Leonard Karr Collection
name: label: Creator
content: Beaudoin, Rayne
label: Creator
content: Karr, Leonard, 1913-1995
topic: label: Topic
content: Canada goose
label: Topic
content: Decoys (Hunting)
label: Topic
content: Fishing
label: Topic
content: Hunting -- Equipment and supplies
label: Topic
content: Inventions -- 20th century
label: Topic
content: Kayaks
label: Topic
content: Outdoor life -- Pacific Northwest
label: Topic
content: Outdoor recreation
label: Topic
content: Sign painting
acqinfo: label: Provenance
content: The collection was donated to the National Museum of American History in February 2001 by Rayne Beaudoin, a hunting companion of Leonard Karr.
creator: label: Creator
content: Beaudoin, Rayne
label: Creator
content: Karr, Leonard, 1913-1995
setName: label: See more items in
content: Leonard Karr Collection
abstract: label: Summary
content: Mostly photographs illustrating Leonard Karr's hunting and fishing activities in the Pacific Northwest; plus letters from Karr, photographs of his inventions, articles and other printed information, drawings and patterns for a kayak that Karr designed, clippings, scrapbooks, and albums. Personal materials relate to his personal life and his employment as a sign painter.
bioghist: label: Biographical / Historical
content: Leonard Karr was born on December 25, 1913, in Yakima, Washington to John Ross Karr and Teakla Kohlman. He attended the Yakima district schools and graduated in 1931. Prior to World War II, Karr worked as a sign painter and designer for several sign companies in the Yakima area. During World War II Karr served in the military as a sign painter for the 216th Unit of the Army Air Force at Wendover Field in Utah. After the war he returned to private life as a sign painter and designer for the Sun Beem Neon Sign Company. He later moved to the Valley Neon Service and then in 1955 joined Dwinnel's Neon Central where he worked until his retirement in 1983. Mr. Karr was an ardent and successful fisherman and hunter, especially of geese. Karr designed several implements to assist in his hunting, including decoys, pit covers and a stake hole punch. In 1933 Karr designed and built his own kayak for hunting, fishing, and other outdoor activities. In 1954 he patented his 2-dimensional goose decoys (US 2,746,196) and marketed them to hunters in the American Northwest. Karr did not renew his patent after its initial term, and it expired. Karr died on March 13, 1995.
physdesc: label: Extent
content: 3 Cubic feet (9 boxes, 5 oversize folders)
unitdate: label: Date
content: 1930-1995
custodhist: label: Custodial History
content: Mr. Karr gave his self-designed hunting kayak to Mr. Beaudoin in 1990.  The accompanying papers, photos and decoys were given to Mr. Beaudoin by Dorothy Karr, Mr. Karr's widow, following his death in 1995.  After searching for several years for the appropriate repository for the items and documents Mr. Beau contacted Ellen Roney Hughes of the Division of Cultural History (now Division of Cultural and Community Life).  Mr. Beaudoin received the collection from the creator's wife, Mrs. Dorothy Karr.
dataSource: label: Archival Repository
content: Archives Center, National Museum of American History
identifier: label: Identifier
content: NMAH.AC.0762
objectType: label: Type
content: Collection descriptions
label: Type
content: Archival materials
label: Type
content: Albums
label: Type
content: Blueprints
label: Type
content: Christmas cards
label: Type
content: Design drawings
label: Type
content: Personal papers
label: Type
content: Photographs
label: Type
content: Scrapbooks
arrangement: label: Arrangement
content: The collection is divided into two series.

Series 1: Sporting materials, 1930-1991

Series 2: Personal materials, 1934-1995

Series 3: Motion Picture Film, 1951-1962
processinfo: label: Processing Information
content: Collection processed by Charles Hargrove, intern, August 2001.
genre_format: label: Genre/Form
content: Albums
label: Genre/Form
content: Blueprints -- 20th century
label: Genre/Form
content: Christmas cards
label: Genre/Form
content: Design drawings
label: Genre/Form
content: Personal papers -- 20th century
label: Genre/Form
content: Photographs -- 20th century
label: Genre/Form
content: Scrapbooks -- 20th century
scopecontent: label: Scope and Contents
content: The bulk of the collection consists of photographs illustrating in vivid detail Karr's hunting and fishing interests.  The collection is approximately 3 cubic feet and contains photographs, correspondence, scrapbooks, albums and drawings and is divided into two series: Series 1: Sporting Materials and Series 2: Personal Materials.  The collection is rich in photographic documentation of goose hunting and related sporting activities in the Pacific Northwest.

Series 1: Sporting Materials, 1930-1991

The first series illustrates Karr's interests in hunting and fishing and consists of photographs, decoy designs, correspondence, scrapbooks and albums.  The photos are of particular value in documenting goose hunting and other outdoor activities in the Pacific Northwest.  Also of interest to researchers are Karr's designs of his decoys, kayak, and a man-sized, goose-shaped hunting blind known as "Supergoose".  Although most of the photographs are unidentified the bulk of the material seems to date from the mid 1930s through the early 1970s.

Series 2: Personal Materials, 1930-1995

This series contains photographs, correspondence, scrapbooks, albums, designs and drawing relating to Leonard Karr's personal life and his work as a sign painter.  Of interest to students of advertising are the photos and scrapbooks that Karr maintained of signs that he worked on or found noteworthy.  The majority of photographs are undated and unidentified, but presumably depict his family and friends.

Series 3: Motion Picture Film, 1951-1962

This series contains home movies related to goose hunting in the Pacific Northwest shot and edited by Karr between 1957-1962 with the exception of OF 762.1 which is a Castle Films production collected by Karr.
relatedmaterial: label: Related Materials
content: The Division of Culture and the Arts (now Division of Cultural and Community Life), holds artifacts relating to Leonard Karr and his hunting activities in the Northwest, including a kayak with paddle and car roof rack, three flat metal decoys and stakes, and a three-dimensional, hollow, pit cover used for concealment during hunting.