Mss C 1952 Joseph S. Wells Photograph Collection, ca. 1890-1956 A Register of the Collection at the Utah State Historical Society Utah State Historical Society 2012 Finding aid encoded in EAD by Melissa Ferguson using oXygen 9.3, 2012. Finding aid written in English.

The machine-readable finding aid for this collection was created by the

Collections Management staff, Utah State Historical Society. Utah State Historical Society 2012
Salt Lake City, Utah

Copyright 2012, Utah State Historical Society. All rights reserved. Reproduction, storage or transmittal of this work, or any part of it, in any form or by any means, for commercial purposes, is prohibited without prior authorization of the Utah State Historical Society. This work may be used for scholarly and other non-commercial use provided that the Utah State Historical Society is acknowledged as the creator and copyright holder.

Summary Description Utah State Historical Society Mss C 1952 Unknown Inventory of The Joseph S. Wells Photograph Collection, ca. 1890-1956 .25 lin. ft. (1 box)

All items in the collection are originals.

 The collection is composed of 44 items – 19 real photo postcards, 23 photographs, one Christmas card, and one postcard. The materials document Joseph S. Wells' life, beginning with his childhood and family members in California, his life in Bingham Canyon, and the grocery stores he ran in Magna and Midvale, Utah. Topics: Wells, Joseph S., 1890-1972.--Photographs. Ponsano Vineyard--Photographs. Wells Grocery Store--Photographs. Wells Groceteria--Photographs. Ponsano family--Photographs. Grocers--Utah--Bingham Canyon--Photographs. Grocers--Utah--Magna--Photographs. Grocers--Utah--Midvale--Photographs. Copper mines and mining--Utah--Bingham Canyon--Photographs. Vineyards--California--Santa Cruz Mountains--Photographs. Bingham (Utah)--Photographs. Agriculture and Natural Resources Business, Industry, Labor, and Commerce Social Life and Customs Material Types Mines and Mineral Resources Retail Trade City and Town Life Images Form or Genre: Photographs, real photo postcards, greeting card, postcard Background Historical Note

Joseph S. Wells (1890-1972) was most likely born Joseph Ponsano to Angelo Ponsano and Severina Ponsano. Joseph was the only child born to Angelo and Severina in the United States. According to the 1900 U.S. Census, his four older siblings were born in Italy, but Joseph was born in California. At some point Joseph and his two older brothers, Sanclair L. Ponsano (identified in the collection as Sanch Wells) and Angelo F. Ponsano (presumably later known as George Wells) moved to Utah. From the photographs it seems as though other Ponsano family members operated a vineyard in the Santa Cruz mountains in California.

Joseph and his brother George moved to Bingham Canyon's mining community and opened a grocery store in the 1910s. The captions that have been handwritten on some of the grocery store photographs identify the location as Bingham, but the Polk City Directories only show a Wells Groceteria listed in Magna in 1919, and a second location in Midvale in 1920. By 1922 the Midvale store was the only location operating. Wells Groceteria advertised itself as operating the principle of a cafeteria, as its sign explained: "Please help yourself as thou in a Cafeteria We save you the cost of clerks credit delivery and collection."

Scope and Content

The collection is composed of 44 items – 19 real photo postcards, 23 photographs, one Christmas card, and one postcard. At some point in the life of these photographs, a family member identified locations and people from memory, captioned and dated the images using an ink ball-point pen, and inserted the photographs into a photo album with adhesive pages.

The photographs were carefully removed from the adhesive using archival best practices and arranged topically. The captions may not be correct, and therefore have been transcribed directly and provided in quotation marks. Also, those photographs that include a date in the caption have been dated by the curator as "circa," and real photo postcards were dated by the symbols on the back of the postcard.

Administrative Information Preferred Citation:

The Joseph S. Wells Photograph Collection, ca. 1890-1956, Utah State Historical Society.

Acquisition Information:

Donated by Shirley Souza, 2012.

 Restrictions on Use

The Joseph S. Wells Photograph Collection, ca. 1890-1956 is the physical property of the Utah Historical Society, Salt Lake City, Utah. Literary rights, including copyright, may belong to the authors or their heirs and assigns. Please contact the Historical Society for information regarding specific use of this collection.

