William S. Lagen photograph collection

William S. Lagen photograph collection, approximately 1908-1945

Overview of the Collection

Collector: Lagen, William S.
Title: William S. Lagen photograph collection
Dates: approximately 1908-1945 (inclusive)
19031950
Quantity: 564 photographic prints (3 boxes)
281 negatives : nitrate
Collection Number: PH0412
Summary: Photographs of whaling industry activities in Alaska, British Columbia, Washington and Oregon
Repository: University of Washington Libraries, Special Collections
Special Collections
University of Washington Libraries
Box 352900
Seattle, WA
98195-2900
Telephone: 2065431929
Fax: 2065431931
speccoll@uw.edu
Access Restrictions: The collection is open to the public.
Additional Reference Guides
Languages: English

Biographical NoteReturn to Top

William S. Lagen was the only child of Marc Lagen and Emily Schupp. Emily was a modern dancer who took the stage name " Lada " in 1914. The Schupp family fortune was made in the insurance business, and this was eventually complemented by success in the whaling industry. William was born in the Schupp family home at Pawling Manor, New York on July 29, 1923, and he subsequently moved to Seattle with his parents and grandfather in 1925. Marc Lagen managed the American Whaling Company, which was headquartered in Bellevue, Washington's Meydenbauer Bay. A family home was built in the area in 1941. William went to Port Hobron, Alaska during the summers with his parents, where he enjoyed fishing, sailing, rowing, and playing with his dog, Bolo. He also enjoyed skiing and other outdoor activities as a young man, and traveled to Europe for the 1936 Olympics in Berlin. William attended the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland and became an officer in the U.S. Navy. As an officer, he was stationed on the aircraft carrier Franklin D. Roosevelt in Greece in the late 1940s, and later in New Mexico. After his military service, William returned to Bellevue and expanded the Meydenbauer Bay Marina that had been built by his parents. The original whaling dock can be seen today as the center of the Marina. William also owned Trident Seafoods in Akutan, Alaska. He was married twice, and had two children named Marc and Deborah.

Historical BackgroundReturn to Top

The Lagen family was involved in the whaling business for many years, running companies starting with the North Pacific Sea Products Company in Aberdeen and The Consolidated Whaling Corporation, originally of Victoria, B.C. Both hunted whales and sold whale oil, fertilizer and bone meal. William Schupp, grandfather to William Lagen, changed the name from North Pacific Sea Products Co. to American Pacific Sea Products and subsequently moved its headquarters to Bellevue, Washington, where the whaling ships wintered in Maidenbauer Bay. American Pacific Sea Products originally operated ships from two stations, Bay City on Grays Harbor and Akutan in Alaska, which was built in 1912. Akutan was the most successful. The Bay City station was closed in the late 1920s and a station was built at Port Hobron on Kodiak Island in 1927. American Pacific operated seven "killer" boats: the Moran, Paterson, Aberdeen, Westport, Unimak, Kodiak and Tanginak . Consolidated Whaling Corporation, purchased by the Lagen Family in 1917 or 1918, operated six or seven "killer" boats along the coast of British Columbia, first at Sechart and Kyoquot. These stations were operated into the 1920s, after which Consolidated's boats then whaled from stations at Rose Harbor and Naden Harbor in the Queen Charlotte Islands. These companies were probably the last full scale whaling operations in North America

Content DescriptionReturn to Top

Photographs of whaling industry activities in Alaska at Akutan and Port Hobron; British Columbia at Kyoquot, Sechart and Naden Harbor; Washington at Grays Harbor, Westport and Bay City; and Oregon at Bay City and Newport. Also includes series of photographs of whaling ships and harpoons.

Use of the CollectionReturn to Top

Restrictions on Use

Restrictions may exist on reproduction, quotation, or publication. Contact Special Collections, University of Washington Libraries for details.

Preferred Citation

The required credit line for use of images from Special Collections is: University of Washington Libraries, Special Collections, [plus the negative number].

The negative number is provided with the image and is a letter + number combination such as UW13452; Hegg 1234; or NA1275. A typical credit line would be, University of Washington Libraries, Special Collections, UW13452.

Administrative InformationReturn to Top

Processing Note

The photographs were relocated from the William S. Lagen Papers, Accession No. 2292, in the repository in 2001.

