603-668-2211, ext. 2164
603-645-9685 fax
Original Message
From: Epp, Ronald
Sent: Tuesday, July 20, 2004 3:58 PM
To: 'Susan Shumaker'
Cc: Epp, Ronald
Subject: S.T. Mather's 1915 Mountain Party
Susan,
7/23/2004
Re: Acadia N.P.
Page 1 of 19
Epp, Ronald
From:
Susan Shumaker [susan@stonecircleinc.com]
Sent:
Thursday, July 08, 2004 2:11 PM
To:
Epp, Ronald
Subject: Re: Acadia N.P.
Thanks, Ron. I look forward to receiving your next batch of materials (I'm
especially excited about the dictaphone memo). I haven't come across the
Sieur de Monts Publications, primarily because my research is focused on the
human history/founding of the park and not so much on the landscapes or
natural history of the area. Thanks for passing those citations on, though, just
in case we need more Dorr quotes on the beauty of the island.
Good luck and have fun at Harvard! I was just up there over the weekend, not
doing research but visiting with old classmates and colleagues. The yard is so
beautiful this time of year.
Best,
Susan
From: "Epp, Ronald"
Date: Thu, 8 Jul 2004 09:48:10 -0400
To: "Susan Shumaker"
Cc: "Epp, Ronald" kr.epp@snhu.edu>
Subject: RE: Acadia N.P.
Dear Susan,
A couple of followup issues:
1. The Concord Free Library containing the thousands of Gleason images is in Massachusetts,
not New Hampshire as you might have supposed.
2. If we haven't heard from Judith Goldstein by next week, you can reach her in Somesville
(MDI) at 207-244-3285.
3. Regarding quotes about Dorr from "Worthwhile Places" you may wish to concentrate on the
1938 timeframe. especially Albright's lengthy letter to Jr. on June 27th.
4. I'm putting another small packet of articles in the mail for you this a.m. One is a June 26th,
1940 dictaphone memo crediting the origin of the park to Mary Dorr's garden at Oldfarm; a brief
1929 piece by Dorr on the origin of the park; a 1911 publication on advocacy for the creation of
the National Park Bureau that shows the growing momentum for creation of the NPS; and
finally, another wonderfully researched Richard West Sellars article on "The Roots of National
7/8/2004
Re: Acadia N.P.
Page 2 of 19
Park Management."
5. Has your research led you to the twenty-one Sieur de Monts Publications that Mr. Dorr
produced between 1916 and 1921 revealing diverse natural landscape of MDI? I've assembled
all but five of these; I suspect that the remainder were lost or never published. I'll include this list
in the packet.
I'll be in the office this Saturday finishing off the Dorr Papers Finding Aid and preparing for a
visit to Harvard next Wednesday to talk with historian Rebecca Goetz about Dorr's ancestors--
and making use of the Harvard archives.
Ronald H. Epp, Ph.D.
Director of Shapiro Library
Southern New Hampshire University
Manchester, NH 03106
603-668-2211, ext. 2164
603-645-9685 fax
Original Message
From: Susan Shumaker [mailto:susan@stonecircleinc.com]
Sent: Wednesday, July 07, 2004 4:54 PM
To: Epp, Ronald
Subject: Re: Acadia N.P.
Dear Ron,
Again, I am indebted to you for wonderful resources and
information. I'll pass your paragraph on Gleason on to our
photo research team and Dayton. The images sound
beautiful. I'll let you know, too, if Dayton asks for your help
in Concord later in the month, but am guessing that he will
want either to go there himself or send a team member
from Walpole.
"Worthwhile Places" is a book we have and have used
extensively in our research on Rockefeller and Albright. I'm
thinking now, however, that it would be good to go through
again for quotes about Dorr. I'll see if it can make the long
journey back down to my reading room here in WV.
7/8/2004
Message
Page 3 of 23
I've not contacted Judith Goldstein yet (was waiting to get some
background by reading her book), but perhaps I should. If you've still
heard nothing by the beginning of next week, please let me know and
I'll give her a call.
Thank you again for your enthusiasm and energy for the project, Ron.
We're so glad to have you on board!
With best regards,
Susan
From: "Epp, Ronald"
Date: Wed, 7 Jul 2004 16:24:43 -0400
To: "Susan Shumaker"
Cc: "Epp, Ronald"
Subject: Acadia N.P.
Dear Susan,
Just an update to let you know that I'll be returning to the Dorr Timeline update this
weekend. I've been busy these past few days with inquiries relative to Mr. Dorr's
ancestry and completing the finding aid for the Dorr Papers.
I've not heard from Judith Goldstein regarding permission to send copies of her
books off to you. Have you approached her? She may be enroute from Europe
back to the U.S. since she informed me that she would be on MDI by the 12th for a
two month stay. I've had interrupted communication with her on other occasions.
Are you familiar with the photography of Herbert Wendell Gleason? He was a late
19th and early 20th century B&W photographer of significance--especially for his
naturalism. His New England images are highly regarded by those familiar with
early photography and lantern slides. The Special Collections department of the
Concord Free Library is THE respository for Gleason's work and you should take
a
look at his extensive studies of many of the national parks (The Robbins-Mills
Collection of Herbert Wendell Gleason), including Acadia where he worked closely
with Mr. Dorr in the 1922-23 timeframe. While the Sawtelle Archives at ANP
contain a couple of hundred Gleason images, the best resources are at Concord
(www.concordnet.org/library/scollect/Fin_Aids/Gleason/gleason_collguide.html,
)
I hope to visit the collection in late July. Anything I can do there for you? I think his
material should be brought to Dayton's attention if he hasn't already been made
aware of it.
7/8/2004
Message
Page 1 of 19
Epp, Ronald
From:
Epp, Ronald
Sent:
Thursday, July 08, 2004 9:48 AM
To:
'Susan Shumaker'
Cc:
Epp, Ronald
Subject: RE: Acadia N.P.
Dear Susan,
A couple of followup issues:
1. The Concord Free Library containing the thousands of Gleason images is in Massachusetts, not New
Hampshire as you might have supposed.
2. If we haven't heard from Judith Goldstein by next week, you can reach her in Somesville (MDI) at 207-244-
3285.
3. Regarding quotes about Dorr from "Worthwhile Places" you may wish to concentrate on the 1938
timeframe. especially Albright's lengthy letter to Jr. on June 27th.
