Thompson Brothers Photograph Collection
This collection consists of a Thompson brother’s photograph album, a clay-framed Thompson brother’s photograph of a lookout point in the Great Smoky Mountains, and a print of a photograph of Bald River Falls in Tellico Plains, Tennessee taken by one of the Thompson brothers. James (Jim) and Robin Thompson were the most prominent photographers in Knoxville from the 1920s through the 1940s.
Dates
- undated
Language
The material in this collection is in English.
Conditions Governing Access
Collections are stored offsite and must be requested in advance. See www.special.lib.utk.edu for detailed information. Collections must be requested through a registered Special Collections research account.
Conditions Governing Use
The UT Libraries claims only physical ownership of most material in the collections. Persons wishing to broadcast or publish this material must assume all responsibility for identifying and satisfying any claimants on www.special.lib.utk.edu for detailed information. Collections must be requested through a registered Special Collections research account.
Extent
0.5 Linear Feet (1 half box)
Abstract
This collection consists of a Thompson brother’s photograph album, a clay-framed Thompson brother’s photograph of a lookout point in the Great Smoky Mountains, and a print of a photograph of Bald River Falls in Tellico Plains, Tennessee taken by one of the Thompson brothers.
Biographical/Historical Note
James (Jim) E. Thompson was born in 1881, and his brother, Robin Thompson, was born in 1895. Jim and his younger brother Robin Thompson were business partners from 1920 to 1926 as Thompson Brothers. Both men were pioneer commercial photographers. Jim became particularly well-known for his images of the Great Smoky Mountains. By the late 1920s, Jim Thompson’s photographs (Jim Thompson Co.) and those of his brother Robin Thompson (Robin Thompson, Inc.) were appearing in local and national commercial publications.
In 1935, the brothers reunited again as the Thompsons, Inc. Commercial Photographers. The company continues today in Knoxville, Tennessee.
Jim died in 1976 and Robin in 1977.
Acquisition Note
This collections was purchased by Special Collections in 2013.
Repository Details
Part of the Betsey B. Creekmore Special Collections and University Archives, University of Tennessee, Knoxville Repository