Archives West Finding Aid

The J.B. Horner Photograph Collection consists of images related to the history of Oregon and of Oregon State University that were assembled by Horner, perhaps for teaching, lectures, or use in his book Oregon History. The bulk of the collection consists of lantern slides (111 items). Several of the lantern slides are part of a "History of Oregon" series and others are identified as "Oregon Literature". A number of early government officials are pictured, as well as a building in Corvallis that served as the territory capitol for a number of months in 1855.

Of special note are images of Siletz Indians, Umatilla Indians of the Columbia Plateau, Modoc warriors, and Louis Southworth, an African American resident of Benton County.

The collection also contains images of natural scenes, including mountains, the Great Oregon Caves and the Oregon Coast; Oregon Agricultural College cadets and color guard; and other scenes on the early Oregon State campus, including the original Corvallis College building.

The collection includes 111 lantern slides, 52 prints, and 13 glass negatives. Many of the lantern slides contained in the collection were produced by the Weister Company in Portland, Oregon; some of the lantern slides have been hand-colored. The glass negatives are copy negatives of photographic prints, portraits and published photographs. Prints made from the lantern slides and one of the glass negatives (probably in the 1980s) as well as original prints are part of the collection. Ball Studio made some of the portrait photographs in the collection. The original prints include images of several Oregon Agricultural College presidents.