4. I'm putting another small packet of articles in the mail for you this a.m. One is a June 26th, 1940
dictaphone memo crediting the origin of the park to Mary Dorr's garden at Oldfarm; a brief 1929 piece by Dorr
on the origin of the park; a 1911 publication on advocacy for the creation of the National Park Bureau that
shows the growing momentum for creation of the NPS; and finally, another wonderfully researched Richard
West Sellars article on "The Roots of National Park Management."
5. Has your research led you to the twenty-one Sieur de Monts Publications that Mr. Dorr produced between
1916 and 1921 revealing diverse natural landscape of MDI? I've assembled all but five of these; I suspect
that the remainder were lost or never published. I'll include this list in the packet.
I'll be in the office this Saturday finishing off the Dorr Papers Finding Aid and preparing for a visit to Harvard
next Wednesday to talk with historian Rebecca Goetz about Dorr's ancestors--and making use of the Harvard
archives.
Ronald H. Epp, Ph.D.
Director of Shapiro Library
Southern New Hampshire University
Manchester, NH 03106
603-668-2211, ext. 2164
603-645-9685 fax
Original Message
From: Susan Shumaker [mailto:susan@stonecircleinc.com]
Sent: Wednesday, July 07, 2004 4:54 PM
To: Epp, Ronald
7/8/2004
Re: Acadia N.P. & Harpers Ferry
Page 1 of 11
Epp, Ronald
From:
Susan Shumaker [susan@stonecircleinc.com]
Sent:
Thursday, June 17, 2004 4:07 PM
To:
Epp, Ronald
Subject: Re: Acadia N.P. & Harpers Ferry
Hi Ron,
Thanks so much for the HFCC contact info and for sending the article on Dorr
and Baxter. The footage sounds WONDERFUL; let's hope it has survived
(always hit or miss with these early films).
Please forgive me for missing my window of opportunity to call you today. My
five-year-old awoke with a raging fever and all of my appointments were
scuttled, as a result. I'm just now checking email while she takes a nap. I'll try
to give you a quick call tomorrow, but rest assured that we are on track; I had
a good conversation with the executive producer yesterday and he is thrilled
about your input. There's no need to send anything further at this point, and it
is absolutely fine for you to take 2-3 weeks to expand the Dorr timeline; I'm
sending my very sketchy one to him tomorrow, as a start, and we will fill in the
details later.
Thanks again for you help, Ron. If, for some reason, I don't reach you
tomorrow, have a wonderful time on the Cape!
With best regards,
Susan
From: "Epp, Ronald"
Date: Thu, 17 Jun 2004 15:21:37 -0400
To: "Susan Shumaker"
Cc: "Epp, Ronald"
Subject: Acadia N.P. & Harpers Ferry
Susan,
The two contacts I would suggest for you at the Harpers Ferry Conservation Center are:
6/17/2004
Re: Acadia N.P. & Harpers Ferry
Page 2 of 11
Tom DuRant, Archivist, 304-535-6707 ( Tom_Durant@nps.gov) and
Wade F. Myers, Technical Information Specialist, 304-535-6411 (wade_myers@nps.gov).
Their web site is: www.nps.gov/hfc/products.htm
My calendar indicates that we hoped to talk by phone today at 11 a.m. I'll be in the office from
12-3 Friday if you are available and want to pursue our inquiry at that time.
I'm putting in the mail an article from "The Maine Woods" on Mr. Dorr and Governor Baxter
climbing Mr. Katahdin in 1925, when Dorr was 72 years of age; the description of his attire and
energy level is telling! What is important is that the ascent was filmed and widely distributed. As
I've said, I've tried to find this footage and have been unsuccessful. If your film archivists could
locate this piece of Americana it would be enormously helpful to me and useful for you!
I'll be heading for Cape Cod Monday and be unavailable until the 28th. Do keep in touch.
Ronald H. Epp, Ph.D.
Director of Shapiro Library
Southern New Hampshire University
Manchester, NH 03106
603-668-2211, ext. 2164
603-645-9685 fax
Original Message
From: Susan Shumaker [mailto:susan@stonecircleinc.com]
Sent: Monday, June 14, 2004 4:39 PM
To: Epp, Ronald
Subject: Re: Acadia N.P.
Hi Ron,
Please forgive, me for pestering you via voicemail last week.
Somehow I had gotten my weeks confused and thought you
were leaving for Bar Harbor this Wednesday, and wanted to
be sure to contact you before then. I'll give you a call
6/17/2004
George Dorr
Page 1 of 1
Epp, Ronald
From:
Susan Shumaker [susan@stonecircleinc.com]
Sent:
Wednesday, June 02, 2004 4:31 PM
To:
Epp, Ronald
Subject: George Dorr
Hi Ronald,
It was nice speaking with you earlier and learning more about the intriguing
Mr. Dorr. Dayton Duncan (the producer of the series) and I are endlessly
grateful to have found you and for your willingness to get involved in this early
stage of the project.
As promised, I've attached hereto my first stab at a rough Dorr/Acadia
timeline, saved as a Microsoft Word file named "DORR TIMELINE." Please let
me know if you need it in a different format. Thanks again for your willingness
to look it over in the coming week and your generous offer to send along
sample quotes and photocopies of your/Judith Goldstein's articles.
I look forward to hearing from you and to working with you on the series!
With best regards,
Susan
--
Susan Shumaker
Associate Producer, "America's Best Idea"
145 Keener Road
Morgantown, WV 26508
Tel. 304/292-2497
Fax 304/292-6916
susan@stonecircleinc.com
6/7/2004
Message
Page 1 of 1
Epp, Ronald
From:
Epp, Ronald
Sent:
Wednesday, December 31, 2003 12:57 PM
To:
'csm@sover.net'
Cc:
Epp, Ronald; "Brooke_Childrey@nps.gov"
Subject: Acadia National Park & Forentine Films
Dear Mr. Mellish:
Several weeks ago Brooke Childrey, the Curator/Archivist at Acadia National Park, informed me
that Florentine Film representatives had visited park headquarters with an eye to uncovering documentation
for a future production.
She compounded this delightful news by telling me that she had offered my name to these researchers as an
authority on the life of George Bucknam Dorr, founder of Acadia National Park. She suggested that I contact
you if I was interested in providing assistance.
I am very interested in furthering public appreciation and understanding of the development of the park
and those handful of individuals who brought it into being: Mr. Dorr, Harvard President Charles W. Eliot, and
John D. Rockefeller Jr. being the most responsible.
