DeVere Helfrich Rodeo Photographs, 1941-1970
John DeVere Helfrich (1902-1981). 37,369 Negatives, 1941-1970
Collection: MS040
Accession: 1981.023
Biography
John DeVere Helfrich was a professional rodeo photographer from 1939-1967. He was born on April 16, 1902, in Lamonta, Oregon, and as a child he spent time at his uncle’s ranch working with cattle and horses. In 1926, he married Helen Reed, and they worked as small business owners until World War II rationing forced their stores to close. He became interested in rodeos and photography in 1939, and in 1941 he won the World Championship Rodeo Corporation’s best picture of the year prize. It was for an image of Gene Pruett on Colonel Dean at the Prairie City Rodeo in Oregon. Helen and DeVere spent most of their time traveling to rodeos, and even transformed a travel trailer into a mobile dark room. The Professional Rodeo Cowboy Association used Helfrich’s photograph of Bill Ward on Sea Lion at San Angelo, Texas, as inspiration for their official logo. He retired from photography in 1967, and died September 1, 1981.
Scope & Content Note
The DeVere Helfrich Rodeo Photographs consists of 37,369 negatives and fourteen log books. The negatives range in size from 80x110mm, 62x62mm, and 35mm. The log books, dating 1941-1970, list the negative number, caption or title of image, location or rodeo venue, and date, as well as dark room processing notes. Additionally, there is a small collection of negatives with an associated log book dating between 1951 and 1952 which document horse race finishes and winner portraits at Walla Walla, Waitesburg, Dayton, and Pomeroy in Washington; Pendleton and Union in Oregon; and Red Bluff, California.
Documented in log book 6 are Helfrich’s experimental efforts at the first National Finals Rodeo with different film, speeds, cameras, and processing chemistry and procedures ostensibly to produce quality images without the benefits of a flash. Helfrich documented the activities and events of the National Finals Rodeo from 1959-1966.
Over 5,300 rodeo contestants and personalities are represented in this collection. Over 3,000 horses and over 400 bulls are documented and recorded pictorially. Venues for which there are over 1,000 images include Phoenix, Tucson, Yuma, Los Angeles, Red Bluff, San Francisco, Denver, Sidney, Klamath Falls, Pendleton, Dallas, Ellensburg, and Cheyenne. Over 400 images have been attributed to Helen Helfrich.
Subject Terms
| Abbott, Buck Adams, Don Akridge, Eddy, 1929- Ambler, Jerry, 1911-1958 Armstrong, Dean Bausch, Jim Belyeu, Ray, 1939-1966 Beutler, Lynn, 1905-1999 Bishop, Jerry Blesing, Wag, 1920- Boag, Bill, 1933-1958 Bothum, Jim Bride, Tom Brooks, Wallace Brown, Freckles, 1921-1987 Brown, Leo Bruce, Duane Bruce, Winston, 1938- Bryant, Dick Buell, Ralph Burnett, Boyce Buschbom, Jack Carson, Jack Charles, Jim Charters, Harry Chase, Joe Clennon, Bart, 1910- Combs, Willard Condon, Larry Conway, Ed Copenhaver, Deb, 1925- Crump, Pete Davis, Jim Davis, Shawn, 1941- Decker, Tater, 1924- Dollarhide, Ross Dygert, Bill Edwards, John Eidson, Bob Enos, Manuel, 1918- Fedderson, Bill Federer, Tuffy, 1929-1971 Finley, Frank Finley, Luther Flanigan, Dan Flynn, Sammy Fore, Lawson, 1920-1995 France, Bert Fredricks, Pete Frost, Clyde Gore, Les Green, Joe Griffith, Mac Hancock, Bill, 1917- Hand, Billy, 1933- Hartman, Bill Hawkins, John Helfrich, DeVere, 1902-1981 Hill, Clinton Hixon, Jerry Hobdey, Daryl Holmes, Marvin Horn, Shorty Howard, Duane, 1933- Isley, Mike Ives, Laurel Ivory, Buster, 1923- Ivory, June, 1923- Johnson, Les Jones, Malcolm Kane, Larry Kornell, Bill Kunkle, Bill Lancaster, Leonard Lawrence, Bill Like, Jim, 1918- Linderman, Bill, 1920-1965 Linderman, Bud, 1922-1961 Linderman, Walt Lowe, George Maddox, Dwight Madland, Jim Madland, Kenny Martin, Tex Martinelli, Bill Mason, Walt |
May, Harley, 1926- Maynard, Bob, 1928- Mayo, Don, 1939- Mayo, Paul, 1942- McCoin, Numa McCravey, Leonard McKenna, J. D. McLean, Kenny Melinda, Mickey Mendes, Carl, 1919-1996 Menkenmaier, George, 1927-1958 Miles, Gene Mitchell, Johnnie Myren, George Nafzger, Carl Nelson, Alvin Noble, Harry Oliver, Dean, 1929- Peak, Buddy, 1933- Peth, Wick, 1931- Plaugher, Wilbur, 1923- Pruett, Gene, 1917-1987 Ragsdale, Bob Rambo, Gene, 1920-1988 Raymond, Ronnie Wayne, 1940-1994 Reidhead, Dave Reiners, Dennis Reynolds, Benny, 1936- Rinestine, Bill, 1934- Roberts, Gerald, 1919- Robinson, Bob Robinson, Bob A. Rockabar, Rocky Roddy, Jack Rodriguez, Jim, Jr., 1941- Roeser, Jim, 1933-1997 Rossen, Ronnie, 1937-1991 Rosser, Cotton, 1928- Rutherford, Buck, 1929-1988 Schricker, Mark, 1939- Schumacher, Jim Seeley, Buzz Sharpe, Bud Sheppard, Bob Sheppard, Chuck, 1916- Sherman, Jack Shoulders, Jim, 1928- Smith, Bill, 1941- Smith, Dale, 1928- Smith, Lyle Spurling, Jack Stanton, Kenny Stephanson, Slim Sublette, Joel Sullins, Walt Swaggert, Cecil Swaim, Bob Templeton, Paul Tescher, Jim Tescher, Tom Thommason, Ike Tibbs, Casey, 1929-1990 Toelle, Don Tompkins, Harry, 1927- Travis, Bud Tureman, Sonny, 1918-1995 Tyler, Gene Tyler, Glen Vamvoras, Clyde Vold, Wayne Walker, Enoch, 1932-1979 Ward, Bill, 1923-1992 Warhol, Ted Watts, Bill Weeks, Billy, 1926-1988 Weeks, Guy, 1932- Wegner, Bob, 1934- Williams, Corinne Williams, George Wilson, Don L., 1930-1996 Wise, Jim, 1934- Wood, Marty, 1933- Wright, Jackie Wyatt, Larry |
Processing Information
The Helfrich Rodeo Photographs were purchased by the Museum in 1981.
Copyright
The DeVere Helfrich Rodeo Photographs is the property of the Donald C. & Elizabeth M. Dickinson Research Center, National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum. Literary right, including copyright, belongs to the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum, with the exception of copyrighted images and published literary works, which are the property of the respective copyright holders. It is the responsibility of the researcher, and his/her publisher, to obtain publishing permission from individuals pictured, relevant copyright holders, and the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum.
Copyright
The collection is open for research. It is advisable for researchers to discuss their proposed research with staff prior to visiting the Center.
Preferred Citation
DeVere Helfrich Rodeo Photographs, 1941-1970, MS 040, Box # Folder #, Donald C. & Elizabeth M. Dickinson Research Center, National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.
Container List
All Series
The images and data in this collection are searchable on the Image Archive Database.
