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Charles Oluf Olsen photographs

  • Org. Lot 919
  • Collection
  • 1924-1931

Collection consists of 34 photographs of scenes in Portland, Oregon, and of Vancouver and Longview, Washington, taken or collected by Charles Oluf Olsen between 1924 and 1931. Olsen used many of the photographs in this collection to illustrate features he wrote for the Oregonian, Oregon Journal, and other publications. Subjects depicted in the collection include: photographs of an encampment of unhoused people under the north end of the Interstate Bridge in Vancouver, Washington, circa 1930; Lone Fir cemetery in Portland, Oregon, circa 1927; the William Sargent Ladd residence; the 1930 Longview, Washington, Rolleo log rolling competition; and Burnside street, circa 1924, showing the Volunteers of America Mission, Oregon Labor Industry offices, Ericson’s Saloon, and the House of All Nations Saloon.

Tsuboi Family home movies

  • MI Tsuboi
  • Collection
  • 1925 - 1960

The collection contains home movies filmed by members of the Tsuboi Family circa 1925-1960. The films depict Japanese American family scenes and feature locations around Oregon, Washington, California, and British Columbia, including the Columbia River Gorge, Mt. Hood, downtown Portland, Pendleton Round-Up, the Oregon Coast, Seattle, Yosemite National Park, and Los Angeles. Also included in the collection is footage taken in Northeast China, Japan, and on voyages across the Pacific Ocean.

Tsuboi family

Photograph albums of Umpqua River Jetty construction and Brubaker aerial survey of Northwest coast

  • Org Lot 1424
  • Collection
  • 1926 - 1947

Collection consists of two albums containing photographs of the Pacific coastline taken between 1926 and 1947. The albums were designated Albums 452 and 453 by the Oregon Historical Society Research Library. Album 452 was created between 1926 and 1939 and contains aerial photographs of the Oregon and Washington coasts taken by Brubaker Aerial Surveys. The photographs begin at Willapa Bay and continue south to the mouth of the Chetco River. Album 453 was created between 1933 and 1947 and contains photographs of the construction of the Umpqua River jetties in Reedsport, Oregon. The north jetty was constructed in 1919 and reconstructed in 1947. The south jetty was constructed in 1934 and 1935. Album 453 includes at least one aerial photograph by Brubaker Aerial Surveys and at least two photographs taken by John Stilanos. This collection may be of interest to individuals researching aerial photography and surveys, the Oregon and Washington coasts, and the construction of the Umpqua River jetties.

Lee Owen Stone papers, 1903-1977

  • Mss 2423
  • Collection
  • 1930 - 1977

Collection includes: Correspondence, sermons, awards and certificates, files from his activity in the Urban League of Portland and other civil and philanthropic associations, minutes of meetings for Men's Club of St. Philip the Deacon Episcopal Church, missionaries' quarterly reports, etc.

Stone, Lee Owen, 1903-1977

Portland Garden Club lantern slides

  • Org. Lot 1353
  • Collection
  • 1930-1940

Collection consists of 99 glass lantern slides depicting garden and nature scenes. The majority of the slides were created by George Stephenson for the Portland Garden Club in the 1930s. Subjects depicted include the Kerr Gardens, the Frank and Meier estates, urban gardens, suburban gardens, and country gardens. This collection may be of interest to individuals researching gardening in Portland.

Stephenson, George C., 1866-1940

Gilliam Portrait Studio and Camera Shop negatives

  • Org. Lot 1275
  • Collection
  • 1930-1970

Collection consists of approximately 600 negatives used to produce photographic postcards. The photographs date from 1930 to 1970 and depict landmarks, city streets, storefronts, and tourist destinations across Oregon. A selection of places and events represented in this collection include Breitenbush Hot Springs, the Columbia River Gorge, Crater Lake National Park, Oregon Caves National Monument, The Pendleton Round-Up, Petersen Rock Garden, and Singing Springs Ranch. Also included are street scenes from cities and towns in all regions of the state.