For the past four years I have been intensely involved in researching the life and times of Mr. Dorr. While
there are several popularized, fragmented, and anecdotal-based accounts of his life, my research has been
centered on close examination of thousands of documents found in manuscript collections held at the
National Archives, the Rockefeller Archive Center, Park headquarters, MDI historical societies, and other
repositories throughout New England. The relevant historic images and artifacts are not
abundant. Consequently, my research also relies on interviews with those who have first or second-hand
experience of the park during the first half of the 20th century. I have published several pieces of this puzzle
but completion of my biography is still several years off.
I look forward to hearing from you and becoming clearer about what you have in mind. I frequently travel to
Peterborough, Keene, and Hanover on university business and could easily arrange a meeting at our mutual
convenience.
Ronald H. Epp, Ph.D.
Director of Shapiro Library
Southern New Hampshire University
Manchester, NH 03106
603-668-2211, ext. 2164
603-645-9685 fax
12/31/2003
Message
Page 1 of 2
Epp, Ronald
From:
Epp, Ronald
Sent:
Monday, June 07, 2004 10:14 AM
To:
'Susan Shumaker'
Cc:
Epp, Ronald
Subject: RE: George Dorr
Dear Susan,
Following my trip to Minneapolis, I have just returned to the office to find your e-mail message.
I see that you are in Morgantown. I spent 1961-64 in Morgantown as an undergrad before my marriage that
year and relocation to the University of Rochester where I completed my degree the next year. I've got fond
memories of "mountaineer" country but have not visited since the 80's.
I will spend this evening and a portion of tomorrow working my way through your timeline, adding detail here
and questioning assertions for which I have no documentation. I'll also see what I can pull together as a
sampling of quotations. I'll send off a copy of my recent article on Mr. Dorr and Robert Abbe M.D., the
physician who collaborated with Marie Curie, brought radiation therapy to the United States, and partnered
with Mr. Dorr to create a park museum of stone age antiquities.
I'm following this email with a copy of the message that I sent last December to Mr. Mellish.
I'll contact you again within the next day or two before I leave for Bar Harbor on the 9th to do some additional
research and interviews. Should you need to contact me please don't hesiotate to call me or write to me at
home:
47 Pond View Dr., Merrimack, NH 03054 (603-424-6149).
Ron
Ronald H. Epp, Ph.D.
Director of Shapiro Library
Southern New Hampshire University
Manchester, NH 03106
603-668-2211, ext. 2164
603-645-9685 fax
Original Message
From: Susan Shumaker [mailto:susan@stonecircleinc.com]
Sent: Wednesday, June 02, 2004 4:31 PM
To: Epp, Ronald
6/7/2004
Message
Page 2 of 2
Subject: George Dorr
Hi Ronald,
It was nice speaking with you earlier and learning more about the
intriguing Mr. Dorr. Dayton Duncan (the producer of the series) and I are
endlessly grateful to have found you and for your willingness to get
involved in this early stage of the project.
As promised, I've attached hereto my first stab at a rough Dorr/Acadia
timeline, saved as a Microsoft Word file named "DORR TIMELINE." Please
let me know if you need it in a different format. Thanks again for your
willingness to look it over in the coming week and your generous offer to
send along sample quotes and photocopies of your/Judith Goldstein's
articles.
I look forward to hearing from you and to working with you on the series!
With best regards,
Susan
Susan Shumaker
Associate Producer, "America's Best Idea"
145 Keener Road
Morgantown, WV 26508
Tel. 304/292-2497
Fax 304/292-6916
susan@stonecircleinc.com
6/7/2004
Re: National Parks Concept
Page 1 of 5
Epp, Ronald
From:
Susan Shumaker [susan@stonecircleinc.com]
Sent:
Tuesday, June 08, 2004 3:38 PM
To:
Epp, Ronald
Subject: Re: National Parks Concept
Ron,
Thanks so much for the offer. We may already have a number of the articles
you mention, but would hate to miss out on any we don't. If it really isn't too
much trouble, yes, please do include them in your package.
Talk to you soon,
Susan
From: "Epp, Ronald"
Date: Tue, 8 Jun 2004 13:04:03 -0400
To: "Susan Shumaker"
Subject: National Parks Concept
Susan,
I just located the PBS -FAQ discussion (www.pbs.org/kenburns/faq
) and the brief description of America's Best Idea.
If the intent of the series is to discuss the evolution of the concept of a national park and the
1916 enabling legislation that created the NPS, I've recently unearthed several articles that treat
the evolution of the "Organic Act" with exceptional clarity. If you are interested in these
publications, let me know.
Ronald H. Epp, Ph.D.
Director of Shapiro Library
Southern New Hampshire University
Manchester, NH 03106
603-668-2211, ext. 2164
603-645-9685 fax.
6/8/2004
Re: George Dorr
Page 1 of 3
Epp, Ronald
From:
Susan Shumaker [susan@stonecircleinc.com]
Sent:
Tuesday, June 08, 2004 11:07 AM
To:
Epp, Ronald
Subject: Re: George Dorr
Thanks so much, Ronald. You should definitely come back to Mountaineer
Country for a visit. Just two weeks ago, Men's Journal named Morgantown the
third best small town in America. It's a lovely place and the main WVU library
is now quite spectacular
you might need to come here on a working trip.
I look forward to hearing back from you and to working with you further in the
weeks (months, years) ahead --
Susan
PS: Craig Mellish, to whom you sent your initial email, is a producer working on
the series. He, however, has very little to do with the research/story aspects of
the films; his considerable strengths lie in filming and editing. Probably what
happened is his email got passed through to various people at Florentine,
eventually making its way to the Executive Producer (Dayton Duncan) and
thence on to me, where it rightly belongs. Thank heavens! (And thank YOU for
taking the initiative!)
From: "Epp, Ronald"
Date: Mon, 7 Jun 2004 10:13:36 -0400
To: "Susan Shumaker"
Cc: "Epp, Ronald"
Subject: RE: George Dorr
Dear Susan,
Following my trip to Minneapolis, I have just returned to the office to find your e-mail message.
I see that you are in Morgantown. I spent 1961-64 in Morgantown as an undergrad before my
marriage that year and relocation to the University of Rochester where I completed my degree
the next year. I've got fond memories of "mountaineer" country but have not visited since the
80's.