BOX CONTENTS

BOX 1:
FOLDERS 1-11: Whaling Stations
FOLDERS 12-17: Ships
FOLDERS 18: Harpoons
FOLDERS 19: Miscellaneous
FOLDERS 20: Unidentified

BOX 2:
FOLDERS 1-8: Aa Series
FOLDERS 9: Ab Series

BOX 3: Oversize (Includes Series Ac)

BOX 4-5: Nitrates

BOX XH3:: Panoramas

BOX 1
WHALING STATIONS - ALASKA - AKUTAN
1: View of Akutan from deck of ship. World War II.
2: Whale on flensing platform.
3: Inflated whales tied to piling
4: Inflated whales tied to piling
5: Flensing
7: Naval officer standing underneath sign on building: "U.S. Naval Fueling Station, Akutan, Alaska". World War II
8: Killer whale, Akutan.
9: "Six brown brothers and Humpback whale, Akutan, Alaska, August 9th, 1922". Jazz band on pier.
10: Men with whale in water at bottom of ramp. (2 copies)
11: "Blue whale, Akutan, Alaska". Whale on pier.
12: "Killer whale, Akutan, Alaska". Baleen whale on ramp.
13: Flensing whale on ramp.
14: Man standing next to head of whale.
15: Flensing a finback whale.
16: Flensing a finback whale
17: Flensing a blue whale.
18: Flensing a blue whale.
19: Men standing next to head of sperm whale.
20: Flensers with blue whale.
21: "Sperm whale head, Akutan, Alaska"
22: View of Akutan and ship at dock.
23: Unidentified ship, Akutan.
24: "Finback whale, Akutan, Alaska". Whale on platform.
25: "Baby blue whale, washed ashore, 18 ft. long, Akutan, Alaska". circa 1922.
26: "Dock damage portside looking inward from viewpoint H". View of dock. Akutan returned by U.S. Navy after World War II.
27: "Dock and damage to starboard side taken looking outboard from viewpoint I". Akutan after World War II.
28: Building with sign: "American Pacific Whaling Co., Akutan"
29: "Minke whale, Akutan, Alaska". Whale with men on platform, Akutan, Alaska.
30: "Killer whale, Akutan, Alaska". Whale with men on platform.
31: "Finback whale, Akutan, Alaska". Whale on flensing platform.
32: Flensing Right whale, "Blue whale", Akutan.
33: View of Akutan from hill.
34: Flensing.
35: Flensing. "Akutan, Blue whale"
36: Whale on flensing platform. circa 1912.
37: Flensing platform and buildings.
38: View of Akutan from harbor.
39: Boat with whale along side in Akutan harbor. circa 1912.
40: Boat with whale along side in Akutan harbor. circa 1912.
41: Flensing.
42: Whaling station, Akutan, Alaska. Panoramic view.
43: General view of area with dock in right middle ground taken looking inboard from viewpoint K. Akutan. World War II. (oversize)