Many of the negatives have original postcard series numbering and a photographer's signature written directly onto the film. Three photographers are represented in the collection; their signatures identify them only as Christian, Perkins, and Ellis. About 70 percent of the work in the collection is attributed to Christian. It is unknown whether the photographers were employed by the Gilliam Portrait Studio and Camera Shop. The studio was likely a purchaser or publisher of their negatives.

Gilliam Portrait Studio and Camera Shop

Civilian Conservation Corps, Eugene District (Or.) photograph album

  • Album 380
  • Collection
  • 1933-1934

Photograph album documenting the history and activities of the Eugene (Oregon) District of the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) from May 1933 to May 1934. The album was assembled by Leo R. T. Burton of the Skinner Butte Camp for the Headquarters Detachment and contains photographs of district camps and surrounding scenery, construction activities, and CCC officers and personnel. Also includes maps of each camp, monthly service reports, and work progress reports. Includes camps at Belknap, Bradford, Brice Creek, Cape Creek, Coquille, Crane Prairie, Devils Flat, Drew, Fall Creek, Gunter, Loon Lake, Mapleton, Maury, McKinley, Melrose, Oakridge, Powers, Reedsport, Remote, Rigdon, Seven-Mile Hill, Sisters, Sitkum, Steamboat, Tyee, Walker, and Wolf Creek.

Burton, Leo R. T. (Leo Rigel Taylor)

Land Program Recreational Project, Columbia Gorge

  • Coll 927
  • Collection
  • 1935-06

The collection consists of a report with appendices authored by John Yeon, chair of the Pacific Northwest Regional Planning Commission's Columbia Gorge Committee. In the report, Yeon argues in favor of establishing an interstate park in the Columbia River Gorge on both sides of the river; describes specific areas of the Gorge, such as the Cape Horn area and the Beacon Rock area; and discusses lands that would need to be purchased to establish the park. The appendices, which make up the bulk of the collection, include fold-out maps showing areas of the Gorge, population density in Pacific Northwest, railroad facilities in the region, land ownership in the Gorge, and soil types in the Gorge; a list of currently owned properties in the Gorge; lists of delinquent taxes for properties to be purchased; photographs; and copies of statements and correspondence of officials regarding the proposed purchase of lands for a park.

Pacific Northwest Regional Planning Commission. Columbia Gorge Committee

Al Monner news negatives

  • Org. Lot 1284
  • Collection
  • 1936-1974

The vast majority of this collection is made up of negatives created by Al Monner for the Oregon Journal. A small number of negatives were likely created by fellow Journal photographer Ralph Vincent, also for the Oregon Journal. While it's likely that almost all the negatives in this collection were created as part of Monner's work for the Journal, some images may also be his personal work. Most of the negatives are black and white, with a handful of color images taken in the 1950s and 1960s. A small selection of images from 1936 to 1938 were likely taken during Monner's time at the Oregonian newspaper. Large-format negatives from 1936 to 1959 have been processed and inventoried, while 35mm film from 1959 to 1974 remains unprocessed.

The photographs highlight over 30 years of current events in and around the Portland area, with a smaller number taken elsewhere in the state. Yearly events, such as the Portland Rose Festival and the Pendleton Round-Up, are featured prominently. A substantial number of images from the 1940s show Portland war efforts during World War II, featuring photographs of shipyards, soldiers, and rationing efforts at home. A small number of photographs also show early incarceration of Japanese Americans. Monner also frequently photographed dam-building efforts on the Columbia River at Celilo Village, The Dalles, and Bonneville.

Also included are photographs of accident scenes, fires, explosions, new building projects, sporting events, contest winners, and important national figures visiting the Portland area. Taken together, the collection displays the breadth of Monner's work as a photojournalist, covering the everyday to the exciting.

Monner, Al (Alfred Anthony), 1909-1998

Franklin D. Roosevelt dedication of Bonneville Dam

  • SR 23
  • Collection
  • 1937-09-29

This audio recording consists of a speech delivered by President Franklin D. Roosevelt on September 29, 1937, at the opening of the Bonneville Dam. It includes introductory remarks on traffic safety by Oregon Governor Earl Snell. The recording has been edited for radio broadcast and is a condensed version of Roosevelt's speech. A transcript, which was published in The Public Papers and Addresses of Franklin D. Roosevelt, includes the full text of his remarks.