Processing Information: Collection processed by Melissa Ferguson, 2012. Finding aid compiled by Melissa Ferguson, 2012. Finding aid edited by Doug Misner, 2012. Collection cataloged by Michele Elnicky, 2012. Finding aid encoded by Melissa Ferguson, 2012. Container list Box Folder Contents Joseph S. Wells 1 1 1. Wells wearing a dark suit and wool cap, standing outdoors in front of a small wooden structure. Caption: "Joe Wells, 1910". Black and white real photo postcard (AZO), matte, 5 1/2" x 3 1/4", ca. 1904-1918. 2. Studio portrait of Wells wearing dark suit jacket, light dress shirt and patterned tie. Caption: "Joe Wells as a young man, 1910". Black and white real photo postcard (AZO), matte, 4 1/4" x 2", cut into an oval shape, ca. 1918-1930. 3. Wells and a woman behind the counter of a grocery store. Caption: "Joe Wells, Bingham Canyon, Utah, '1910'". Black and white photograph, matte, 3" x 4 1/2", ca. 1910. 4. Image is an enlarged version of Wells from the previous photograph. Caption: "Joseph S. Wells in Bingham Grocery Store about 1910." Black and white photograph, matte, 6 1/2" x 4 1/2", ca. 1910. 5. Seven men pose outdoors. Landscape is dry and includes sagebrush, few trees, and a mountain in the background. A seated individual is identified as "Joe Wells". Black and white real photo postcard (AZO), matte, 3 1/4 " x 5 1/2", ca. 1904-1918. 6. Wells holding a small basket, standing outdoors in front of J. C. Penney Co. (image is reversed). Caption: "Joe Wells 1930s." Black and white photograph, glossy, 3 3/4" x 2 1/4", ca. 1930s. Family 1 2 7. Eight men, three of them standing, five of them sitting in an open wagon drawn by two horses. Caption: "May be 'Ponsano's' Vineyard in Zyanthe, Santa Cruz, 1890s". Black and white real photo postcard (CYKO), matte, 2 1/2" x 4 1/2", ca. 1904-1920s. 8. Six men (two of them in aprons) stand in front of a bar inside a café. Caption reads: "1903. Must be in Santa Cruz as Joe Ponsano Wells is so young". Black and white real photo postcard (Velox), matte, 3 1/4" x 5 1/4", ca. 1907-1914. 9. Six men relaxing on the grass in the shade of a tree, the automobile parked nearby. Two of the men are reading newspapers, one of whom is smoking a pipe, and all of the men are facing the camera. Caption: "Joe Ponsano Wells, Santa Cruz Mountains, 1905?" Black and white real photo postcard (AZO), matte, 3 1/4" x 5 1/2", ca. 1904-1918. 10. Four men standing side-by-side with their arms around each other's shoulders, outdoors in front of a grove of trees. Caption: "Ponsano Vineyard in Santa Cruz Mountains, early 1900s". "Joe" and "Hank" are identified in the image. Black and white photograph, matte, 3 1/8" x 5 1/2", undated. 11. Twelve people (three women, three children, six adult men), posing for a photograph in the mountains. Ground is covered with dirt and sagebrush. The three women are seated on the ground, one of whom is holding a small child identified as "Hank." Caption reads: "Santa Cruz Mts. 1909". Black and white photograph, 3" x 5 1/4", ca. 1909. 12. A man and a child standing on the porch of a house. Caption: "'Hank' Ponsano (baby) at Vineyard in Santa Cruz Mountains, 1910". Black and white real photo postcard (AZO), matte, 5" x 3 1/8", ca. 1918-1930. 13. Photo is from a black and white Christmas card that has been hand-colored. Underneath the portrait of a woman is the following "Greetings and Best Wishes for Christmas and the New Year," and in pen it is signed "Best love Alyce". The caption on the reverse reads "Joe's niece." 4 1/2" x 5 1/4", ca. 1920s. 14. A woman holding a baby stands on the porch of a home, while a man stands on the ground in front of the porch railings, facing the child. Caption: "Baby Ernest Ponsano as a baby 1909". Black and white real photo postcard (AZO), matte, 5" x 3", ca. 1904-1918. 15. Three women seated on a pile of cut lumber. The woman on the left is looking down; the woman in the middle is holding a child, and the woman to the right is looking at the child. Caption: "Little Ernest Henry Ponsano and mother about 1910-11". Black and white real photo postcard (AZO), matte, 3 7/8" x 3 1/8", hand-trimmed, ca. 1918-1930. 