WHALING STATIONS - ALASKA - PORT HOBRON
44: Whale on ramp.
45: Whale at bottom of ramp.
46: Postcard showing 5 images of "Whaling industry, Port Hobron, Alaska"
47: Machinery. Whale blubber in foreground.
48: Seagulls feasting on whales tied to piling. .
49: Marsh and boardwalk, Port Hobron.
50: View of construction from hillside.
51: Port Hobron under construction showing factory site.
52: Port Hobron under construction
53: Timbers for construction.
54: View of Port Hobron across marsh.
55: Camp East of factory site.
56: Distant view of Port Hobron.
57: Construction of storage tanks.
58, 58a: View of Port Hobron under construction from a distance.
59: View of mountains and bay around Port Hobron.
60: View of mountains and bay around Port Hobron. "S.S. Kodiak" in view.
61: Gunners: Gus Wester?, Capt. Haakon Aaset, Chris Olson at Port Hobron.
62: Whale on ramp.
63: Storage tanks.
64: Pile driver and sheds
65: Ship at dock taken from beach.
66: Drum machinery.
67: Pile drivers and sheds
68: Supplies stacked on dock.
69: Men in boat with whale at bottom of ramp.
70: Whale at bottom of ramp.
71: Whaling boat with cargo ship off pier.
72: Passenger at pier.
73: Remains of whale.
74: 'Wright taken at Port Hobron, Alaska; 15 ft. high, 22 ft wide; 65 ft. long, approximate weight 250 tons". Whale on ramp.
75: Pile driver
76: Timber for construction.
77: View of Port Hobron.
78: Woman in front of shed.
79: Docking whale.
80: Humpback whale being towed to dock.
81: Docking a whale.
82: Dead whale on deck showing fins.
83: Whale on dock
84: Whale on dock
85: Whale tethered to piling
86: Securing whale offshore.
87: Men stop whale at bottom of ramp
88: Inflated whale with boat at piling
89: Construction of warehouse
90: Building and tanks
91: Storage tanks
92: View of Port Hobron showing boardwalk.
93: Whaling boat with whales
94: Men and whale on dock.
95: Whale on ramp
96: View of storage tanks
97: Construction of furnaces
98: View of construction
99: Humpback whale on ramp
100: Whale's mouth
101: Passenger vessel at pier.
102: Construction of ramp.
103: Construction of ramp and platform
104: Construction of chimney?
105: Wright whale taken at Port Hobron, Alaska. 15 ft high, 22 ft. wide, 65 ft long, approximate weight 250 tons.
106: Materials for construction of furnaces.
107: Materilas for construction of storage tanks
108: Construction of storage tanks
109: Construction of furnaces
110: Construction of platform
111: View of pier.
112: Construction materials
113: View of harbor
114: View of harbor
115: View of station from dock
116: View of Port Hobron. Ship at pier.
117: Flensing a whale.
118: Port Hobron. Intestines of whale.
119: Port Hobron. Intestines of whale.
120: Port Hobron. Whale tied to piling.
121-145: Port Hobron. Whale on platform.
146-187: Port Hobron. Views.
188-191: Port Hobron. Construction.
192-196: Port Hobron. Flensing.
197-202: Port Hobron. Whales tied to pilings.
203-210: Port Hobron. Whale on ramp.
211-214: Port Hobron. Whaling boats in harbor.
215-216: Port Hobron. Flensing
217-232: Port Hobron. People.
233-236: Port Hobron. Fetal whale?
237: Port Hobron. Bird.
238-239: Port Hobron. View.

WHALING STATIONS - BRITISH COLUMBIA - KYOQUOT
240: View of dock.
241: Blue or whale. 80 ft. long. Pacific Whaling Co. of Victoria B.C., Kyuquot Whaling Station, Cachalot Inlet, Kyuquot Sound, Vancouver Island, B.C. 1908. (Oversize)
242: View of station. Kyuquot, B.C. (Oversize)

WHALING STATIONS - BRITISH COLUMBIA - SECHART
243: View of whaling station.

WHALING STATIONS - BRITISH COLUMBIA - NADEN HARBOR
244: Dock with barrels. Naden, B.C.
245: View of buildings on shore, Naden, B.C.
246: Whales tied to piling, Naden, B.C.

WHALING STATIONS - WASHINGTON - GRAYS HARBOR, BAY CITY, WESTPORT
247: Whalers at bow of boat. Bay City. circa 1920.
248: A Whaler towing two whales. Grays Harbor. circa 1913.
249: Humpback on beach. Westport.
250: Humpback whale on beach, Westport.
251: Baleen whale on ramp. Bay City.
252: Westport. View from the water.
253: Westport. Woman with harpoon.
254: Westport. Man/woman on dock.
255: Westport. Woman standing next to sign.
256: Westport. Woman walking down ramp.
257: Westport. Woman on deck of boat.
258: Westport. Machinery.
259: Westport. People.

WHALING STATIONS - OREGON - NEWPORT, BAY CITY
260: Newport, Oregon. Whale along side ship.
261: Newport, Oregon. Whale along side ship.
262: Newport, Oregon. Whale along side ship.
263: Bay City (Newport, Oregon). Firing harpoon. circa 1915.
264: A whale on the beach, Newport.
265: Humpback whale on the beach.
266: 75 ft. Finback whale killed near Newport, Oregon. Whale on ramp.
267: Whale boats with whales at sea. Off Oregon coast.
268: Whales being towed by boat. Off Oregon coast.
269: Dead sperm whale on beach near Florence, Oregon.
270: Explosion demolishing dead sperm whale on beach near Florence.
271: Newport, Oregon. View of pier.
272-274: Newport, Oregon. Finback whale
275-276: Newport, Oregon. Woman standing in front of whale.
277: Newport, Oregon. Same woman standing on rocks.
278: Whale shot off Yaquina Head near Newport.
279-280: Newport, Oregon. Flensing.
281-282: Newport, Oregon. Whale on ramp.
283: Newport, Oregon. Pile of whale bones?

