Jack Nolan Portrait Collection
by Betty Orbeck
Nebraskan born Jack Nolan began working as a salesman of photographic equipment during his youth. He later moved to Canada and began his photography career. In Canada he heard of the exploding Texas oil boom so he turned toward Texas and the Southwest.
Completely absorbed with "oil fever" when he arrived in Texas, he photographed scenes in the oil fields along the coast and in Central and North-Central Texas.
In late 1926 Nolan followed the oil strikes to West Texas and he established his first studio in Odessa and maintained studios later in Wink and Monahans, Texas. He quickly attained the title, "Jack Nolan, Oil Field Photographer" because of his coverage of the Permian Basin oil fields and boom towns. He left West Texas briefly in 1931 to follow the East Texas oil strikes, but he returned and in 1932 he married Mildred Stewart (Stuart) who managed his West Texas studios while he was in East Texas.
He established the first daily newspaper in 1936 for Odessa,
The Daily Bulletin. The Bulletin was consolidated in 1940 with
The Odessa News-Times and this union became The
Odessa American in October 1940. Nolan then went into land development until his death in 1972.
Ten years later, in 1982, the Nolan family selected The Petroleum Museum's Archives Center as the permanent repository for a portion of his oil field collection, along with the Nolan Portrait Collection that primarily covers the era 1941 through 1953.
Because the Nolan Portrait Collections contains much of the World War II era, the absence of portraits of young men is quite noticeable. For the most part, the portraits are of women and children with a few men of military age in uniform.
It is this writer's belief that during this era, 1941 - 1953, many men were in the service of their country stationed at the Midland Air Force Base (between Midland and Odessa), and the Pyote Air Force Base at Pyote (near Monahans, Texas). Their wives and children possibly had followed them to West Texas, remaining here until the war ended. This writer believes that many of Nolan's portraits of women and children found their way to servicemen who treasured them during those long bleak war years.
This Portrait Collection contains nearly 1200 portrait negatives (only) that are filed alphabetically by the name on the front of the negative envelope. Many of the children's portraits are in negative envelopes on which is written their parents' names.
Prints from these 5 x 7 original negatives will be made upon request for a nominal fee. Contact Ms. Betty Orbeck, Director of Archives, The Petroleum Museum, Archives Center, 1500 Interstate 20 West, Midland, Texas, 79701, or telephone 915 683-4403.
Aaron, A. C.
Abbott, Mrs. O. B.
Abels, Mrs. Travis
Aboliu, John
Adams, Frank
Adams, George
Adams, J. W.
Adams, Mrs. Jim
Adams, Jimmie Marie
Adams, Otlis, Jr.
Agnew, Mrs.
Agnew, Mrs. Paul
Albright, Oscar
Aldridge, Effie
Aldridge, Thelma
Alello, Mrs. F. R.
Alexander, Jane
Alexander, J. C.
Allen, B. E.
Allen, Glenn
Allen, Mrs.
Allen,, Mrs. John B.
Allison, Wayne
Allman, Mrs.
Allsups, Mrs.
Allsups, Mr. & Mrs.
Allsups, Mrs. Margaret
Alvarado, C.
Amburgey, L. S.
Anders, Mrs.
Anderson, Mrs. F. M.
Anderson, Mary
Anderson, Mittie
Anderson, W. H.
Andress, Carl
Appleby, A. P.
Appleby, Bet
Aquilar, Martha
Arney
Arthur, Mary Helen
Asbury, C. L.
Ashford, Charles
Ashford, Roger
Ashley, Don
Ashworth, Jenable
Atkins, Mrs. Bill
Atkinson, M. L.
Atkinson, Robert
Babb, Brock
Backman
Badgley, Mrs. G. M.
Backer, Mrs. O. K.
Bailey., Bert
Bailey, Billie
Bailey, H. T.
Baker, I. N.
Baker, Lee
Baker, R. F.
Baker, W. L.
Baldwin, Norma
Ball, Robbie
Ballard
Ballard, O. W.
Banker, J. F.
Banks, Mrs.
Banks, Archie D.
Barbee, Bennie
Barbie, A. J.
Barbsdale
Bardin, Mrs. James A.
Barnard, Mrs. Leo
Barron, E. L.
Barron, H. C.
Barry, Mrs. Charles B.
Barton, Mrs. Sam
Bates, Mrs. B. L.
Bates, Bruce
Baxter, C. R.
Beagle, Mr. H. H.
Beason, Joan
Beaver, Mrs. J. F.
Bell, Mr. & Mrs. Lonnie
Benito
Bennett, Eloise
Bennett, Jewel
Bennett, Marie
Benton, W. F.
Bernal, Antonio
Berry, Earl
Bertunbrough
Bettis, Guila
Bigelow, Mrs. D. A.
Biggerstaff, Joe Bob
Billings, L. A.
Billington, Wyonna & Sharon
Bingham, Mr. & Mrs. Eugene
Bingham, Frankse
Bingham, Katherine
Bishop, Mrs. E.
Bitner, Pearl
Black, Mrs. J. H.
Blackman, Mrs. I. A.
Blakney, R. L.
Blue, D. E.
Bluent, C. D.
Boland, G. K.
