Contents and Arrangement Collection View
Description:

Contains 12 folders, of which 3 folders have correspondence (1939-1973, undated); 1 contains transcripts and reel-to-reel tapes of William F. Keys interviews; 2 contain approximately 75 color and black-and-white photographs of Scott, Keys, and Scott's home, "Death Valley Castle," primarily dating from the 1960s; 1 contains a photographic postcard (silver gelatin print) signed by Scotty and others, dated 1908; 1 contains postcards from the Death Valley area; and 4 contain newspaper clippings.

This collection is arranged in 15 folders in the following order: correspondence, William Keys interviews, photographs, postcards, newspaper clippings, printed matter.

Description:

Contains 3 folders of printed matter, including tourist materials from the Death Valley area and issues of Frontier Times, True West, and Best's Insurance News. Additionally, there are copies of Cartwright's three-part article "A Sacrifice to Death Valley", which was published in Best's Insurance News.

This collection is arranged in 15 folders in the following order: correspondence, William Keys interviews, photographs, postcards, newspaper clippings, printed matter.

Scope and Contents

The collection consists of papers of Cartwright (Princeton University Class of 1926) relating to the association of "Death Valley Scotty" (Walter Scott, 1872-1954), an eccentric prospector, Wild West show entertainer, and hoaxer, with his friend and financier, Albert M. Johnson, an insurance company executive. Included are many newspaper clippings about Scott, copies of Best's Insurance News containing Cartwright's article "A Sacrifice to Death Valley," two tapes with transcripts of interviews with William F. Keys, a prospector and friend of Scott, approximately 75 photographs of Scott, Keys, and Scott's home, "Death Valley Castle," postcards from the Death Valley area, and correspondence concerning Cartwright's article.

Arrangement

This collection is arranged in 15 folders in the following order: correspondence, William Keys interviews, photographs, postcards, newspaper clippings, printed matter.

Collection Creator Biography:

Cartwright, Levering, 1903-1981.

Walter E. Scott, or "Death Valley Scotty," was an eccentric prospector, Wild West show entertainer, and con man. Levering Cartwright was a journalist.

Processing Information

Finding aid updated by Valerie Addonizio in 2009.

Conditions Governing Access

The collection is open for research.

Physical access to audio media on magnetic formats is restricted. Special Collections does not have the equipment required for the playback of these materials, nor do policies on preservation allow for these original recordings to be used. Further, obsolete formats would need to be converted at the researcher's expense before any reproduction could be made. Researchers may select materials for conversion and reproduction, but should allow approximately four to six weeks for the process, especially if outdated formats are involved.

Conditions Governing Use

Single copies may be made for research purposes. To cite or publish quotations that fall within Fair Use, as defined under U. S. Copyright Law, no permission is required. For instances beyond Fair Use, it is the responsibility of the researcher to determine whether any permissions related to copyright, privacy, publicity, or any other rights are necessary for their intended use of the Library's materials, and to obtain all required permissions from any existing rights holders, if they have not already done so. Princeton University Library's Special Collections does not charge any permission or use fees for the publication of images of materials from our collections, nor does it require researchers to obtain its permission for said use. The department does request that its collections be properly cited and images credited. More detailed information can be found on the Copyright, Credit and Citations Guidelines page on our website. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us through the Ask Us! form.

Physical Characteristics and Technical Requirements

For preservation reasons, original analog and digital media may not be read or played back in the reading room. Users may visually inspect physical media but may not remove it from its enclosure. All analog audiovisual media must be digitized to preservation-quality standards prior to use. Audiovisual digitization requests are processed by an approved third-party vendor. Please note, the transfer time required can be as little as several weeks to as long as several months and there may be financial costs associated with the process. Requests should be directed through the Ask Us Form.

Credit this material:

Levering Cartwright Collection on "Death Valley Scotty"; Manuscripts Division, Department of Special Collections, Princeton University Library

Permanent URL:
http://arks.princeton.edu/ark:/88435/6395w714f
Location:
Firestone Library
One Washington Road
Princeton, NJ 08544, USA
(609) 258-3184
Storage Note:
  • Firestone Library (scamss): Box 1-2