Archives West Finding Aid
Table of Contents
A. Oscar Olson digital photograph collection, 1962-1990s
Overview of the Collection
- Creator
- Olson, A. Oscar
- Title
- A. Oscar Olson digital photograph collection
- Dates
- 1962-1990s (inclusive)19621999
- Quantity
- 102 photographic prints, 100 digital items
- Collection Number
- P1089
- Summary
- The A. Oscar Olson photograph collection consists of digital scans of slides put together as a slide show by A. Oscar Olson. Most of them were taken during a Glen Canyon river trip with SOCOTWA Expeditions in May, 1962; while the rest were taken on later visits to Lake Powell in the 1960s through 1990s. He took the later photographs in order to show the changes in the original locations brought about by the filling of Lake Powell reservoir behind Glen Canyon dam. The images depict the usual scenes of a SOCOTWA river trip, including the launch, days and events on the river, visits to attractions such as Hole In The Rock and Rainbow Bridge, camp scenes, and other events. Other events include University of Utah History tours in the Southwestern United States
- Repository
-
University of Utah Libraries, Special Collections
Special Collections, J. Willard Marriott Library
University of Utah
295 South 1500 East
Salt Lake City, UT
84112-0860
Telephone: 8015818863
special@library.utah.edu - Access Restrictions
-
Twenty-four hour advanced notice encouraged. Materials must be used on-site. Access to parts of this collection may be restricted under provisions of state or federal law.
- Languages
- English
Historical NoteReturn to Top
History of the Glen Canyon photographs of A. Oscar Olson
A. Oscar Olson, a native of Salt Lake City, always wanted to go on a river trip through Glen Canyon of the Colorado River. In 1960, however, he found himself in the US Army, stationed at Fort Lewis, Washington. In 1962, with Glen Canyon Dam all-but completed, he realized that he would have to take the trip that year if he was going to do it at all. Accordingly, he signed up for a trip sponsored by SOCOTWA Expeditions, a local river-running group. The trip was in May 1962 and was for seven days, leaving from Hite, Utah, and ending at Kane Creek landing, near Crossing of the Fathers. During the course of the trip, Olson fell and, as he found out later, suffered a fracture of his left leg. This was common on these trips, and although it gave him quite a bit of pain, he continued on without treatment. The pain was sufficient to keep him from the long climb up Hole In The Rock, but it did not deter him from the 14-mile round-trip hike to Rainbow Bridge (although he did not climb to the top of the bridge like many of his party. After the trip, when he returned to duty at Fort Lewis, he reported for sick call and only then discovered that he had the fracture. Olson became a member of SOCOTWA and went on other trips with the group, and indeed became a bus driver for many of their overland expeditions to LDS historic sites, the Seattle and New York World's Fairs, and other journeys. In later years, he began traveling with his family to Lake Powell, and took a number of photographs in the same locations as his Glen Canyon pictures, by way of comparison.
Content DescriptionReturn to Top
The photographs in this collection are digital scans of slides put together as a slide show by A. Oscar Olson. Most of them were taken during a Glen Canyon river trip with SOCOTWA Expeditions in May, 1962; while the rest were taken on later visits to Lake Powell in the 1960s through 1990s. He took the later photographs in order to show the changes in the original locations brought about by the filling of Lake Powell reservoir behind Glen Canyon dam. The images depict the usual scenes of a SOCOTWA river trip, including the launch, days and events on the river, visits to attractions such as Hole In The Rock and Rainbow Bridge, camp scenes, and other events. All but a few of the images were made on 35mm Ektachrome film, which later faded to red. Mr. Olson asked Nelson Wadsworth, an archivist at Utah State University, to adjust the color digitally to return the images to their original color, which was largely successful. The images, however, were taken out of their original order during this process and thus are out of sequence. This is noted where applicable in the register. All photographs were taken in May, 1962, unless otherwise noted. All information for captions supplied by Oscar Olson on June 25, 2003.
Use of the CollectionReturn to Top
Restrictions on Use
The library does not claim to control copyright for all materials in the collection. An individual depicted in a reproduction has privacy rights as outlined in Title 45 CFR, part 46 (Protection of Human Subjects). For further information, please review the J. Willard Marriott Library’s Use Agreement and Reproduction Request forms.
Preferred Citation
Initial Citation: A. Oscar Olson digital photograph collection, P1089, Box [ ]. Special Collections and Archives. University of Utah, J. Willard Marriott. Salt Lake City, Utah.
Following Citations: P1089.
Administrative InformationReturn to Top
Arrangement
Mr. Olson asked Nelson Wadsworth, an archivist at Utah State University, to adjust the color digitally to return the images to their original color, which was largely successful. The images, however, were taken out of their original order during this process and thus are out of sequence. This is noted where applicable in the register.
Detailed Description of the CollectionReturn to Top
| Container(s) | Description | Dates | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Box | Folder | ||
| 1 | 1 | Glen Canyon/Lake Powell
|
1962-1990s |
| 1 | 2 | University of Utah Tour to Powell Centennial at Wahweep and tour to Hole in the Rock. June, 1969
|
1962-1990s |
| 1 | 3 | University of Utah Tour to Arizona, Colorado, and New Mexico. June, 1968
|
1962-1990s |
Names and SubjectsReturn to Top
Subject Terms
- Rafting (Sports)--Utah--Photographs
- Rivers--West (U.S.)--Recreational use--History--Photographs
Corporate Names
- South Cottonwood Ward--Photographs
Geographical Names
- Glen Canyon (Utah and Ariz.)--Photographs
- Lake Powell (Utah and Ariz.)--Photographs
Finding aid created by Roy Webb
2003 (last modified: 2018)
