Archives West Finding Aid

Jim and Dorothy Shafer home movie collection, 1940-1963

Overview of the Collection

Creator
Shafer, Dorothy; Shafer, James "Jim" H.
Title
Jim and Dorothy Shafer home movie collection
Dates
1940-1963 (inclusive)
Quantity
14 8mm film
Collection Number
A0419
Summary
The Jim and Dorothy Shafer home movie collection consists of film recordings of family gatherings, traveling, skiing, and other outdoor recreation.
Repository
University of Utah Libraries, Special Collections
Special Collections, J. Willard Marriott Library
University of Utah
295 South 1500 East
Salt Lake City, UT
84112-0860

Telephone: 8015818863
special@library.utah.edu
Access Restrictions

Twenty-four hour advanced notice encouraged. Materials must be used on-site. Access to parts of this collection may be restricted under provisions of state or federal law.

Languages
English
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Biographical Note

Jim and Dorothy both grew up in Pocatello, Idaho. In 1938 they married and moved to Salt Lake City where Jim was a partner and operations manager for Garrett Freight Lines. Within the first year of their marriage, they took up skiing and attended the Grand Opening of Alta Ski Resort in January of 1939.

Over the next half century, Jim and Dorothy spent winters skiing at Alta and in many circles were considered pioneers of the sport. They loved the outdoors and much of their waking hours were spent skiing, boating, hiking, fishing, and hosting parties for their active outdoor friends and family. Their children, Susan Shafer Rowland and Jim Shafer, grew up on the mountain and both skied for the University of Utah.

Dorothy, known at Alta as "Tomato", and Jim, known as "Big Jim", introduced skiing to countless families in the Salt Lake Valley and helped pioneer family skiing. They promoted and supported ski racing in the intermountain area.

For over 20 years, Jim and Dorothy were members of the Salt Lake City Ski Club. Jim served as president and oversaw the gatekeeping and timing systems at countless intermountain ski races while Dorothy oversaw the registrations, handing out numbers, and posting race times on the official boards.

In those early days at Alta, Jim and Dorothy were found every winter weekend skiing with well-known friends like Bill and Carolyn Harris, Chick and Maxine Morton, Dick Durrance, Jack Reddish and Suzy and Billy Rytting. They relished those friendships, being outdoors, and skiing the powder.

A ski day at Alta always featured a picnic lunch with many friends at the old Watson Shelter with the highlight of one of Dorothy's tomato soup cakes. Drinks and dinner at the Alta Lodge followed.

Jim and Dorothy skied well into their 80's until Jim's knees finally gave out. Despite their passing, their love of skiing and the outdoors inspired countless families to follow in their footsteps and embrace a lifestyle centered on skiing.

Biographical note provided by the Shafer family.

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Content Description

The Jim and Dorothy Shafer home movie collection consists of 8mm films ranging from the 1940s to the 1960s with recordings of family gatherings and outings, vacations, skiing, and other outdoor recreation. Includes footage in Utah, Colorado, Idaho, Nevada, California, and Oregon, some national parks and monuments such as Arches, Monument Valley, Lake Powell, Yellowstone, Timpanogos, and Grand Canyon, and outdoor activities such as skiing, swimming, horseback riding, archery, camping, hiking, and fishing. This collection is digitized.

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Use of the Collection

Restrictions on Use

The library does not claim to control copyright for all materials in the collection. An individual depicted in a reproduction has privacy rights as outlined in Title 45 CFR, part 46 (Protection of Human Subjects). For further information, please review the J. Willard Marriott Library's Use Agreement and Reproduction Request forms.

Preferred Citation

Collection Name, Collection Number, Item Number. Special Collections, J. Willard Marriott Library, The University of Utah.

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Administrative Information

Arrangement

Collection arranged chronologically.

Acquisition Information

Donated by Suzanne Shafer Rowland and Jim A. Shafer in 2018 and 2023.

Processing Note

Processed by Special Collections staff.

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Related Materials

Forms part of the Ski and Snow Sports Archives (S.J. Quinney Outdoor Recreation Archives).