16. Seven adults (five women and two men) and five young children (three girls and two boys) pose for the camera outdoors near a grove of trees. Caption: "Ponsano Family in Santa Cruz Mts 1910". Black and white photograph, matte, 3” x 5", ca. 1920s. 17. A woman stands next to vines growing on a fence and looks off to her right. Caption: "Nunzia Nicolai Joe's Cousin '1956'". The caption on the reverse reads: "sorella Nunzia Nicolai - 1956 - Sister Nunzia Nicolai un married." Black and white photograph, scalloped edges, glossy, 3 1/2" x 2 1/2", ca. 1956. 18. Portrait taken at a studio. Seven individuals (three women, two young men, one boy, and one adult man), with three of the adults seated in the front row. Caption: "Kean & Ort Studio 123 ½ Pacific Avenue Santa Cruz, California 1900". Individuals identified include the following: "Severina Nicoli Ponsano (Mariani), Edith, Joseph, Anglo, Sanch Wells, Joseph Angel Nicoli Ponsano and Zina". Black and white photograph, matte, mounted on cardboard, 7 1/4" x 9", ca. 1900. Bingham Canyon 1 3 19. Scenery includes several buildings in the foreground (including an outhouse). Caption: "Bingham Canyon, Utah, Early 1900s." Black and white real photo postcard (AZO), matte, 3 1/2" x 5 1/2", ca. 1904-1918. 20. Caption: "B & C Lower Depot. Bingham's Canyon, Ut. Carlson Photo." Photograph includes an "x" on one of the buildings and an arrow pointing to the area behind the building. Black and white photograph, matte, 3 1/2" x 5 1/2", undated. 21. Three men and one woman stand in front of the Vienna Cafe, whose sign advertises it as "The Right Place to Eat." The Cafe is across the street from the Copper-King Bar. Caption: "Bingham Canyon Utah Early 1900s." Black and white photograph mounted on cardboard, matte, 4 3/4" x 6 1/2", ca. 1900s. 22. Interior of a restaurant or cafe. Three male patrons sit at the counter, and four individuals (three men, one woman) stand behind the counter. In the foreground is a glass case with cigars on display for sale. Caption: "Restaurant in Bingham Canyon, Utah Early 1900." Black and white photograph, matte, 4 1/2" x 7", trimmed by hand, ca. 1920s. 23. A commercial street in Bingham Canyon. Caption: "Bingham Canyon Utah Early 1900s." Reverse caption: "Just looking down the main canyon – business section is beyond the turn to the left. it starts at the sign of the watch." Black and white real photo postcard (AZO), matte, 3 1/2" x 5 1/2", ca. 1918-1930. 24. Bingham Canyon from a distance. Caption: "Bingham Canyon Early 1900s." Black and white real photo postcard (AZO), matte, 3 1/2" x 5 1/2", ca. 1904-1918. 25. Bingham Canyon from a distance. First caption: "Bingham – Copper Hill." Second caption: "Utah." Black and white real photo postcard (AZO), matte, 3 1/4" x 5 1/4", ca. 1925-1940s. 26. Wood-frame homes gradually ascending along the hillside. Hillside is mostly dirt and sagebrush. The home that is the focus of the photograph shows linens drying on an outdoor clothes line. In the background is a wooden fence, and in the foreground, at the top of the photograph, is a gondola. Caption: "Bingham Canyon Utah Early 1900s." Black and white photograph, matte, 4" x 2 1/4", ca. 1900s. 27. Single- and multi-level buildings ascending the hillside. The landscape includes sagebrush, large trees, and electrical poles and wires. Caption: "Bingham Canyon, Utah Early 1900s." Black and white real photo postcard (AZO), matte, 3 1/2" x 5 1/2", ca. 1904-1918. 28. Two parallel tracks with cars moving up and down a steep gradient. A structure and a fence are located at each end of the tracks. Caption reads: "Bingham Canyon Utah Early 1900s." Black and white photograph, matte, 4" x 2 1/2", ca. 1900s. 29. Approximately four buildings standing next to each other along a street. The roofs have a few inches of snow, as does the hillside that rises behind the buildings. The building to the left has a sign for rooms to rent. Also pictured are electrical or telephone poles and wires. Black and white photograph, matte, 3 1/2" x 4 1/2", undated. 30. Image includes a scene of a main street, probably in July. The street is decorated with American flags, some of which are hanging by ropes strewn across the street. Five individuals face the camera, three of them men and two are women in shirtwaists and skirts. Black and white real photo postcard (AZO), matte, 3 1/2" x 5 1/2", ca. 1904-1918. 