6/8/2004
Re: George Dorr
Page 2 of 3
I will spend this evening and a portion of tomorrow working my way through your timeline,
adding detail here and questioning assertions for which I have no documentation. I'll also see
what I can pull together as a sampling of quotations. I'll send off a copy of my recent article on
Mr. Dorr and Robert Abbe M.D., the physician who collaborated with Marie Curie, brought
radiation therapy to the United States, and partnered with Mr. Dorr to create a park museum of
stone age antiquities.
I'm following this email with a copy of the message that I sent last December to Mr. Mellish.
I'll contact you again within the next day or two before I leave for Bar Harbor on the 9th to do
some additional research and interviews. Should you need to contact me please don't hesiotate
to call me or write to me at home:
47 Pond View Dr., Merrimack, NH 03054 (603-424-6149).
Ron
Ronald H. Epp, Ph.D.
Director of Shapiro Library
Southern New Hampshire University
Manchester, NH 03106
603-668-2211, ext. 2164
603-645-9685 fax
Original Message
From: Susan Shumaker [mailto:susan@stonecircleinc.com]
Sent: Wednesday, June 02, 2004 4:31 PM
To: Epp, Ronald
Subject: George Dorr
Hi Ronald,
It was nice speaking with you earlier and learning more
about the intriguing Mr. Dorr. Dayton Duncan (the producer
of the series) and I are endlessly grateful to have found you
and for your willingness to get involved in this early stage
of the project.
As promised, I've attached hereto my first stab at a rough
Dorr/Acadia timeline, saved as a Microsoft Word file named
"DORR TIMELINE." Please let me know if you need it in a
6/8/2004
Re: George Dorr
Page 3 of 3
different format. Thanks again for your willingness to look it
over in the coming week and your generous offer to send
along sample quotes and photocopies of your/Judith
Goldstein's articles.
I look forward to hearing from you and to working with you
on the series!
With best regards,
Susan
--
Susan Shumaker
Associate Producer, "America's Best Idea"
145 Keener Road
Morgantown, WV 26508
Tel. 304/292-2497
Fax 304/292-6916
susan@stonecircleinc.com
6/8/2004
Page 1 of 5
Epp, Ronald
From:
Susanna Steisel [ameridoc@sover.net]
Sent:
Thursday, November 03, 2005 9:53 PM
To:
Epp, Ronald
X
Subject: Re: Ron Epp/Florentine Films
Hi Ron. Good story about the trees!
What is really interesting is that we looked through a copy of that book at Harvard, and there
were
no
photographs in it, although there was a note in the listing that there were illustrations to come, or
something to that effect.
So, the one at the MHS (?) is a different version than the one at Harvard.
We got a very nice photo of the Champlain society from Nan Lincoln. She also raided the family
scrapbooks, and found a really early shot of George W. Eliot with his young family on a boat and
picnicing. (Is there a 'k" in there?)
Do you want to see the Champlain Society shot she sent us?
S.
Epp, Ronald wrote:
Susanna,
According to the July 30, 1919 issue of the Bar Harbor Times a hundred friends of Lafayette
National Park gathered at Sieur de Monts Spring to plant two young nursery trees "dedicated to last
Peace."
One a Sequoia from Yosemite N.P. and the other a White Pine from the Mopunt Desert Nurseries.
President Eliot and Mr. Dorr placed the first trowelful of earth on each. The children then assisted
with the planting. No speeches were made since all felt that a silent prayer would do. The
newspaper says that th poem -which I could send you on request-was written anonymously but la
reliable source credits it to Dr. Abbe.
Regarding the AMC, we talked about the Echo Lake Camp which the AMC acquired through Mr.
Dorr's generosity. We wanted to see whether they had historic images of the event. I have one-of
Dorr and the Echo lake Camp crew-- which I believe I shared with you on my visit.
I found some interesting images of the Champlain Society at the MHS but also an image of Mrs.
Dorr in her 20's that is in a book that Samuel Gray Ward wrote on the Ward Family. Very few copies
were printed and only three are extant in libraries-and they will not lend! I'm having it copied. Sorry
I cant offer more.
Best regards,
Ron Epp
From: Susanna Steisel [mailto:ameridoc@sover.net]
Sent: Monday, October 31, 2005 6:15 AM
To: Epp, Ronald
Subject: Re: Ron Epp/Florentine Films
11/3/2005
>Yes, I received the images. No, I was unaware of both
and I much
>appreciate your sharing of these images. I had no image that connected
>Dorr with the nurseries except the nursery catalog photo and the image
>of Mrs. Dorr is far more pleasing than the other one I showed you.
>
>I trust that you and the Florentine group weathered the recent floods.
>Liz and I were in Hanover when the rains began and drove through it
>south to Pennsylvania where they also experience 9 inches of the wet
>stuff.
>
>Are you making progress with the Acadia piece of your work? If you have
>a chance, take a look at the November 2005 issue of National geographic
>where there are some superb contemporary images of Autumn Acadia as
>well as some narrative text that I had a hand in shaping.
>
>Do keep in touch and let me know if you ever journey to this part of
>the State SO that we can get together!!!
>
>Ron Epp
>
>
>
Original Message
>From: Susanna Steisel [mailto:ameridoc@sover.net]
>Sent: Tuesday, October 18, 2005 5:10 AM
>To: Epp, Ronald
>Subject: Ron Epp/Florentine Films
>
>Hi Ron, did you get the scans of Mrs. Dorr and George in the orchard?
>What do you think?
>
>Also, I have a question about one of the photos from the American
>Museum
>
>of Natural History that you have a xerox of. It is the one of Dorr
>with
>
>a group of children and another man in a dark jacket and light hat
>standing around a small tree. Did you say that you knew who that man
>was? It is number 9 on the list from Mark Katzman.
>
>No big deal, but I was just curious.
>
>Hope this finds you well. Susanna
>
>
>
Susanna Steisel
Florentine Films
P.O. Box 613
14 Elm Street
Walpole, NH 03608
phone 603-756-4141/3896
fax 603-756-3203
2
Epp, Ronald
From:
Epp, Ronald
Sent:
Tuesday, October 25, 2005 9:41 AM
To:
Susanna Steisel
Cc:
Epp, Ronald
Subject:
RE: Ron Epp/Florentine Films
Susanna,
George's parents were Charles Hazen Dorr (8/26/1821 to 1/28/1893) and Mary Gray Ward Dorr
(9/29/1820 to 10/21/1901) whose family hailed from Salem. Following their marriage
6/4/1850 in Jamaica Plain, MA where they resided for roughly eight years while their two
sons were born (William 1851-1876 and George Bucknam Dorr 12/29/1853 to 8/5/1944) when
they moved in with Mary's mother at 3 Park St. into the home of Thomas Wren Ward who died
in 1858. Within three years they would move into the Back Bay and take up residence at 18
Commonwealth Avenue where George would reside for more than sixty years. Charles Hazen
Dorr is reputed to have inherited a sizable fortune based on textiles from his father
Samuel Fox Dorr (1804-1844) and his mother is also reputed to have inherited from her
father's involvement in the Baring Banking Company since he was their American agent.
