The John J. Powers papers

What is it?

John J. Powers was born about 1904, in Providence, Rhode Island, the third son of Irish immigrants John J. Powers and Mary Mahar Powers. The family moved to Butte, Montana, not long after his birth where his father worked as a miner in the copper mining industry. John (Jr.) grew up in Butte and spent most of his life working as a cartoonist and miner for the Anaconda Mining Company. He began working in the mid-1920s as a cartoonist, not long after he completed high school. During the 1930s he worked as a miner, returning to cartooning in the 1940s. He retired in 1968 and remained in Butte, where he died on November 9, 1989.

The John J. Powers Papers document his work as a cartoonist and illustrator for the Anaconda Copper Mining Company as well as life in Butte, Montana, and experiences during World War II. The documents in this collection focus primarily on mining safety and include correspondence and pamphlets from the Anaconda Company's Bureau of Safety. While not extensive, Power's artwork is represented by several mine safety posters, including several original pencil drawings. The bulk of the photographs are of mines and miners in Butte in the late 1930s and 1940s, produced by various photographers, and likely for Anaconda Company materials. There are also photographs of soldiers in both the European and Pacific theaters during World War II, the homefront, and German prisoners of war (POWs). These appear to have been sent to the Anaconda Company for use in their materials. Photographs of Fort Logan (Camp Baker), located in Meagher County, Montana, are also found in the Powers papers.

Preferred Citation

[Identification of item], John J. Powers papers, Montana State University (MSU) Library, Bozeman, MT, [Item permalink or DOI]

Copyright Notice

Whenever possible, the Montana State University Library provides information about copyright in our digital collections records. We often do not own the rights in materials, and as such do not grant permissions for their use. Permissions and fees may be required from the individual copyright holder for uses beyond what is allowed based on U.S. Copyright Law (http://www.copyright.gov/fair-use/).

Please attempt to determine if an item is protected by copyright and follow any copyright or use restrictions when applicable. Written permission from the copyright holder is required for reproduction of protected items beyond what is allowed by fair use or other exemptions. These materials may be used for personal use, research, teaching (including distribution to classes), or any "fair use" as defined by U.S. copyright laws.

For more information please contact Archives and Special Collections at the Montana State University Library or Leila Sterman, Scholarly Communication Librarian.

Use of Artificial Intelligence & Tools

Montana State University Library allows the use of artificial intelligence (AI) technologies and tools with its digital collections for noncommercial educational, scholarly, and research purposes only.

Users are permitted to make content accessible to other users in any legal manner, use content to train AI models or create large language models (LLMs) for nonprofit educational, scholarly, or research purposes, with proper attribution to the MSU Library, and incorporate AI-generated content or derivatives in academic works (e.g., presentations, books, articles) with proper credit and acknowledgment of the original product(s). These uses must adhere to U.S. Copyright Law, MSU Library policies, and ethical guidelines for AI in academic and scholarly contexts.

Users are not permitted to use MSU Library content for creating commercial products or proprietary services and should avoid actions that will disrupt the functionality, integrity, or accessibility of the content, such as altering metadata, reformatting digital files, or impeding access for other users.

Harmful Language and AI

When using artificial intelligence (AI) technologies and tools with resources held by the MSU Library, an AI system may encounter and process historical materials containing language or content that is now recognized as harmful, offensive, or discriminatory. These materials do not reflect the views of the MSU Library or its staff but have been preserved to maintain the integrity of the historical record and to provide a complete and accurate representation of the past. The MSU Library is not liable for any damage(s) resulting from the processing of such language by AI systems, and users are encouraged to approach these materials with appropriate historical and ethical sensitivity.

Back to John J. Powers papers Homepage