In the speech, Roosevelt speaks about the challenges posed by urban growth, including traffic congestion, housing prices, and increased energy consumption. He then talks about the regional benefits of the Bonneville Dam and future dam projects on the Columbia River. He addresses his plan for rural electrification, as well as the arguments of those opposed to the plan. He closes the speech by again describing the benefits of the Bonneville Dam to the region.

Roosevelt, Franklin D. (Franklin Delano), 1882-1945

Minor White negatives

  • Org. Lot 52
  • Collection
  • 1938-1940

This collection consists of 210 black-and-white negatives shot by Minor White during his time in Oregon betwen 1938 and 1940. The bulk of the negatives, and of particular note, are White's photographs of numerous buildings and blocks - primarily cast-iron-fronted - near the Portland waterfront, which include, in part: the Miles Building, the Hotel Portland, the New Market Block, the Snow Building, the Opitz Building, and the Starr Block. Many of these buildings are no longer standing.

White, Minor

Vancouver Avenue First Baptist Church collection, 1940-2015

  • Coll 189
  • Collection
  • 1940 - 2015

The collection covers various aspects of the history of the church and of its leader, Rev. O.B. Williams, and his wife Willa Jackson Williams. It includes a variety of photographs, with a large percentage of the images relating to the various church groups, including choirs, youth groups, and ushers. A large collection of members’ memorial cards, the pastoral anniversaries of Rev. Williams, some bibles and hymnals (many annotated by Rev. Williams, including two dated 1867 and 1890), church financial records and meeting minutes, and a collection of materials from Dr. Martin Luther King’s 1961 visit are included. A small collection of the Williams’ personal photographs and ephemera can also be found in collection.

Vancouver Avenue First Baptist Church (Portland, Or.)

Stella Maris House collection, 1940-1973; bulk : 1960-1972

  • Mss 1585
  • Collection
  • 1940 - 1973

Ranging in date from 1940 to 1973, the Stella Maris House Collection consists of printed material, correspondence, and administrative, financial, and legal records created and collected by the Portland, Oregon-based social justice group during the course of their work. The collection demonstrates the local evolution of social issues key to the history of the United States during the 1960s. Over a third of the archive's content is dedicated to Oregon's migrant labor rights movement, and it also features records documenting the area's civil rights movement, urban renewal projects, interstate highway infrastructure, and social welfare programs initiated by the Economic Opportunity Act.

The bulk of the collection consists of printed material created by a number of local and national organizations between 1960 and 1972, then collected by the Stella Maris House. This portion of the archive includes programs, reports, studies, surveys, correspondence, brochures, and flyers generated by civil rights, migrant rights, and peace movement groups. Items of note include the Albina Neighborhood Improvement Project's plans for urban redevelopment (Series B), an African-American employment survey conducted by the Metropolitan Interfaith Commission on Race (Series E), and records documenting the Housing Authority of Portland (Series I). The collection also features printed material created by the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (Series E), the Valley Migrant League (Series J), and the United Farm Workers (Series J). Newspaper clippings that document events important to social justice movements constitute a substantial part of the collection.

A small but significant portion of the collection was created by the staff members of the Stella Maris House; it includes notes by the staff documenting the meetings of local groups. These meeting notes often provide remarkably candid insights into the workings of area groups. Additionally, Stella Maris House staff members also contributed group and program histories to the collection.

Stella Maris House (Portland, Or.)

Charles McNary speech accepting vice presidential nomination

  • SR 1182
  • Collection
  • 1940-08-27

This speech was given by Charles McNary in Salem, Oregon, on August 27, 1940. In the speech, McNary accepts the nomination of the Republican Party for the office of vice president. He praises the policies and personality of the Republican presidential candidate, Wendell Willkie. He also discusses the New Deal and expounds upon Willkie’s plans to change the direction of the country. He shares the history of Oregon, describing its people, landscape, and resources, particularly the emigrants who came across the Oregon Trail. McNary discusses the factors that have affected the American economy in the early 20th century and touches upon the Republican plan to improve the economy, particularly for farmers, and how the plan differs from the programs of the New Deal. He speaks at length about the Republican Party platform of 1940, and the looming specter of World War II.