Charles did not go to college but was tutored by his father in the family business and
following his father's death "he entered as a merchant upon business life (in the early
1840's), and took what came, of good and ill in the shifting markets of the day, until
the coming of the Civil War." (Dorr Papers, NEHGS). There is no mention of his later
business activities but they must have generated sufficient income for years of family
travel abroad and the building of their Old Farm estate in Bar Harbor in 1880 (which is
said to have cost $70,000).
I\d appreciate hearing what the BPL can uncover, especially regarding probate records on
the estates of Charles and Mary Dorr and the disposition of their wealth since secondary
sources attribute to George an inheritance in 1901 of anywhere from one to ten million
dollars. A copy of the probate records for Charles Hazen Dorr in Bar Harbor directs his
estate in its entirety to his executor, Charles Pickering Bowditch which is most curious.
I hope this is helpful.
Ron
P.S. The image you sent is often used but I did not have a digitized copy. Thanks.
Original Message
From: Susanna Steisel [mailto: ameridoc@sover.net]
Sent: Monday, October 24, 2005 1:18 PM
TO: Epp, Ronald
Subject: Re: Ron Epp/Florentine Films
Hi Ron, I was just thinking of you. Welcome back. I am writing to the Boston Public
Library just to double check on Dorr material. can you tell me the names of his parents,
and the years that they lived in Boston? Did his father own a business?
Also, I am attaching the new portrait of Dorr that Brooke and I unearthed. Let me know if
you have seen it! I would be glad to send you higher res of all of these when you need
them if it is OK with the park.
Best regards, Susanna
Epp, Ronald wrote:
>Dear Susanna,
>
>Sorry for the delay but I've been traveling quite a bit. First on
>vacation and then to Bar Harbor again for some more research and the
>chairing of the Spirit of Acadia meeting on the 18th.
>
1
Épp, Ronald
From:
Epp, Ronald
Sent:
Thursday, September 22, 2005 3:01 PM
To:
'Susanna Steisel'
Subject:
Images of Dorr/Ward Family
Susanna,
Since we talked yesterday, I have uncovered an article on the brother of Mary Gray Ward
Dorr, the highly esteemed NY banker, literary figure, and close personal friend to Ralph
Waldo Emerson, which led me to copies of letters he wrote to Mary Dorr in the 1890's.
Therein, Samuel Gray Ward speaks at length of photographs of Ward (and I presume Dorr)
family members that he has gathered together and will publish. In 1900 that work appeared
in a 12 copy print run and currently only three are extant: Boston Athenaeum, Houghton
Library, and Massachusetts Historical Society. None will loan this title (Samuel Gray
Ward. Ward Family Papers. Boston: Marymount Press, 1900) to another library but you folks
may have more clout, if you want to give it a try to get images from Dorr's youth. Do let
me know if you choose to pursue this. I am also trying to figure out when I can get to
Boston for a look see. Sounds promising!
Ron Epp
Original Message
From: Susanna Steisel [mailto:ameridoc@sover.net]
Sent: Tuesday, September 20, 2005 9:20 AM
To: Epp, Ronald
Subject: Florentine Films
Hi Ron, we have explored the Bancroft collection, but they have so much
it would be hard to ever be done! There is a great web resource called
the Online Archive of California. If you just do a google for OAC you
get to that website. It is a catalog for a whole bunch of archives in
California.
I wanted to tell you that I found a few "new" photos of Dorr, and
another photo of his mother. When we talk I will tell you about them.
You may have already seen them.
Susanna
Susanna Steisel
Florentine Films
P.O. Box 613
14 Elm Street
Walpole, NH 03608
phone 603-756-4141/3896
fax 603-756-3203
1
Page 1 of 2
Epp, Ronald
From:
Susanna Steisel [ameridoc@sover.net]
Sent:
Monday, September 05, 2005 5:42 AM
To:
Epp, Ronald
Subject: Re: R.S. Yard
Dear Ron, yes I have been in touch with Charlotte. They are busy now, but she said she would help us when
things calm down.
By the way, I wanted to tell you that I called and spoke to Ed Winterberg. We had a wonderful conversation and
he is going to send us some digitized images. That will be really helpful for when I go to Rockefeller Archives
because I won't have to look thru the Simpson collection there and can concentrate on other stuff. So thanks,
that was a great tip. I hope I will have time to stop in and see the carriages! Susanna
Epp, Ronald wrote:
Susan,
Received the package you sent earlier in the week. Thanks.
Have put what I have on Yard in the mail for you.
I can't recall whether we talked about your contacting Charlotte
Stapleton at the MDI Historical Society for any images in her
collections (her contact info is on the Spirit of Acadia distribution
list). . I think I referred to her when we were discussing those curators
on the Island that had professional credentials. Worth a call!
The Jesup Memorial Library in Bar Harbor on Mount Desert Street just two
blocks from the BHHS Museum also has a "Maine Room" special collection
with many local publications with images that are unavailable elsewhere.
Contact Nancy Howland, their librarian.
Have a relaxing weekend. I'll be doing some interior painting and
updating my Dorr Timeline.
Ron
Original Message
From: Susanna Steisel [mailto:ameridoc@sover.net]
Sent: Tuesday, August 30, 2005 8:47 AM
To: Epp, Ronald
Subject: Re: Address
No rush at all. I am busy getting ready for Acadia. Just sent back you
copies and the book on the paths today. Also spoke to Ed at the park
carriages. He is very nice, and was very generous in his offer to help.
I hope I have time to stop and meet him and see the carriages.
Hope you can get a few days of rest and recuperation. Best regards,
Susanna
9/6/2005
Page 2 of 2
Epp, Ronald wrote:
Susanna,
Please send to: 47 Pond View Dr., , Merrimack, NH 03054
Just back from Pennsylvania with bthe ill in-laws and now I have a day
long Retreat with the Deans. I'll put some studff on R.S. yard in the
mail for you shortly.