WHALING - SHIPS
284: "Aberdeen".
285: "Aberdeen" with whale along side. Bay City. circa 1925.
286: "Aberdeen" underway with whales along side.
287-291: Aberdeen in port showing harpoon.
292-295: On board the Aberdeen.
296: "Gos III"? Whaling ship underway. (oversize)
297: "Kodiak". Vessel in dry-dock.
298-312: "Larsen". Decks and interior.
313: "Moran". Waves washing deck of ship.
314: "Moran". Waves. Washington, deck of ship. Whale along side.
315: "Moran". Waves washing deck of ship.
316: "Moran". Ship under construction in drydock.
317: "Moran". Deck of vessel.
318-319: Capt. of the "Moran"
320-321: "Moran". Waves washing the deck.
322: "Orion". Whaling ship with four humpback whales at station. (oversize)
323: "Paterson". At dock along side larger ship during World War II.
324: "Tanana". Cargo ship at dock in Akutan.
325: "Tanganak". Underway with whale along side. circa 1915.
326: "Tanganak". Underway with whale along side. circa 1915.
327: "Westport". At harbor (Akutan) with whales.
328: "Westport". Flying bridge of vessel.
329: "William Nottingham". Derelict at Akutan.
330: "William Nottingham". Derelict at Akutan.
331: "William Nottingham". Derelict at Akutan.
332: "William Nottingham". Derelict at Akutan.
333: Unidentified ship. Akutan. circa 1912. (oversize)
334: Machinery gears.
335-341: Various views of whaling ships.
342-360: Whaling ship hunting whale.
390: Ship in dry dock.

WHALING - HARPOONS
361: Hand-held harpoon gun, harpoons, and shells.
362: Harpoon gun on ship. Bay City. circa 1920.
363: Harpoon gun with man aboard "Aberdeen".
364: Harpoon gun mounted at the bow of a whaling vessel. (Oversize)
365-366: Harpoons.

WHALING - MISC.
367: Inflated whales at piling.
368: Whale remains on flensing platform.
369: Whaling boat towing whale.
370: Men atop whale on ramp.
371: Whale being dragged up ramp.
372: Publicity photograph, dead whale with men on beach: "Frank R. Wilson presents George Vanderbilt in "Devils Playground". A Principal Adventure Picture.
373: Flensing a blue or sulphurbottom whale. The blubber is stripped off by a steam winch. (Oversize)
374: Finback whale 75 feet in length and weighing 65 tons. (oversize)
375: Two whales along side ship
376-378: Whales on ramp
379: Hauling whale up ramp
380: Whales head
380A: Port Hobron. Man holding fetal whale.
380B: Port Hobron. Man holding fetal whale.

WHALING - UNIDENTIFIED
381: Either Port Hobron or Union steamship "S.S. Chelosin" on north B.C. coast?
382: Port Hobron or Juneau?
383: Flag at Akutan or Westport?
384: Roosevelt Highway? 1924.
385: Unidentified town
386-387: Akutan? Westport?
388: Unidentified people
389: Unidentified glacier

