DATES: approximately late 19th-early 20th centuries [bulk]
Creator: Schwarz, Henry, MD (1856-1935)
EXTENT: 2 linear feet: 322 quarter plate glass negatives (3.25 x 4.25 in.), 13 photographs (11 8 x 5.5 in., 2 9.5 x 7.5 in.), 1 print magazine
PROVENANCE: Donated to the St. Louis Mercantile Library in 2026 by Cindy Weber Schwarz Fischer.
SCOPE: This collection comprises glass negatives, printed photographs, and a 1996 issue of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch Magazine. Printed photographs depict the city of Saint Louis, Missouri in the aftermath of the 1896 tornado, also referred to as the "Great Cyclone." Glass negatives were captured around the late 19th-early 20th centuries and include both photographs and art reproductions. Subjects include:
- St. Louis
- Floods
- Polar expeditions
- Beaches
- Swimming & diving
- Parades
- History & art
HISTORY: Henry Schwarz was born around 1856 in Giessen, Germany, and immigrated to Saint Louis, Missouri in 1873. He graduated from the St. Louis Medical College and established Washington University's obstetrics department in 1899. Schwarz's son, Otto Henry Schwarz, also served as the head of WashU's combined OB/GYN department from 1928-1940. Schwarz died in 1935 at 79 years old.
ACCESS: This is collection M-733. This collection is available for on-site use only in the Rare Book and Manuscripts Reading Room. Some of the collection may be photocopied, digitally scanned or photographed, depending on condition. Researchers are advised to call ahead concerning changes in hours due to University intersessions and holidays. The St. Louis Mercantile Library is located on levels one and two of the Thomas Jefferson Library building. More information about conducting research with the archival collections of the Library, including current building hours and reading room policies, can be found on our Research page.
RESTRICTIONS: None
Preferred Citation note: The preferred citation for this collection is “From the Special Collections of the St. Louis Mercantile Library at the University of Missouri – St. Louis.”
INVENTORY
Box 1
Series One: Papers and Prints
- May 26, 1996 issue of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch Magazine, titled "The Great Cyclone of 1896"
- 13 photographs of St. Louis in the aftermath of the 1896 tornado
Series Two: Negatives
- History and Art: 111 glass negatives depicting artwork of historical events, with a focus on the colonization of the Americas, Christopher Columbus, the Plymouth colony and pilgrims, ancient Greek and Roman history and mythology, and photographs of historical architecture or locations
Box 2
Series Two: Negatives
- Flood: 26 glass negatives depicting a flood in St. Louis
- Polar Expedition: 28 glass negatives depicting expeditions to the Arctic, including landscapes, maps, expedition members, and Indigenous people
- Beach, taken by a family member Heinrich Schwarz, MD: 11 glass negatives depicting beaches
- Swimming & Diving: 30 glass negatives depicting individuals diving and swimming
- St. Louis Parade: 33 glass negatives depicting a parade in St. Louis, including Olive St.
- Misc.: 83 glass negatives with miscellaneous subjects, primarily depicting the United State