Ron
Original Message
From: Susanna Steisel [mailto:ameridoc@sover.net
Sent: Monday, August 29, 2005 11:34 AM
To: Epp, Ronald
Subject: Address
Hi Ron, I have some things to return to you. Where should I send them?
Do you have a home USPS address? Thanks, hope the trip to Pennsylvania
went smoothly. Susanna
Susanna Steisel
Florentine Films
P.O. Box 613
14 Elm Street
Walpole, NH 03608
phone 603-756-4141/3896
fax 603-756-3203
9/6/2005
Epp, Ronald
From:
Susanna Steisel [ameridoc@sover.net]
Sent:
Tuesday, September 20, 2005 9:20 AM
To:
Epp, Ronald
Subject:
Florentine Films
Hi Ron, we have explored the Bancroft collection, but they have so much
it would be hard to ever be done! There is a great web resource called
the Online Archive of California. If you just do a google for OAC you
get to that website. It is a catalog for a whole bunch of archives in
California.
I wanted to tell you that I found a few "new" photos of Dorr, and
another photo of his mother. When we talk I will tell you about them.
You may have already seen them.
Susanna
Susanna Steisel
Florentine Films
P.O. Box 613
14 Elm Street
Walpole, NH 03608
phone 603-756-4141/3896
fax 603-756-3203
1
Epp, Ronald
From:
Epp, Ronald
Sent:
Thursday, September 01, 2005 10:15 AM
To:
'Susanna Steisel'
Subject:
R.S. Yard
Susan,
Received the package you sent earlier in the week. Thanks.
Have put what I have on Yard in the mail for you.
I can't recall whether we talked about your contacting Charlotte Stapleton at the MDI
Historical Society for any images in her collections (her contact info is on the Spirit of
Acadia distribution list). I think I referred to her when we were discussing those
curators on the Island that had professional credentials. Worth a call!
The Jesup Memorial Library in Bar Harbor on Mount Desert Street just two blocks from the
BHHS Museum also has a "Maine Room" special collection with many local publications with
images that are unavailable elsewhere. Contact Nancy Howland, their librarian.
Have a relaxing weekend. I'll be doing some interior painting and updating my Dorr
Timeline.
Ron
Original Message
From: Susanna Steisel [mailto:ameridoc@sover.net]
Sent: Tuesday, August 30, 2005 8:47 AM
To: Epp, Ronald
Subject: Re: Address
No rush at all. I am busy getting ready for Acadia. Just sent back you
copies and the book on the paths today. Also spoke to Ed at the park
carriages. He is very nice, and was very generous in his offer to help.
I hope I have time to stop and meet him and see the carriages.
Hope you can get a few days of rest and recuperation. Best regards, Susanna
Epp, Ronald wrote:
>Susanna,
>
>Please send to: 47 Pond View Dr., Merrimack, NH 03054
>Just back from Pennsylvania with bthe ill in-laws and now I have a day
>long Retreat with the Deans. I'll put some studff on R.S. yard in the
>mail for you shortly.
>
>Ron
>
>
>----
Original Message
>From: Susanna Steisel [mailto:ameridoc@sover.net]
>Sent: Monday, August 29, 2005 11:34 AM
>To: Epp, Ronald
>Subject: Address
>
>
>Hi Ron, I have some things to return to you. Where should I send them?
>Do you have a home USPS address? Thanks, hope the trip to Pennsylvania
1
>went smoothly. Susanna
>
>
Susanna Steisel
Florentine Films
P.O. Box 613
14 Elm Street
Walpole, NH 03608
phone 603-756-4141/3896
fax 603-756-3203
2
Page 1 of 2
Epp, Ronald
From:
Epp, Ronald
Sent:
Thursday, August 25, 2005 3:31 PM
To:
'Dayton Duncan'
Subject: Acadia & Mather Visit
Dear Dayton,
Thanks for your insights into how I might best approach the publication of the Dorr biography.
You will see below that we first discussed Mather's visit four months ago. I have quickly reviewed my notes for the 1918-
22 period and find that in June 1922 Mather and Cammerer visited Lafayette N.P. but that after a day Mather took ill
(documented by JDR Jr. in a letter to Cammerer) and Cammerer was left in Dorr's charge to assess the Park.
Cammerer's report is in my hands along with a copy that was published a year later in the Bar Harbor Times when the
road controversy was again heating up. I've also checked Bob Shankland's "Steve Mather and the National Park" and can
find there no evidence of a pre-1922 visit.I'll keep my eyes open for evidence to the contrary unless you have a lead.
Ron Epp
Original Message
From: Dayton Duncan [mailto:duncandr@sover.net]
Sent: Wednesday, April 13, 2005 4:24 PM
To: Epp, Ronald
Subject: Re: Acadia & Florentine Films
Ron --
Thanks for the info. I was sure that Mather made a visit to Mount Desert sometime between 1/1917 and
his return to the reins of the NPS in October 1918, but am having trouble locating the source. If you
come across it, please let me know.
And thanks for your offer to look over our section on Dorr/Acadia; I'll consider taking you up on it as we
move forward.
Dayton
On 4/13/05 9:23 AM, "Epp, Ronald" wrote:
Dear Dayton,
I appreciated your call yesterday, your wise counsel that I refer to the national parks series when
approaching publishers about my biography, and your updating me on the progress of scripting the
Acadia piece of the series.
You queried me on a couple of issues that I managed to track down in my files this morning:
1. Mather's illness began in January 1917 and effectively sidelined him for more than eighteen
months (see Shankland, chap. 13). I do have correspondance from Albnight to JDR Jr. in August
1918 that refers to Albright as Acting Director. I thought you suggested that he had visited Mount
Desert Island during this period, but I have no evidence that this was the case.
2. Regarding Mr. Dorr's Superintendency timeframe, I have a 7.26.83 memo from the Assoc.
Regional Director, Administration, NPS North Atlantic Region listing Acadia Superintendents from its
"establishment" as a park in 1919:
8/25/2005
Page 2 of 2
George B. Dorr, 2/26/19 to 08/05/44, with Benjamin Hadley, Act. Supt. 8/7/44 to 11/20/44 when he
bacame Supt. until 3/31/53. During the 7/24/16-2/26/19 Sieur de Monts National Monument years,
memos refer to him as "Custodian" of the area that he and his peers saw as a national park that had
not yet been accorded that designation.
Any other historical matters relative to Mr. Dorr where I can provide some assistance?
I hesitate to make this offer because I don't know what your editorial processes are, but if you would
like me to review portions of your script for historical accuracy, I'd be delighted to be involved with this
part of "America's Best Idea."
