Otto Sperling photographs

Otto Sperling photographs, 1920-1959

Overview of the Collection

Photographer: Sperling, Otto
Title: Otto Sperling photographs
Dates: 1920-1959 (inclusive)
19251955
Quantity: 51 photographic prints (2 boxes)
Collection Number: PH0101
Summary: Photographs of ballet, skiing, landscapes and other miscellaneous subjects, circa 1930-1950
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: Selected images can be viewed on the Libraries' Digital Collections website. Permission of Visual Materials Curator required to view originals. Contact Special Collections for more information.
Additional Reference Guides
Languages: English

Biographical NoteReturn to Top

Otto Frederick Sperling was born in Nebraska in 1898 and died in Seattle, Washington in 1960 at age 62. Otto's father, Otto W. Sperling, moved his family to Spokane, Washington around the early 1900s. Otto's name was registered on the 1918-1919 Gonzaga University catalog in Spokane, Washington, he was a junior at this time, aiming for a degree in Liberal Arts and Sciences. In 1920, he donated his collection of 600 insects to the museum. Around the 1920's, Otto F. Sperling moved to Seattle to attend school for physics at the University of Washington. He graduated in 1923 and was part of Phi Mu Alpha music fraternity in 1923 and 1924. During the 1920s Otto played in the Cornish Orchestia, playing the clarinet (he might have been a student?). He attended many plays and programs Cornish put on throughout the years. From 1930's-1948, he was a physics teacher at Lincoln High School. In the mid 1930's, Otto taught evening music classes at Broadway Highschool and Seattle College (now Seattle University). In his spare time, he loved traveling, attending concerts, and taking photos. Most of his photography is of Seattle and the Pacific Northwest but he had a variety of photo subjects.

Content DescriptionReturn to Top

Photographs of ballets, Golden Gate International Exposition at San Francisco, animals and plants, ships and boats, landscapes and structures and miscellaneous.

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

Administrative InformationReturn to Top

Processing Note

Processed by Rachel Falzon, 2021

Detailed Description of the CollectionReturn to Top

Photographs of BalletsReturn to Top

Container(s)		Description	Dates
Box	item
1	1	Ballet or play on a stage with a man and two women at separate tables, a waiter is between them, bowing to the man	between 1920 and 1959
1	2-3	Coppelia Ballet, men and women dancing The Coppelia ballet is a comic ballet from Paris, France in 1870. However, most modern productions are from the revival stage, by Maruis Petipa in the late 19th century. There are three acts to the ballet and it is about a young man who falls in love with a doll. Swanhilda, the boys heart's true desire, dresses as the doll and saves him from an untimely end at the hands of the dolls inventor.	between 1920 and 1959
1	4	Petrushka ballet, with a puppet show box in the background and men and women in the foreground Image captured possibly at the Repertory Playhouse, Seattle's Civic Theatre in 1934. Petrushka, meaning Russian folk puppetry, is a Russian ballet and orchestral concert, written in 1911 by Igor Stravinsky. It's story of love and jealousy between three puppets brought to life. Petrushka, one of the puppets loves another puppet, the Ballerina. However, the Ballerina is in love with the Moor, the other puppet. Petrushka dies, but his spirit rises again and falls into a second death. It is one of the most popular Ballet Russes' production and remains one of the greatest ballets still today.	1934?
1	5	Scheherazade Ballet The Scheherazade Ballet is a Russian ballet, composed in 1888 by Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov. It is known as "One Thousand and One Nights" or "The Arabian Nights". The ballet is noted for it's colorful orchestration and is one of Rimsky-Korsakov's most popular works. The Ballet comes to Seattle annually, but stopped in 1941 for a bit.	between 1920 and 1959
Box/Folder
2/1	6	10 images on a board of the San Francisco Opera Ballet SFOB was founded in 1933 by Adolph Bolm. The name San Francisco Opera Ballet was used from 1933-1942. It is now called San Francisco Ballet. SFOB was the first professional ballet company in the United States. Adolph Bolm taught at Cornish before he founded SFOB and many students from Cornish School of Arts performed in the Ballet. The Ballet came to Seattle in 1938 and played at the Moore Theatre and the Civic Auditorium.	between 1933 and 1942