McNary, Charles Linza, 1874-1944

Karen Beck Skold dissertation papers and interviews

  • Mss 1803
  • Collection
  • 1941-1980

This collection consists of papers and interviews gathered by Karen Beck Skold during research for her 1981 Ph.D. dissertation in sociology at the University of Oregon, entitled "Women Workers and Child Care During World War II: A Case Study of the Portland, Oregon Shipyards."

Digitized materials available online in OHS Digital Collections consist of 26 audio recordings of interviews that Skold conducted with people, predominantly women, who worked at shipyards and in child care in the Portland, Oregon, area during World War II. Most of the people Skold interviewed worked at the Kaiser shipyards, including the Oregon Shipbuilding Corporation yard. A few were employed at Albina Engine Machine Works and Commercial Iron Works; one interviewee worked at the Tacoma-Seattle Shipbuilding Corporation in Washington. The interviewees were primarily welders, ship fitters, and drivers, but also include women who worked as teachers and nurses at child care centers in the shipyards or in war housing projects. Transcripts are available for many interviews, but not all transcripts are complete; only completed transcripts are available online. Also digitized and available online is a recording of a 1980 presentation that Skold delivered in Alameda County, California, titled "The Politics of Child Care during World War II: The Case of the Kaiser Child Service Centers."

Undigitized materials available for use at the Oregon Historical Society Research Library include photocopied reports and articles, mostly regarding children's services in Portland, as well as racism and sex segregation in the shipyards; newspaper clippings regarding Skold's research, 1975-1976; correspondence with sources, 1975-1976; biographical information about women who worked in shipyard child care centers, 1975; minutes of the Women's Advisory Committee, 1943; and a 1941 union agreement between the American Federation of Labor and the Pacific Shipbuilders.

Skold, Karen Beck

The Bo's'n's Whistle

  • BW-OSC
  • Collection
  • 1941 - 1946

The Bo's'n's Whistle was a publication distributed to the employees of the Kaiser Shipyards in Oregon and Washington between 1941 and 1946. The first publication was released on July 18, 1941 under the editorial direction of Chick Johnson, and was given its distinctive name by Edgar Kaiser the General Manager of the shipyard. Subsequent issues released bi-weekly, along with a special issue on September 27, 1941 commemorating the launch of the "Star of Oregon". Distribution expanded to the Vancouver and Swan Island Shipyards in April 1942, with Hal Babbit, director of public relations for Kaiser Company serving as editorial supervisor.

The format of the Bo's'n's Whistle changed from a magazine to a weekly newspaper beginning March 10, 1944, with separate editions for each of the three shipyards - Oregon Shipyard, Swan Island, and Vancouver. On September 7, 1945 The Bo's'n's Whistle was again consolidated into one edition for all three shipyards, and on January 1, 1946 it was moved to a twice-monthly publication schedule. The final issue of The Bo's'n's Whistle was published on May 24, 1946. At its peak, The Bo's'n's Whistle was circulated to 90,000 employees, with over 4,000,000 copies distributed over its lifespan.

Oregon Shipbuilding Corporation

Photographs of Vanport, Oregon, circa 1948

  • Org. Lot 1364
  • Collection
  • 1942 - 1948

Photographs of Vanport, Oregon before and after the flood of 1948, including images of Dale Skovgaard and his family, who lived there at the time.

Skovgaard, Dale

Broadside of Western Defense Command instructions to all persons of Japanese ancestry

  • Coll 619
  • Collection
  • 1942-05

The collection consists of a broadside detailing the provisions of Civilian Exclusion Order No. 46 issued by General J. L. Dewitt on May 6, 1942. The order directs all Japanese and Japanese Americans living in Clackamas and eastern Multnomah counties to be evacuated to Civil Control Stations for forced incarceration during World War II.

