Burnham Family Photographs, circa late 1800s | Illinois History and Lincoln Collections

Scope and Contents:

The collection contains portraits of various Burnham and Burnham/Harris family members, particularly children. The photographs are formatted in cartes-de-visite and cabinet card styles. Some of the portraits have been identified with names such as Ada E. Hesse, Julia Finley Burnham, and Elmer. The collection also contains three handwritten Burnham/Harris family trees.

Biographical/Historical Context:

Albert C. Burnham was a Champaign banker and philanthropist. In 1894, he donated $50,000 for the creation of a public library in memory of his wife, Julia Finley Burnham. The library opened as the Burnham Athenaeum in 1896 and closed in 1978. A.C. Burnham was also involved in other philanthropic ventures, such as funding the Burnham Hospital in Champaign, Ill. Benjamin Franklin Harris was one of the thirteen men to found the First National Bank of Champaign. His descendants continued to be closely associated with the Bank. His grandson, Newton M. Harris, married A.C. Burnham's daughter, Mary Bruce Burnham.

Acquisition Source: The Burnham Family materials were transferred from the University Archives to the Illinois Historical Survey, predecessor to the Illinois History and Lincoln Collections, in 1978. This collection was previously housed in the Illinois and U.S. History Graphics Collection.