Bond, Addie
Boone, Mrs. Ann
Boone, Mary Ellen
Boucher, Charles
Bourland, Willie Mae
Bowden, Doris
Bowden, Jeanette
Bowden, O. D.
Bowers, Mrs. Paul
Boyd, Joseph S.
Boyd, Lenetie
Bracy, Arnett
Bradshaw, C. A.
Bragden, Ellen
Brand, E.
Brand, Edith
Brasselton, R. C.
Broyles, Henry
Breeden, Mrs.Bill
Breeden, L.
Brewer, Mrs. Clara
Brewer, Ida Grace
Bridge, Wanda
Briley, W. J.
Brooks
Brooks, Charles
Brown, A. M.
Brown, C. D.
Brown, Cara Bell
Brown, Jeannie
Brown, Lucille
Brown, Nettie.
Brown, Mrs. Tom
Browne's, Cecil (Band)
Bruce, Mrs. Elizabeth
Brummill, Lee
Brunk, Mrs. Mary
Bruton, Anne
Bryan, Mrs. E. R.
Buchanan, Audrey
Buhl, Lila
Bullard, B. C.
Burbaker
Burleson, Mrs. Hollis
Burns, Nance
Burrow, R. E.
Burrow, R. W.
Burson, Mrs. M. R.
Burton, T. C.
Bush, Arneal & Maybelle
Bushevar, Mrs. F. W.
Butler, Mrs. Howard
Bynum, Duane
Byon, J. A.
Byrd, Mrs. C. M.
Byrd, C. L.
Byrd, Mrs. Leon
Byrd, Nolan
Caldwell, Mr. & Mrs. J. P.
Cameron, Frances S.
Campbell, D. L.
Campbell, Margie
Campbell, Pat
Cane, L. T.
Canty, Mrs. H. R.
Carlisle, A. F.
Carlton
Carlton, Mrs. J. D.
Carrasco, Delia
Carroll, Mrs.
Carroll, Mrs. C. W.
Carroll, Mrs. Gayle E.
Carroll, Leon
Carter, Charles E.
Carter, W. C.
Casey, Mrs. Bud
Caskrey, Billie Joe
Casstas, Dortha
Cast, H. F.
Cauble, Mrs. Cecil
Caudle, Bettye Sue
Cayle, J. R.
Chambers, Mrs. J. E.
Chance, Mrs. James
Chandler, Betha Mozelle
Chandler, Grace
Chandler, Mr. & Mrs. R. B.
Chaney, Mrs. B. V.
Chien, Steven
Childers, Mrs. W.
Childress, Mrs.
Childress, Mrs. Charles
Childress, Mrs. Nettie
Chreswell, Mrs.
Christoper, Iona
Christian, 1st Lt. J. W.
Chung, Lt. Chu Wen
Clardy, Mrs.
Clardy, Virginia Dean
Clark, Jimmy
Clark, Mrs. Myrtle
Clark, Mrs. S. M.
Class, L. O.
Clay, Mr. & Mrs. J. C.
Cleanenger
Clement, Mrs. J. P.
Cleveland, Herbert J.
Cloud, N. C.
Cobb, Burl
Cobb, Mrs. Carl
Cobb, Carl
Cochran, Mrs. Marvin
Coffee, J.
Coker, E. M.
Coker, Mrs. O. E.
Coker, Mrs. Paul
Cole, Elzie
Cole, Harland
Collins, Jackie
Collins, Mrs. Troy
Colston
Cook, Mrs.
Cook, George
Cook, Mrs. J. R., Jr.
Cooney, F. B.
Cooper, P. A.
Copeland, J. C.
Copeland, Mrs. O. J.
Copeland, Sam
Countnay, Aza Lee
Cowan, Clarence
Cox
Cox, Mrs. J. A.
Cozby, J. B.
Cragin, Mrs. F. E.
Crain, G. B.
Crawford, B. G.
Crawford, Sam W.
Crensh, Mrs.
Creswell, J. M.
Crockett, E. A.
Cross, Betty Gene
Cross, Mr. & Mrs. Jack
Crownover, Mrs. W. R.
Crump, Catherine
Crump, Mrs. David
Cuellar, Bertha
Cullins, Mrs. Pearl
Cundreff, Mrs. S. J.
Davee, Dorothy
David, A. B.
Davidson, D. R.
Davis, Bob
Davis, Mrs. C.
Davis, J. B.
Davis, Mrs. John
Davis, John B.
Davis, Kale
Davis, Latrelle
Davis, O. T.
Davis, R. W.
Dawn, Ray
Dawning, L. E.
Day, Willie
De Laven, Leola
De Moville, James
De Wees, P. H.
Debenport, Ann
Dickson, R. H.
Deeds, Burl
Deem, R. G.
Deiterman, Mrs. J. L.
Dellman, R. E.
Dennis, Maxine
Dennison, Marcella
Dipple, Mrs. E. H.
Dison, Jackie
Divene, C. L.
Dobbs, Mrs. Herman
Donahoe, Bob
Dorsett, Miss
Driver, Mrs. D. T.
Duenkel, Barbara
Dugan, J. W.
Duke, Mrs. W. S.
Duncan, E. L.
Dunne, Joyce
Durham, Norma J.
Durham, I.
Dyer, Mrs. A. R.
Dyer, G. B.
Dyess, Mrs.
Extracted Records
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