BOX 2:
WHALING - Aa SERIES
Aa-1: Whale on beach, "The Prince of W-ales visits Newport".
Aa-2: Whaling boat.
Aa-3: Whaling boat at pier with whale along side
Aa-4: Flagged whale at sea.
Aa-5: Whaling boat at pier with whale along side
Aa-6: Whale shot of Yaquina Head near Newport.
Aa-7: Whaling boat and whales along side pier.
Aa-8: Whale being flensed on platform.
Aa-9: Whaling boat with whales along side.
Aa-10: Whaling steamer "Saint Lawrence"
Aa-11: Bridge and deck of the "Aberdeen from dock.
Aa-12: Flensing whale.
Aa-13: Bow of whaling boat at sea.
Aa-14: Whaling boat "Moran" with whale along side.
Aa-15: Flukes of sounding whale.
Aa-16: Three men with whales on platform
Aa-17: Men with Right whale on platform
Aa-18: Harpooner with gun
Aa-19: Painting of "Orion" harpooning a whale.
Aa-20: Harpoon gun.
Aa-21: At Seward, Alaska. View of harbor. (Thwaites s.39)
Aa-22: Man on deck of boat.
Aa-23: Whale on platform.
Aa-24: Flensing a sulphur bottom blue whale.
Aa-25: Winch.
Aa-26: Whale on platform.
Aa-27: Whale on flensing platform
Aa-28: Flensing sperm whale.
Aa-29: Whale on flensing platform
Aa-30: Whale on flensing platform
Aa-31: Flensing whale.
Aa-32: Flensing whale
Aa-33: Pacific Whaling Co., Kyuquot Whaling Station, Vancouver Island, B.C. circa 1908.
Aa-34: Whaling boat in harbor.
Aa-35: Whales with flensers on platform,
Aa-36: Head of a whale.
Aa-37: Harpooning whale.
Aa-38: Sperm whale on flensing platform
Aa-39: Whale on flensing platform
Aa-40: Flensing whale.
Aa-41: Man and whales head.
Aa-42: Port Hobron whaling station.
Aa-43: Harpooning whale.
Aa-44: Whale on flensing platform
Aa-45: Flensing whale.
Aa-46: Whale on flensing platform
Aa-47: Whale on flensing platform
Aa-48: Whale on flensing platform
Aa-49: Whale on flensing platform
Aa-50: Whale on flensing platform
Aa-51: Whale on flensing platform
Aa-52: Head of sperm whale
Aa-53: Shacks at Akutan.
Aa-54: Washing flensing platform
Aa-55: View of town of Juneau?
Aa-56: View of Akutan
Aa-57: Rigging of whale boat hidden behind wave.
Aa-58: Whaling station, Akutan. (Thwaites 1507)
Aa-59: Whale on flensing platform, Akutan.
Aa-60: Whaling boat "Unimak" with whales along side, Akutan.
Aa-61: Inflated whales
Aa-62: Whale on flensing platform
Aa-63: Whale on flensing platform, Akutan.
Aa-64: Remains of sperm whale, Akutan.
Aa-65: Street scene.
Aa-66: Flensing whale.
Aa-67: View of shoreline form boat.
Aa-68: View of shoreline from boat.
Aa-69: Flensing whale.
Aa-70: Leaping whale.
Aa-71: Whale on flensing platform
Aa-72: Whales head. Shot off Yaquina Head.
Aa-73: Boat in surf.
Aa-74: Lighthouse, Newport, Oregon.
Aa-75: Lighthouse, Newport, Oregon.
Aa-76: Inflated whales at piling.
Aa-77: Flensing whales.

WHALING - Ab SERIES
Ab-1: Akutan. View of building.
Ab-2: Akutan. Construction.
Ab-3: Akutan. Construction.
Ab-4: Akutan. Construction.
Ab-5: Akutan. View of buildings.
Ab-6: Akutan. View of buildings.
Ab-7: Akutan. View of buildings.
Ab-8: Akutan. View of buildings.
Ab-9: Akutan. View of buildings.
Ab-10: Akutan. View of buildings.
Ab-11: Akutan. View of whaling station.
Ab-12: Akutan. View of whaling station.
Ab-13: Akutan. Flensing a whale.
Ab-14: Akutan. Inflated whale (blue?) on flensing platform
Ab-15: Akutan. Washing flensing platform.
Ab-16: Akutan. Remains of whales on flensing platform.
Ab-17: Akutan. Inflated whales at pilings.
Ab-18: Akutan. Whale on flensing platform.
Ab-19: Akutan. Remains of whale on ramp.
Ab-20: Akutan. Remains of whale on flensing platform.
Ab-21: Akutan. Flensing platform and buildings.
Ab-22: Akutan. Remains of whale on flensing platform.
Ab-23: Akutan. Man filling barrel.
Ab-24: Akutan. Two men with barrels.
Ab-25: Akutan. "At whaling station". Three men.
Ab-26: Akutan. Tugboat towing three masted wooden ship.
Ab-27: Akutan. Men aboard wooden ship.
Ab-28: Akutan. Three masted ship at dock.
Ab-29: Akutan. Tugboat and three masted ship.

BOX 3:
WHALING - Ac SERIES
Ac1-16: Views of Bay City, Washington. 1920s.
Ac17-69: Views of Port Hobron circa 1927 during construction of station.

BOX XH3:
AKUTAN WHALING STATION - Panoramas
6: View of buildings, Akutan. April 30, 1945. World War II.
42: Whaling station, Akutan, Alaska. Panoramic view.

.

Names and SubjectsReturn to Top

Subject Terms

Visual Materials Collections (University of Washington)
Whaling stations--Alaska--Photographs
Whaling stations--British Columbia--Photographs
Whaling--Alaska--Photographs
Whaling--British Columbia--Photographs

Personal Names

Lagen, William S.--Photographs

Archives West Finding Aid

Table of Contents