Archives Center, National Museum of American History

Guide to the Leonard Karr Collection, 1930-1995

Summary

Collection ID:
NMAH.AC.0762
Creators:
Beaudoin, Rayne
Karr, Leonard, 1913-1995
Dates:
1930-1995
Languages:
English
.
Physical Description:
3 Cubic feet
9 boxes, 5 oversize folders
Repository:
Mostly photographs illustrating Leonard Karr's hunting and fishing activities in the Pacific Northwest; plus letters from Karr, photographs of his inventions, articles and other printed information, drawings and patterns for a kayak that Karr designed, clippings, scrapbooks, and albums. Personal materials relate to his personal life and his employment as a sign painter.

Scope and Contents

Scope and Contents
The bulk of the collection consists of photographs illustrating in vivid detail Karr's hunting and fishing interests. The collection is approximately 3 cubic feet and contains photographs, correspondence, scrapbooks, albums and drawings and is divided into two series: Series 1: Sporting Materials and Series 2: Personal Materials. The collection is rich in photographic documentation of goose hunting and related sporting activities in the Pacific Northwest.
Series 1: Sporting Materials, 1930-1991
The first series illustrates Karr's interests in hunting and fishing and consists of photographs, decoy designs, correspondence, scrapbooks and albums. The photos are of particular value in documenting goose hunting and other outdoor activities in the Pacific Northwest. Also of interest to researchers are Karr's designs of his decoys, kayak, and a man-sized, goose-shaped hunting blind known as "Supergoose". Although most of the photographs are unidentified the bulk of the material seems to date from the mid 1930s through the early 1970s.
Series 2: Personal Materials, 1930-1995
This series contains photographs, correspondence, scrapbooks, albums, designs and drawing relating to Leonard Karr's personal life and his work as a sign painter. Of interest to students of advertising are the photos and scrapbooks that Karr maintained of signs that he worked on or found noteworthy. The majority of photographs are undated and unidentified, but presumably depict his family and friends.
Series 3: Motion Picture Film, 1951-1962
This series contains home movies related to goose hunting in the Pacific Northwest shot and edited by Karr between 1957-1962 with the exception of OF 762.1 which is a Castle Films production collected by Karr.

Arrangement

Arrangement
The collection is divided into two series.
Series 1: Sporting materials, 1930-1991
Series 2: Personal materials, 1934-1995
Series 3: Motion Picture Film, 1951-1962

Biographical / Historical

Biographical / Historical
Leonard Karr was born on December 25, 1913, in Yakima, Washington to John Ross Karr and Teakla Kohlman. He attended the Yakima district schools and graduated in 1931. Prior to World War II, Karr worked as a sign painter and designer for several sign companies in the Yakima area. During World War II Karr served in the military as a sign painter for the 216th Unit of the Army Air Force at Wendover Field in Utah. After the war he returned to private life as a sign painter and designer for the Sun Beem Neon Sign Company. He later moved to the Valley Neon Service and then in 1955 joined Dwinnel's Neon Central where he worked until his retirement in 1983. Mr. Karr was an ardent and successful fisherman and hunter, especially of geese. Karr designed several implements to assist in his hunting, including decoys, pit covers and a stake hole punch. In 1933 Karr designed and built his own kayak for hunting, fishing, and other outdoor activities. In 1954 he patented his 2-dimensional goose decoys (US 2,746,196) and marketed them to hunters in the American Northwest. Karr did not renew his patent after its initial term, and it expired. Karr died on March 13, 1995.

Administration

Author
Charles Hargrove
Custodial History
Mr. Karr gave his self-designed hunting kayak to Mr. Beaudoin in 1990. The accompanying papers, photos and decoys were given to Mr. Beaudoin by Dorothy Karr, Mr. Karr's widow, following his death in 1995. After searching for several years for the appropriate repository for the items and documents Mr. Beau contacted Ellen Roney Hughes of the Division of Cultural History (now Division of Cultural and Community Life). Mr. Beaudoin received the collection from the creator's wife, Mrs. Dorothy Karr.
Processing Information
Collection processed by Charles Hargrove, intern, August 2001.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
The collection was donated to the National Museum of American History in February 2001 by Rayne Beaudoin, a hunting companion of Leonard Karr.

Using the Collection

Preferred Citation
Leonard Karr Collection, 1930-1995, Archives Center, National Museum of American History.
Conditions Governing Access
Collection is open for research.
Conditions Governing Use
Collection items available for reproduction, but the Archives Center makes no guarantees concerning copyright restrictions. Other intellectual property rights may apply. Archives Center cost-recovery and use fees may apply when requesting reproductions.

Related Materials
The Division of Culture and the Arts (now Division of Cultural and Community Life), holds artifacts relating to Leonard Karr and his hunting activities in the Northwest, including a kayak with paddle and car roof rack, three flat metal decoys and stakes, and a three-dimensional, hollow, pit cover used for concealment during hunting.

Keywords

Keywords table of terms and types.
Keyword Terms Keyword Types
Albums Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Blueprints -- 20th century Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Canada goose Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Christmas cards Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Decoys (Hunting) Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Design drawings Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Fishing Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Hunting -- Equipment and supplies Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Inventions -- 20th century Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Kayaks Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Outdoor life -- Pacific Northwest Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Outdoor recreation Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Personal papers -- 20th century Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Photographs -- 20th century Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Scrapbooks -- 20th century Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Sign painting Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid

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