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Detailed Description of the Collection

  • DescriptionSkiing - Alta, Mount Superior, Watson Shelter
    color, no sound
    Reel 1
    Dates 1940
  • DescriptionAlpine Rose Lodge, Brighton and Sun Valley, Trail Creek Lodge
    color, no sound
    Reel 2
    Dates 1942
  • DescriptionSkiing - Aspen and Sun Valley
    color, no sound
    Reel 3
    Dates 1950
  • DescriptionChildren
    color, no sound
    Reel 4
    Dates 1947-1950
  • DescriptionChildren Part II
    color, no sound

    Includes footage of Christmas, Halloween, kite flying, sledding, birthday party, rose bushes, dogs, snow, lawn mower, and Thanksgiving.

    Reel 5
    Dates 1950
  • DescriptionVacation, Portland - Farm
    color, no sound

    Includes footage of Bryce Canyon, horseback riding, Brighton store and chair lift, camping, fireworks, cooking outside, playing on a farm, Horsetail Falls (Mount Hood), Multnomah Falls (Oregon), Wahkeena Falls, and beach.

    Reel 6
    Dates 1950
  • DescriptionLocal
    color, no sound

    Includes footage of the Salt Lake City Airport, downtown Salt Lake, This Is The Place Monument, a parade, Lagoon, a copper mine, deer, hiking, camping, fishing, archery, costumes, dancing, Mesa Verde National Park, and Double Arch at Arches National Park.

    Reel 7
    Dates 1952
  • DescriptionVacations - Hidden Lake, Elk Lake, Vegas
    color, no sound

    Includes footage of fishing (17 minutes), Las Vegas, Hoover Dam, Squaretop Mountain (Wyoming), swimming, beach and boats, and a submarine diving bell.

    Reel 8
    Dates 1950-1955
  • DescriptionFrisco, Farmington trip, cherry blossom, Timpanogos climb, Dance, Allen family, Colorado Springs, Yellowstone
    color, no sound

    Includes footage of the Donner Pass, San Francisco, Capitol building, grilling food, airplane, mountain top, Garrett Freightlines Inc, Lurline ship, beach, cherry blossoms, hiking, Halloween, camping, Kenworth trucks, swimming, horseback riding, waterfalls, bears, and Old Faithful (Yellowstone). Date was determined by film edge code.

    Reel 9
    Dates 1953
  • DescriptionSue, Lufon Germany, Jerry, Grand Canyon, Lee's Ferry, return from Grand Canyon, Alta
    color, no sound

    Includes footage of swimming, horseback riding, Rae Lynn arriving home, dancing performance, water skiing, camping and hiking, SLC Airport with Lufthansa Boeing 707, Stardust Las Vegas, mountain range, and a cabin.

    Reel 10
    Dates 1954
  • DescriptionMonument Valley, Tahoe, Parley's Canyon, Dale family, Baseball (Jim), Craig (date), Mary Lane, Jobs Davon, Bottom Grand, Junior High Sue, High Senior Jim
    color, no sound

    Includes footage of Monument Valley, kayaks on the lake, plane landing on water, Dam with hydro power station, mowing grass, pink cadillac, junior baseball game, swimming, hiking in the mountains, water skiing, Utah Park Company bus, boy scouts camping, dog and puppies, school graduation. Date determined by film edge code.

    Reel 11
    Dates 1955
  • DescriptionFrisco, Jackson, Elk, Bottom Grand, Motor Tony, Sue cousin, Lake Powell, Jim
    color, no sound

    Includes footage of the SLC Airport, San Francisco, a cabin, Christmas, winter hiking, horseback riding, Grand Canyon, swimming, skiing, National Junior Ski Championship 1965, Mount Bachelor (Oregon), graduation party, water skiing, fishing, arches near water (possibly Rainbow Bridge), and a soccer game.

    Reel 12
    Dates 1963
  • DescriptionSue life II Song Fest, Ski Team
    color, no sound

    Includes footage of skiing, San Francisco, cruise ship, Hawaii, hula dancing, a cemetery, a mountain range, beach, zoo, and graduation from the University of Utah.

    Reel 13
    Dates 1963
  • DescriptionJim racing, Park City, Sun Valley, Brighton, Jackson, Alta, Bend (Oregon)
    color, no sound
    Reel 14
    Dates 1963

Names and SubjectsReturn to Top

Subject Terms

  • Family life
  • Outdoor recreation
  • Skis and skiing

Form or Genre Terms

  • Moving images
  • home movies

Other Creators

  • Personal Names
    • Shafer, Dorothy (fmo)
    • Shafer, James "Jim" H. (fmo)

Finding aid written by Special Collections staff.
2025

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