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Allen, J. C. (John Calvin), 1881-1976

 Person

Dates

  • Existence: September 11, 1881 - July 21, 1976

Biographical Information

John Calvin (J. C.) Allen was born September 11, 1881. His mother died when he was a year and a half in age, and when he was six his father passed away. Before J. C.’s father died, he made arrangements for J. C. to live at the Indiana Soldier’s and Sailor’s Children’s Home. The Children’s Home operated a farm which gave J. C. his earliest agricultural training. He graduated from the Home in 1897 and took on a myriad of jobs. He was employed in railroads, coal mining, farming, and as a telegraph operator.

In 1904 he married Mary Abby Peavy. The Allens later had a son, Chester, and a daughter, Martha. Following their wedding, J. C. and Mary attended the World’s Fair in St. Louis and purchased a portable Kodak camera for the trip. This is how J. C. Allen was bitten by the photography bug. Later that year he purchased a wooden box camera that used 5 x 7 inches glass plates and found the clarity of the photographs to be superior to his other camera.

The married couple settled in on a farm along the Illinois-Indiana state line. Over time Allen developed proficiency in agronomy and livestock—the skills that led him to a position at Purdue in 1909. Allen stated that he was hired by the Purdue College of Agriculture to work in livestock judging, animal nutrition, poultry and agronomy. According to John O. Allen, J. C.’s grandson, he found using photographs in judging livestock useful because you could easily compare animals and look for examples of conformation.

J. C. Allen’s hiring by Purdue coincided with the brisk expansion of the College of Agriculture. He was able to document the early activities of Agricultural Extension around the state. Purdue placed several of his photographs in Agricultural Experiment Station publications. His work expanded beyond the College of Agriculture to chronicling the activities of the entire University, including taking photographs of Amelia Earhart when she was a lecturer at Purdue in the 1930s.

Allen also took photographs for his own personal business, J. C. Allen, later renamed J. C. Allen & Son. His photographs began appearing in publications such as Prairie Farmer, Breeder’s Gazette, and Farm Journal, as well as books. Allen would not only travel the Midwest and take photographs, but also the entire country taking photographs of farm life. However, he always returned to West Lafayette.

In 1929, after Chester graduated with a B. S. in Horticultural Science from Purdue, he went to work in his father’s office. Chester’s son John joined the family business in 1967 after receiving his B. S. in Agricultural Economics from Purdue and a stint in the Navy.

J. C. Allen retired in 1952, but still continued to take photographs for almost twenty-five more years. He passed away in 1976 at the age of 94.

Found in 16 Collections and/or Records:

J. C. Allen and Son, Inc. photographs and negatives

 Collection — Multiple Containers
Identifier: MSP 25
Scope and Contents Glass and film negatives, and photographic prints of Purdue University buildings, faculty, staff, and students, as well as major campus events from the 1910s to the 1970s.  Please see the External Documents section for a complete list of the items.
Dates: 1915 - 1974; Majority of material found within 1920 - 1959

J. C. Allen and Son, Inc. photographs and negatives, addition 00

 Unprocessed — Multiple Containers
Identifier: 20110714
Dates: circa 1920s - 1960s

J. C. Allen and Son, Inc. photographs and negatives, addition 01

 Unprocessed — Multiple Containers
Identifier: 20110926

J. C. Allen and Son, Inc. photographs and negatives, addition 02

 Unprocessed — Multiple Containers
Identifier: 20111025
Dates: circa 1920s - 1950s

J. C. Allen and Son, Inc. photographs and negatives, addition 03

 Unprocessed — Multiple Containers
Identifier: 20111222

J. C. Allen and Son, Inc. photographs and negatives, addition 04

 Unprocessed — Multiple Containers
Identifier: 20120327
Dates: 1933 - 1970; Majority of material found within 1933 - 1936

J. C. Allen and Son, Inc. photographs and negatives, addition 06

 Unprocessed — Multiple Containers
Identifier: 20120509.1

J. C. Allen and Son, Inc. photographs and negatives, addition 07

 Unprocessed — Multiple Containers
Identifier: 20120530.1

J. C. Allen and Son, Inc. photographs and negatives, addition 08

 Unprocessed — Multiple Containers
Identifier: 20120621

J. C. Allen and Son, Inc. photographs and negatives, addition 09

 Unprocessed — Multiple Containers
Identifier: 20121121

J. C. Allen and Son, Inc. photographs and negatives, addition 10

 Unprocessed — Box: Communal Accessions 3
Identifier: 20111019

J. C. Allen and Son, Inc. photographs and negatives, addition 11

 Unprocessed — Box: Communal Accessions 3
Identifier: 20120511

J. C. Allen and Son, Inc. photographs and negatives, addition 12

 Unprocessed — Multiple Containers
Identifier: 20180424
Dates: 1920 - 1995; Majority of material found within 1974 - 1984

J. C. Allen and Son, Inc. photographs and negatives, addition 13

 Unprocessed — Multiple Containers
Identifier: 20191211

J.C. Allen and Son, Inc. photographs and negatives, addition 15

 Unprocessed — Box: Communal Accessions 49
Identifier: 2022-064
Dates: 1925 - 1983; Majority of material found within 1925 - 1939

J.C. Allen and Son, Inc. photographs and negatives, addition 16

 Unprocessed — Box: Communal Accessions 68
Identifier: 2023-102