31. Copper mine. First caption: "East Hill Utah Copper Co. Bingham," second caption: "Early 1900s." Black and white real photo postcard (AZO), matte, 3 1/4" x 4 1/2", ca. 1925-1940s. 32. Image is an aerial view of the canyon, a street slicing down the center of the photograph. On either side of the street are large buildings with varying roof styles. Caption reads: "Bingham Canyon, Utah Early 1900s." Black and white real photo postcard (CYKO), matte, 5 1/2" x 3 1/2", ca. 1904-1920s. 33. Aerial view of the town in Bingham Canyon. Caption reads: "Bingham Canyon Utah Early 1900s." Black and white real photo postcard (AZO), matte, 3 1/2" x 5 1/2", 1904-1918. Wells Groceteria, Magna (Utah) 1 4 34. Interior of a grocery store, taken from entryway looking inside. Includes a young man behind the cash register, fully-stocked shelves of dry goods, a scale, and advertisements for brand-name products and new arrivals. At the back of the store is a loft where a woman is working. Caption: "Wells Brothers' Grocery Bingham Canyon, Utah Early 1900s." Black and white photograph, matte, 3 1/4" x 5 1/2", ca. 1900s. 35. Exterior of a grocery store. The sign reads "The Viena [sic]." A man and small child stand on the front steps. Caption: "Bingham Canyon, Utah Early 1900s." Black and white real photo postcard (AZO), matte, 3" x 5", ca. 1904-1918. 36. Entrance of a grocery store. Two women stand in the entryway, one of whom is standing behind a pile of sacks (possibly flour). The sign painted on the glass reads "Groceries, Poultry, Vegetables". Caption: "Wells Grocery Store Bingham Canyon, Utah 1900s." On the reverse of the photograph is the stamp "Midvale Photo Studio" in blue. Black and white, glossy, 5 1/4" x 3", ca. 1900s. 37. Interior of a grocery store. Behind the counter to the left of the store is a young man in a suit jacket, and a woman in a shirtwaist and skirt leans against the counter. Behind the counter at the right is a young man wearing an apron over his clothing. The store is fully stocked with grains, potatoes, pastries, canned goods, and a variety of dry goods. Caption: "Well's Brothers Grocery Bingham Canyon, Utah About 1910." Black and white photograph mounted on cardboard, 6" x 8", ca. 1910s. Wells Groceteria, Midvale (Utah) 1 5 38. A man and a woman stand in front of the display window for Wells Groceteria. Caption: "Fred Cvar and Edna Wells, Midvale, Utah 1930s". Black and white photograph, matte, 2" x 3", ca. 1930s. 39. Grocery store from point-of-view of the entrance. Three individuals stand inside the store; one man in a suit and tie is standing behind the cash register on the left side of the photograph, a young woman in a blouse and skirt is leaning against the counter, and at the far right is a man in a suit and bow tie. A sign written by hand and hanging from twine attached to the ceiling reads "Please help yourself as thou in a Cafeteria We save you the cost of clerks credit delivery and collection." Grocery store is fully stocked and organized. First caption: "Midvale, Utah"; second caption: "Wells Grocertaria 1st self-service in Utah, 1920s?" Black and white photograph mounted on cardboard, matte, 4 3/4" x 6 3/4", ca. 1920s. 40. Grocery store from the point-of-view of a high vantage point to the left of the entrance. Presumably a later photograph from the previous, as the space is larger, the store includes a more inventory, and the signs look professionally produced. Caption: "Midvale, Utah First self-service 1920s." Black and white photograph mounted on cardboard, matte, 4 3/4" x 6 3/4", ca. 1920s. Miscellaneous 1 6 41. Image of Pres. Woodrow Wilson in a motorcade. Caption: "Pres. Wilson Salt Lake Sept. 23 19". Black and white reproduction, matte, 3" x 5", 1919. 42. Postcard of Knutsford Hotel in Salt Lake City. Color, 3" x 4 1/2", undated. 43. A view of a road with a carriage on a city street, entering a tunnel. Above the tunnel are buildings with signs that read "Hotel Hillcrest" and "Glen Vil[lage]". Caption: "San Francisco? Early 1900s". Black and white real photo postcard (CYKO), matte, 5 1/4" x 3", ca. 1904-1920s. 44. Exterior of a house during winter. Along the side of the house is a rock chimney and three snow-covered trees. Caption on the back reads: "Sanch's house in Midvale". Black and white photograph, glossy, 4 1/5" x 2 3/4”, undated.