With best wishes,
Ron
Ronald H. Epp, Ph.D.
Director of University Library &
Associate Professor of Philosophy
Southern New Hampshire University
Manchester, NH 03106
603-668-2211 ext. 2164
603-645-9685 (fax)
8/25/2005
Page 1 of 2
Epp, Ronald
From:
Susanna Steisel [ameridoc@sover.net]
Sent:
Thursday, August 25, 2005 12:35 PM
To:
Epp, Ronald
Subject: Re: Southwest Harbor Library
Thanks Ron, that does sound intriguing. I will contact Shirley next week and see what she thinks. I do think
that there are going to be a few of the Rand photos that will work well for us. They are very similar in their
high quality to the Gleason photos, and I am hoping to find just a few beautiful shots. The ones that I have seen
seem to have a very nice "sense" to them. Susanna
Epp, Ronald wrote:
Susanna,
I've reviewed the Henry Rand images at the SWHarbor Library prior to the new director coming aboard.
They are well done images that focus on coastal life and local characters. In the main there are few
Gleason-like landscape or flora images but I am sure you will find some that are appealing.
By the way, when you are at Park HQ you may want to visit the Interpretation Building next door where their
interpretative library is located. They have a vertical file of offprints on park history that may have some
images of interest to you. Contact NPS Assistant Chief of Interpretation Shirley Beccue
(Shirley Beccue@nps.gov or 207-288-8803) in advance since she will know whether there are a sufficient
number of frelated images to make the detour worth your while.
Ron
Original Message
From: Susanna Steisel [mailto:ameridoc@sover.net]
Sent: Thursday, August 25, 2005 11:11 AM
To: Epp, Ronald
Subject: Re: LOC link
Thanks Ron. I will give him a call. I just arranged to spend a couple of hours at the
Southwest Harbor Library to look through some of their collection. They have some really
unique material by a photographer named Henry Rand.
Did you get my email this morning about sending you something from here?
Susanna
Epp, Ronald wrote:
Susanna,
One other item prior to your trip to Mount Desert Island. As you approach the Jordan
Pond House on the Loop Road you will see a sign for the Wildwood Stables. A brief five
minute detour here might be very interesting for you. A charming fellow named Ed
Winterberg (and his wife Bobbye) run these horse stables for use by the public that
want to get on the fifty miles of Rockefeller built carriage roads as well as those like
Martha Stewart who house their horses and carriages on site. Ed may have some
images in his collections that you would find interesting. You might want to contact him
8/30/2005
Page 2 of 2
in advance of your visit at:
207-276-3622 or bobbye@iglou.com.
I've told him that you might contact him.
Ron
Original Message
From: Susanna Steisel [mailto:ameridoc@sover.net]
Sent: Thursday, August 25, 2005 10:44 AM
To: Epp, Ronald
Subject: LOC link
Hi Ron, I am not sure I should thank you for sending the link!! It is very
seductive. I just got lost in it for an hour or two! Very best, Susanna
Susanna Steisel
Florentine Films
P.O. Box 613
14 Elm Street
Walpole, NH 03608
phone 603-756-4141/3896
fax 603-756-3203
Susanna Steisel
Florentine Films
P.O. Box 613
14 Elm Street
Walpole, NH 03608
phone 603-756-4141/3896
fax 603-756-3203
Susanna Steisel
Florentine Films
P.O. Box 613
14 Elm Street
Walpole, NH 03608
phone 603-756-4141/3896
fax 603-756-3203
8/30/2005
Page 1 of 3
Epp, Ronald
From:
Susanna Steisel [ameridoc@sover.net]
Sent:
Wednesday, August 10, 2005 7:29 AM
To:
Epp, Ronald
Subject: Re: Harpers Ferry Center NPS Historic Photo Collection.htm
Dear Ron,
It would be great if you could come up. Dayton would like to be able to stop by and meet you, but he is going
away next week. How does either the 24th, 25th, or 26th of August sound to you?
Thanks for the info on the films. I think we do already have those.
I like your wifes suggestion. I also think I will look for historical photographs of "The Music Room"
I
did
get
the
microfilm of the Gleason images they are indeed truly magnificant. I can't remember if there
were any Acadia photos? I will have to revisit my printouts.
Let me know about getting together. If those days aren't good for you, why don't you send some alternates and
I will run them by Dayton.
Best regards, Susanna
Epp, Ronald wrote:
Susanna,
Tom Du Rant is the Archivist at HFC who has been very helpful to me in the past. See image below.
He would know who to contact for permissions and copies of two films where Dorr is featured:
1. NPS "Archival Footage from Horace M. Albright Home Movies, HMA 4 Copy of VHS@HFC 4-03 1
hour, 5 mins.
2. NPS "Albright and Dorr at Mather Plaque Dedication, Acadia N.P., 1932." HMA-4 Copy of VHS@HFC 4-
03 5 mins.
Couple of other follow ups:
A. I've got several hundred print images of Dorr that you should take a look at. I'd be willing to travel up to
Walpole next week on Thursday or Friday (or later) with these for discussion and selection.
B. My wife had a fine suggestion that when you visit Mount Desert Island, consider taking some photos of "
The Music Room," a home on Ox Hill in Seal Harbor (not far from where Martha Stewart lives) where the
August 13, 1901 initial meeting of the Hancock County Trustees of Public Reservations took place that led to
the accumulation of holdings that became Sieur de Monts National Monument in 1916 and Lafayette
National Park in 1919. Anne Funderburk (on my distribution list) is the granddaughter of HCTPR Treasurer
George L. Stebbins who lives in Seal Harbor (and is related to the Dunham family that you pursued at Smith
College) and may be available to show the location.
C. Are you aware of the thousands of magnificent b&w Herbert Wendell Gleason images taken of the
8/10/2005
Page 2 of 3
National Parks in the first three decades of the 20th century? A few are at the Sawtelle Archives but the bulk
of these are at the Concord Free Library in Concord Massachusetts and a finding aid is available online.
D. Do let me know when you find out whether the 1925 Katahdin film is available for purchase. I'm putting
the article about it in the mail for you.
E. Another possible source for Charles W. Eliot family images is an Eliot relative named Edith Murphy of
Rockport, Maine. I don't have her address and phone number but will send it off to you tomorrow along with
the details of how to reach Alex Goriansky.