Golden Gate International Exposition, Treasure Island, San FranciscoReturn to Top

The Golden Gate Exposition was a World's Fair held in 1939 and 1940 on Treasure Island. The fair celebrated many things, including the city's two newly built bridges (Oakland Bay Bridge (1936) and Golden Gate Bridge (1937)). It ran from February 18 through October 29, 1939 and May 25 through September 29, 1940. The theme for this World's Fair was "Pageant of the Pacific", this was to showcase the goods of the nations bordering the Pacific Ocean. The Tower of the Sun, statue of Pacifica and the Chinese Village symbolized the fair.

Container(s)		Description	Dates
Box	item
1	7	Court of Pacifica, A large statue of a woman in a courtyard with buildings and a fountain	between February 18 and October 29, 1939 and May 25 and September 29, 1940
		Court of Honor and Tower of the Sun The Tower of the Sun is one of the buildings that symbolized the Fair. There is a 44-bell carillon that rings from the Tower. Palace of the Mines, Metals, and Machinery and Palace of Homes and Gardens flanked the courtyard. There is a statue of the Evening Star to the right of the Tower. This statue had lighting standards with decorative units that lit units throughout the grounds.
Box	item
1	8	Wide view of court of Honor with the Tower of the Sun prominent	between February 18 and October 29, 1939 and May 25 and September 29, 1940
1	9	South Tower of the Court of Honor	between February 18 and October 29, 1939 and May 25 and September 29, 1940
		Asian Pavilions A range of Asian cultures was represented at the fair, the biggest being the Chinese Village and Japanese Pavilion. They also had the French Indo-China Pavilion, the Jahore, Malaysia Pavilion, the Philippine Pavilion, the Netherlands East Indies Building, and more.
Box	item
1	10	The Hall of Festivities, a Japanese style building	between February 18 and October 29, 1939 and May 25 and September 29, 1940
1	11	Bridge near the Hall of Festivities	between February 18 and October 29, 1939 and May 25 and September 29, 1940
1	12	Asian style bridge with flags of different countries on display	between February 18 and October 29, 1939 and May 25 and September 29, 1940
Box	item
1	13	California Area Buildings	between February 18 and October 29, 1939 and May 25 and September 29, 1940

Photographs of Animals and PlantsReturn to Top

Container(s)		Description	Dates
Box	item
1	14-15	Black bear in a cage Possibly at Woodland Park Zoo	between 1930 and 1959
1	16	Longhorn beetle The scientific name is Cerambycidae. They are a large family of beetles. There are over 35,000 different species. Characteristics include long antennae and antennal sockets. They eat stems, trunks and roots.	between 1930 and 1959
1	17	White goose	between 1930 and 1959
1	18	Mute Swan The most common type of swan, its scientific name is Cygnus Olor. It is associated with romance due to its white beauty, graceful swimming and mating for life. While romantic, it is one of the most aggressive waterfowl. Mute swans are native to Europe and Asia. Despite their name, they still hiss, bark, and rattle snorts.	between 1930 and 1959
1	19	Pekingese dog Known for their long coats and lion-like appearance. Originating in China, they were bred to look like the mythical lion Buddha is said to ride.	between 1930 and 1959
Box/Folder
OS1	20	Lily pads in a pond	between 1930 and 1959
Box
1	21	Dogwood flower Scientifically the name is Cornus Florida, it is a deciduous plant and is considered one of the most beautiful eastern North American Tree. The wood of the tree is shock-resistant and useful for making weaving-shuttles. It can also be made into small pulleys, mallet heads, and jewelers blocks. Native Americans used the aromatic bark and roots as a remedy for malaria and extracted red dye from the roots. Cornus is Latin for horn.	between 1930 and 1959
Box/Folder
2/2	22	Dandelion seedhead The scientific name is Taraxacum Officinale. It is native to Eurasia and North America. It is an edible plant that doesn't need to be pollinated, however it is an early spring source for many pollinators. In French, the name means lion's tooth.	between 1930 and 1959

