Thomas G. Thomas
Collection, ca. 1925–1952

Collection Information

Biographical Sketch

Scope and Content Note

Series Contents

Cataloging Information

Processed by

Jennifer Duplaga
3 June 2004

Manuscript and Visual Collections Department
William Henry Smith Memorial Library
Indiana Historical Society
450 West Ohio Street
Indianapolis, IN 46202-3269

www.indianahistory.org

COLLECTION INFORMATION

VOLUME OF COLLECTION:	1 box
COLLECTION DATES:	1925–1952
PROVENANCE:	Thomas G. Thomas, Indianapolis, Indiana, 17 September 1988
RESTRICTIONS:	None
COPYRIGHT:
REPRODUCTION RIGHTS:	Permission to reproduce or publish material in this collection must be obtained from the Indiana Historical Society.
ALTERNATE FORMATS:
RELATED HOLDINGS:
ACCESSION NUMBER:	1988.0715
NOTES:

Thomas G. Thomas worked for the Aetna Insurance company at 1800 N. Meridian in Indianapolis. Around 1959, he discovered photographs used for insurance claims that had been discarded by the company in the Dumpster. Thomas collected these photographs and donated copies of them to the Indiana Historical Society.

The Aetna Insurance Company was founded in 1819 for the purpose of selling fire insurance. With the help of the Hartford, Conn., judge, Eliphalet A. Bulkeley, the company entered into the life insurance business in 1850 and the company started to grow.

In 1891, Aetna decided to add another line of insurance. This time they added an accident insurance policy. The first policy was sold to the company’s president, Morgan Gardner Bulkeley.

At the turn of the century, automobiles were becoming increasingly popular. Seeing a need to provide car owners with a way to protect themselves and their property, Aetna began offering auto insurance policies in 1907.

Aetna transformed into a diverse agency, offering health (1899), auto (1907), homeowners (1913), and marine (1916) insurance, among other types, to its customers. One of its most unique policies was signed in 1963, when agents in Houston convinced America’s first seven astronauts to take out life insurance policies.

Sources:

Aetna. Company History: http://www.aetna.com/history/index.htm Accessed 29 April 2004

SCOPE AND CONTENT NOTE

This collection contains photographs from the Aetna Insurance Company that were used for insurance claims. These black-and-white photographs are all 8” x 10” and are copies of the originals.

This collection is divided into two series. The first includes photographs of automobiles that were involved in accidents. These photographs are arranged by city and then by date.

The second series contains photographs of streets, presumably where accidents had occurred. Like the first series, they are arranged by city and then by date.

series CONTENTS

Series 1: Automobiles

CONTENTS	CONTAINER
Indianapolis, 1925–35	Photographs, Box 1, Folder 1
Lafayette, 1935–38	Photographs, Box 1, Folder 2
Evansville and Tipton, 1938	Photographs, Box 1, Folder 3
Unknown location, 1925–37	Photographs, Box 1, Folder 4

Series 2: Street Scenes

CONTENTS	CONTAINER
Indianapolis, 1933–40	Photographs, Box 1, Folder 5
Fort Wayne, 1937	Photographs, Box 1, Folder 6
New Castle and Bloomington, ca. 1930 and 1934	Photographs, Box 1, Folder 7
Unknown location, 1926–52	Photographs, Box 1, Folder 8

CATALOGING INFORMATION

For additional information on this collection, including a list of subject headings that may lead you to related materials:

1. Go to the Indiana Historical Society's online catalog: http://157.91.92.2/

2. Click on the "Basic Search" icon.

3. Select "Call Number" from the "Search In:" box.

4. Search for the collection by its basic call number (in this case, P 0423).

5. When you find the collection, go to the "Full Record" screen for a list of headings that can be searched for related materials.

Collection #

P 0423