Best,
Ron Epp
National Park Service
U.S. Department of the Interior
Harpers Ferry Center
NPS Historic Photograph Collection
The National Park Service Historic Photograph
Collection is comprised of more than two million
images which cover a wide variety of subjects: Park
architecture, Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC),
Native American heritage, NPS personnel, roads and
transportation, scenic views, and much more.
There are presently 2000 images from the Collection
available online. The collections of several eminent
National Park Service photographers, including Jack
Boucher, Arno B. Cammerer, George A. Grant, and
Abbie Rowe, are also included in the Collection.
I just wanted to send a big thank you to the National
Park Service for putting the historic photograph
collection on-line. I've really enjoyed strolling
through these photos. I hope to compare many of
my own photos of the same areas to these to see the
changes. Thanks for a great site.
-John Damaré (June 19, 2003)
If you have questions about use policies or reuse
permissions for photos in the Collection, please read
about Copyright of Archival Collections. If you have
questions or information about any photographs in
the Collection, please contact HFC Photo Archivist
8/10/2005
Page 1 of 5
Epp, Ronald
From:
Susanna Steisel [ameridoc@sover.net]
Sent:
Wednesday, August 10, 2005 11:00 AM
To:
Epp, Ronald
Subject: Re: Harpers Ferry Center NPS Historic Photo Collection.htm
That sounds perfect. Do you already have a way that you travel to Keene? If not I will write those directions.
Otherwise, once you get on Route 12 north in Keene you:
1. Go about 14 miles up to Walpole. You will see a yellow blinking light and a very small sign that says
Walpole Business District.
2. Take a right at the yellow blinking light . This is South Street.
3. Follow South Street to the stop sign. This is Main Street.
4. Make a left onto Main and go about 1/4 mile to the Sunoco gas station.
5. Make a left in front of the Sunoco gas station onto Westminster Street. (There isn't a street sign there, but
there is a fountain in the middle of the road.)
5. Go down a block or SO and take your first right. This is Elm Street.
6. We are on the left. There is a brown church, a white house, and then us. It is a white house with black arches
over the windows and a red door. Just park on the road and come on in.
Looking forward to it. Can you bring any other interesting stuff too? (Said the greedy photo researcher.)
Best regards, Susanna
Epp, Ronald wrote:
Susanna,
How about 10:00? Please confirm and provide me with some directions to your location in Walpole.
Ron
Original Message
From: Susanna Steisel [mailto:ameridoc@sover.net]
Sent: Wednesday, August 10, 2005 8:32 AM
To: Epp, Ronald
Subject: Re: Harpers Ferry Center NPS Historic Photo Collection.htm
The 24th is good for me too, SO there you go. Whatever time is good for you is fine for us.
Just let me know SO I can tell Dayton. Susanna
Epp, Ronald wrote:
8/10/2005
Page 3 of 5
Thursday or Friday (or later) with these for discussion and
selection.
B. My wife had a fine suggestion that when you visit Mount Desert
Island, consider taking some photos of " The Music Room," a home
on Ox Hill in Seal Harbor (not far from where Martha Stewart lives)
where the August 13, 1901 initial meeting of the Hancock County
Trustees of Public Reservations took place that led to the
accumulation of holdings that became Sieur de Monts National
Monument in 1916 and Lafayette National Park in 1919. Anne
Funderburk (on my distribution list) is the granddaughter of HCTPR
Treasurer George L. Stebbins who lives in Seal Harbor (and is
related to the Dunham family that you pursued at Smith College)
and may be available to show the location.
C. Are you aware of the thousands of magnificent b&w Herbert
Wendell Gleason images taken of the National Parks in the first
three decades of the 20th century? A few are at the Sawtelle
Archives but the bulk of these are at the Concord Free Library in
Concord Massachusetts and a finding aid is available online.
D. Do let me know when you find out whether the 1925 Katahdin
film is available for purchase. I'm putting the article about it in the
mail for you.
E. Another possible source for Charles W. Eliot family images is an
Eliot relative named Edith Murphy of Rockport, Maine. I don't have
her address and phone number but will send it off to you tomorrow
along with the details of how to reach Alex Goriansky.
Best,
Ron Epp
National Park Service
U.S. Department of the Interior
Harpers Ferry Center
NPS Historic Photograph Collection
The National Park Service Historic Photogra
Collection is comprised of more than two m
images which cover a wide variety of subje
architecture, Civilian Conservation Corps (C
Native American heritage, NPS personnel, r
transportation, scenic views, and much moi
There are presently 2000 images from the
available online. The collections of several E
National Park Service photographers, incluc
Boucher, Arno B. Cammerer, George A. Gra
Abbie Rowe, are also included in the Collect
8/10/2005
Epp, Ronald
From:
Susanna Steisel [ameridoc@sover.net]
Sent:
Tuesday, August 09, 2005 5:17 AM
To:
Epp, Ronald
Subject:
Re: George Dorr
Dear Ron. I am back in the office. I was down at Smith College looking
thru a small MDI collection of the Dunham family. They built a house in
Seal Harbor called Keewaydin.
I will be here all morning. If you send me your phone I can give you a
call. Or you can call me here.
Looking forward to speaking with you. Susanna
Epp, Ronald wrote:
>Dear Susanna,
>
>I have just tried to reach you by phone only to learn that you had
>wisely left for the weekend. I'm just back from three days on Mount
>Desert Island where I was giving a lecture and arranging for a
>community-wide celebration on August 13th of the Founders of Acadia
>National Park.
>
>I'll try to reach you first thing Monday morning to talk about your
>interest in Mr. Dorr. As you likely know over the last two years I've
>done some consulting for Susan Shumaker and talked at length with
>Dayton Duncan about the Acadia piece of "America's Best Idea. "
>I look forward to speaking with you Monday.
>
>Ron
>
>P.S. See your original message below. I wasn't aware that Florentine
>Films was now under the spiritual direction of Mr. Dorr. Ha!!
>
>
Original Message
>From: Susanna Steisel [mailto:ameridoc@sover.net)
>Sent: Thursday, August 04, 2005 10:33 AM
>To: Epp, Ronald
>Subject: George Dorr
>
>
>
>
>Dear Mr. Epp,
>Florentine Films, under the direction of George Dorr, is currently
>working on a five part series on the history of the National Parks. I
>am researching the photos for the Acadia story, and would like to talk
>with you about possible sources for photos of George Dorr. Would you
>be able to give me a call SO we could chat? Or, if you prefer, I could
>call you if you can tell me a good time.
>
>With best regards, Susanna
>
>
>
Susanna Steisel
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