Ships and BoatsReturn to Top

Container(s)		Description	Dates
Box/Folder	item
OS1	23	North Sea ship The NORTH SEA (formerly the ADMIRAL PEOPLES) of the Northland Transportation Co. stranded near Bella Bella, B.C., on February 13, 1947. It was destroyed in a storm in 1968, still stranded.	between 1930 and 1947
2/3	24	Steamboat with a rounded pilot house and decks	between 1940 and 1959
2/3	25	Flattie Geary 18 Sailboat, the number 52 on it and people sitting on the boat These racing boats were commissioned by the Seattle Yacht Club in 1928 to get youths interested in racing. They were originally called the 18' Development Class Flattie. The designer was Ted Geary and the first builder was Blanchard Boat Company.	between 1940 and 1959
OS1	26	Piers and sailboats near shore on Lake Washington	between 1940 and 1959
2/3	27	A four masted sailboat on Elliott Bay in forefront with a fertilizer company, the old National Guard Armory and Hotel Commodore in the background The National Guard Armory was built in 1909 and demolished in 1968. It has a medieval appearance with parapets and turrets. Hotel Commodore was built in 1909 and was originally known as Hotel Nelson. In 1913 it was known as Hotel Wayne and in the mid 1920s became Hotel Commodore. The building was demolished in 2008.	between 1940 and 1959
2/3	28	Military ship in Elliott Bay next to the Deutz Diesel building	between 1940 and 1959
2/3	29	Military ship at dock with Seattle hillside in the background	between 1940 and 1959
2/4	30	Elliott Bay harbor with Smith Tower and Harborview Hospital in the background	between 1940 and 1959
2/4	31	Lake Union with boats and the Aurora Bridge in the background	between 1940 and 1959
2/4	32	Two, two masted sail boats at dock on Lake Union	between 1940 and 1959
2/4	33	Westlake marina with Gas Works in the background Gas Works (1906-1956). This plant supplied gas to the city until new gas and energy sources arrived in Seattle. Architect Richard Haag designed the master plan to make the area a park, incorporating remnants from the plant. The park was fully open to the public on July 1976.	between 1940 and 1956

Landscapes and StructuresReturn to Top

Container(s)		Description	Dates
Box/Folder	item
2/5	34	Tacoma Narrow Bridge Its grand opening was on July 1, 1940, it was then the third longest suspension bridge in the world. Unfortunately it collapsed on Nov. 7, 1940 due to a windstorm. It got the name Galloping Gertie, due to the way the bridge would wave and rock during the storm. This engineering failure led to how engineers thought about and designed suspension bridges. A new Tacoma Narrow Bridge was built in the 1950s.	between July 1, 1940 and November 7, 1940
2/5	35	House of Magic Mining Plant Grand Coulee Dam, Coulee, WA	between 1940 and 1959
Box
1	36	Trail with building next to it	between 1940 and 1959
Box/Folder
2/5	37	Lake with trees	between 1940 and 1959
2/5	38	Boats at docks with a building in the background	between 1940 and 1959
OS1	39	Lake surrounded by mountains O. A. Nelson, Belmont Ave, Seattle (photographer)	between 1940 and 1959
		Winter Wonderland [Probably Mount Rainier]
Box/Folder	item
2/5	40	Campground and picnic area at Sunrise	between 1940 and 1959
2/6	41	Snow covered tress with three snow covered tents, possibly at Paradise?	between 1940 and 1959
2/6	42	Possibly Nisqually Gorge It is now called Nisqually Vista Trail	between 1940 and 1959
OS1	43	Mowich River looking at Mount Rainier O. A. Nelson, Belmont Ave, Seattle (photographer)	between 1940 and 1959
2/6	44	View from Skyline Trail of Tatoosh Range and Mount Adams	between 1940 and 1959
2/6	45-46	Mount TumTum in the foreground and Mount Rainier in the background	between 1940 and 1959
2/7	47	Cross country skiers at Paradise Valley with Mount Rainier in the background	between 1940 and 1959
2/7	48	Skiers at Mount Rainier. One is squatting and the other is bending over	between 1940 and 1959
2/7	49-50	Skiers starting from top of hill and skiing down on Mount Rainier	between 1940 and 1959

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