United States. Army. Western Defense Command

Northwest Women's History Project records and interviews

  • Coll 883
  • Collection
  • 1943-2021

This collection consists of the records of Northwest Women's History Project and audio recordings of oral history interviews the organization conducted with women who had worked in shipyards in Portland, Oregon, and Vancouver, Washington, during World War II.

Digitized materials available online in OHS Digital Collections consist of the interview audio recordings and, when available, completed interview transcripts. The interviews explore issues such as sexual harassment, sexism and racism in unions and on the job, child care, on-the-job training, and life after the war.

Undigitized materials available for use at the Oregon Historical Society Research Library consist of the Northwest Women's History Project records in the collection. The bulk of these records relate to the interviews with women shipyard workers and a resulting presentation, titled "Good Work, Sister!" The records include grant documents, telephone questionnaires, transcripts and excerpts of in-person interviews, photographic slides of interviewees who were featured in "Good Work, Sister!" and photographs and records relating to "Good Work, Sister!" events. Also included are some photographs, clippings, ephemera, and memorabilia relating to women shipyard workers in World War II. Other undigitized materials include administrative records, materials relating to the organization's later projects, and materials about the re-release of "Good Work, Sister!" on DVD.

Northwest Women's History Project

Photo Art Commercial Studio photographs

  • Org. Lot 791 - 1944
  • Collection
  • 1944

The Photo Art Commercial Studio Collection represents the work of one of Portland’s premiere commercial photography firms. The collection consists of hundreds of thousands of negatives, plus prints, slides, and film footage, from 1936 to 1998. This exceptional collection is rich in Northwest scenic views, portraits, photographs of community events and organizations, and business products and operations. Prominent Northwest photographers, such as Ray Atkeson, photographed for the studio.

Photo Art Studios was opened in 1925 by Claude F. Palmer who had operated a small photo studio as a teenager. Photo Art began as a photofinishing operation, expanding in later years to commercial and advertising photography, motion pictures, and photo murals. In 1959, John Patterson, an Oregonian who was studying photography, joined the staff of Photo Art. In 1965, Patterson became a partner in the business with Claude Palmer; Patterson assumed full ownership in 1978 after Palmer’s retirement.

Palmer, Claude F., 1899-1991

Jerry Jiro Yasutome photographs

  • Org. Lot 762
  • Collection
  • 1945-1948

This collection consists of photographs of the Yasutome family, a Japanese-American family from Portland, Oregon, taken from 1945 to 1948. Most of the photographs were taken by Jerry Jiro Yasutome; a smaller number were created by other members of the Yasutome family and by unidentified students at the Northwest School of Photography in Portland, where Jerry Yasutome studied from approximately 1946 to 1948. Photographs taken by Jerry Yasutome and other family members document their experiences during incarceration at the Tule Lake Relocation Center in California from 1945 to 1946. These images include portraits of the Yasutome family, including Jerry Yasutome’s son, James Mamoru Yasutome, and his parents, Sadao Kurata Yasutome and Ju Jiro Yasutome; group portraits of electrical workers and a Buddhist Sunday School; and photos of a fire at the Tule Lake high school. The remainder of the photographs in the collection represent the work of students at the Northwest School of Photography. They include photographs of the processing lab and students in classes, as well as portraits taken by the students. Also included are photographs taken by Yasutome and other students depicting the aftermath of the Vanport Flood in May 1948.

Yasutome, Jerry Jiro, 1919-1994

William L. Finley letters and scrapbook, 1946-1962

  • Mss 2654
  • Collection
  • 1946 - 1962

Collection includes: Scrapbook and letters, 1 vol. and 1 folder, 1946-1962, regarding personal matters, the Izaak Walton League, conservation, etc.

Finley, William L. (William Lovell), 1876-1953

Masuo Yasui letter to Sagoro Asai, 1946 January 18

  • Coll 956
  • Collection
  • 1946-01-18

The collection consists of a three-page letter, in Japanese, from Masuo Yasui to Sagoro Asai, written shortly after Yasui was released from incarceration in January 1946. In the letter, Yasui thanks Asai for his friendship, and describes his sadness over the forced removal and incarceration of Japanese Americans during World War II. He makes reference to an incident in which the American Legion post in Hood River, Oregon, removed the names of Japanese American soldiers from a local monument. He praises Asai's son Masami for having served in the U.S. military and for returning to Hood River despite white residents' opposition to the return of any Japanese Americans. He also shares his own hope to return to Hood River.

In addition to the original letter and its envelope, the collection includes transcripts in the pre-World War II Japanese writing system and modern Japanese characters, and a translation to English, all of which were made by Yoko Gulde in 2022.

Vanport flood photographs collection, 1948

  • Org. Lot 131
  • Collection
  • 1948

Photographs of the aftermath of the flood that destroyed Vanport, Or. on May 30, 1948. The images depict the damage to buildings, bridges, roadways, and other structures in both Vanport and Portland, Or. Includes postcards and snapshots, as well as photographs taken by the Camera Art Studio of Portland, Or.

Camera Art Studio (Portland, Or.)

Aaron M. Frank address to Meier and Frank employees

  • SR 294
  • Collection
  • 1949-03-24

This speech was delivered by Aaron M. Frank on March 24, 1949, at the Meier & Frank Department Store in Portland, Oregon. In this speech, Frank urges the assembled store employees to resist union organizing efforts. He enumerates the benefits provided to employees by Meier & Frank, gives examples of management and employee loyalty, lists his responsibilities as director, and makes a plea for an employee vote of confidence. The employees ultimately voted against unionization.

Frank, Aaron M. (Aaron Meier), 1891-1968

Oregon Association of Colored Women's Clubs photographs, 1953-1988.

  • Org. Lot 587
  • Collection
  • 1953 - 1988

Photographs and other materials that were assembled for the Northwest Black Heritage exhibit at the Oregon Historical Society, documenting the history and activities of the Oregon Association of Colored Women's Clubs and its constituent groups. The photographs depict the presidents of the Oregon Association of Colored Women's Clubs, including Katherine Gray, the association's first president; state and regional conventions; affiliated clubs; community service activities; winners of the association's Katherine Gray Memorial Scholarship; and federated girls' clubs associated with the organization. Also included is a photograph of the exhibit panel and photocopies of newspaper clippings and other materials used in the exhibit panel.

Oregon Association of Colored Women's Clubs

Oral history interview with Erskine Wood

  • SR 1096
  • Collection
  • 1954-08-21

This oral history interview with Erskine Wood was conducted by William Renwick at Wood's home in Vancouver, Washington, on August 21, 1954. In this interview, Wood discusses his experiences as an adolescent living with Chief Joseph and the Nimiipuu people (Nez Perce) in the Wallowa Valley, Oregon. He briefly talks about Chief Joseph's life story. He speaks about his daily life, including caring for horses, hunting, and taking sweat baths. He closes the interview by describing Nimiipuu recreational activities, including dancing, singing, and games. In the interview, Wood uses terms for Native people that were common in that historical period but that are now considered pejorative.

Wood, Erskine

KPTV interview with Jackie Kennedy and John F. Kennedy

  • SR 3904
  • Collection
  • 1958

This interview with John F. Kennedy and Jackie Kennedy was conducted by John A. Salisbury for broadcast on the Portland, Oregon, channel KPTV in 1958. In this interview, Jackie Kennedy discusses their family life and recreational activities. John F. Kennedy talks about Jimmy Hoffa and labor unions. He addresses the controversy surrounding his Catholicism and youth. He discusses his experience meeting Oregonians.

Salisbury closes the interview with thanks to the Kennedys for appearing on his program, a commercial for Ovaltine, and an explanation of the changes in Oregon laws regarding primaries. A commercial for SafeCo Insurance plays, followed by a message regarding Oregon election laws from Oregon Secretary of State Howell Appling and Governor Mark Hatfield. The recording ends with a commercial for an allergy nasal spray.

Kennedy, John F. (John Fitzgerald), 1917-1963

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