Archives West Finding Aid
Table of Contents
- Overview of the Collection
- Historical Background
- Content Description
- Use of the Collection
- Administrative Information
-
Detailed Description of the Collection
- Pre-eruption
- During Eruption Photographs
- During Eruption Postcards
- After First Eruption: Pre Explosion
- After Eruption
- After Eruption: Postcards
- After Eruption: Debris Photographs
- After Eruption: Debris Postcards
- Mt. St. Helens Cake
- Maps, Postcard Memorabilia, and Satellite Images Made During Eruption
- Names and Subjects
Mount St. Helens eruption photograph and ephemera collection, 1980
Overview of the Collection
- Title
- Mount St. Helens eruption photograph and ephemera collection
- Dates
- 1980 (inclusive)19801980
- Quantity
-
86 photographic prints
8 paper printouts of satellite images
20 slides - Collection Number
- PH0125
- Summary
- Photographs, postcards, newspaper clippings, and maps documenting the Mount St. Helens eruption
- 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
Entire collection 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
Historical BackgroundReturn to Top
On March 16 1980, a series of small earthquakes were the first signs of activity on Mount St. Helens. On March 27, after hundreds of additional earthquakes, Mount St. Helens erupted for the first time in over 100 years. The blast created a 200 to 250 ft wide crater through the volcano’s ice cap and covered the snow in the southeast sector with dark ash. Within a week, the crater had grown to about 1,300 ft. On average, eruptions occurred about one per hour during March and then decreasing to about one per day by April 22, when the first period of activity stopped. Small eruptions resumed from May 7 to May 17. By that time, more than 10,000 earthquakes had shaken the volcano. The north flank had now grown outward by about 450 ft to form a prominent bulge. This bulge grew about 6.5 feet a day. This type of growth was strong evidence that molten rock (magma) had risen high into the volcano. Also, a cryptodome was developing beneath the bulge that had yet to erupt onto the surface.
Content DescriptionReturn to Top
Photographs, postcards, newspaper clippings, and maps documenting the Mt. St. Helens eruption.
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.
Administrative InformationReturn to Top
Arrangement
The collection is arranged in nine series including, Pre-Eruption, During Eruption, During Eruption Postcards, After Eruption: Volcano Focus, After Eruption: Postcards, After Eruption: Debris Photographs, After Eruption: Debris Postcards, Mt. St. Helens Cake, and Maps and Postcard Memorabilia.
Processing Note
Processed by: Cana Caldwell, Chanelle Geveshausen, and Katarina Volchek, 2021.
Related Materials
The Special Collections Mount St. Helens Exhibits website was captured by the Internet Archive Wayback Machine on Nov. 17, 2021. The snapshot can be viewed here: https://wayback.archive-it.org/4224/*/http://specialcollections.ds.lib.uw.edu/MountStHelens/
Detailed Description of the CollectionReturn to Top
Pre-eruptionReturn to Top
| Container(s) | Description | Dates | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Box/Folder | item | ||
| 1/1 | 1 | View of Mt. St. Helens and Spirit Lake from a canoe
Nelson and Lucille Clark (Photographer)
|
Summer 1951 |
| 1/1 | 2 | Before May 18, 1980 | |
| 1/1 | 3a |
Mt. St. Helens with a forest in the foreground
Probably taken during the summer given the lack of snow in the
trees in the foreground
|
Before May 18, 1980 |
| 1/1 | 3b | Before May 18, 1980 | |
| 1/1 | 4 | Harry Truman feeding racoons Jim Pomerenk (photographer)
Harry Truman was the 84 year old owner of Mt. St. Helens
Lodge. Rather than leave his home and mountain, Truman stayed and died as a
result of the eruption on may 18, 1980.
|
May 17, 1980 |
| 1/1 | 5 | Before May 18, 1980 | |
| 1/1 | 5a | Lava flowing on Mt. St. Helens Jack Hash (Photographer)
Photograph was taken before the May 18th eruption.
|
March 1984 |
During Eruption PhotographsReturn to Top
| Container(s) | Description | Dates | |
|---|---|---|---|
| box-folder:oversize | item | ||
| OS1 | 6 | Aerial view of Mt.. St. Helens in eruption Randy Wood, The Oregonian (photographer)
Photograph was from the first eruption in March.
|
March 31, 1980 |
| Box/Folder | |||
| 1/2 | 7 | May 18, 1980 | |
| 1/2 | 8-11 | May 18, 1980 |
During Eruption PostcardsReturn to Top
| Container(s) | Description | Dates | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Box/Folder | item | ||
| 1/3 | 12 | Mt. St. Helens Clifford B. Ellis (Photographer)
|
March 27, 1980 |
| 1/3 | 13-14 | View of Mt. St. Helens erupting Jack Leffler (Photographer)
|
May 18, 1980 |
| 1/3 | 15 | View of Mt. St. Helens with smalll eruption cloud
Jack Leffler (Photographer)
|
May 18, 1980 |
| 1/3 | 16 | View of Mt. St. Helens before and during
eruption (left) Mike Roberts and (right) Jack Leffler (Photographer)
|
May 18, 1980 |
| 1/3 | 17 | View of Mt. St. Helens before and during
eruption (left) Mike Roberts and (right) Ray Atkinson (Photographer)
|
May 18, 1980 |
| 1/3 | 18-19 | Mt. St. Helens eruption plume John Keller (Photographer)
|
May 18, 1980 |
| 1/3 | 20 | Mt. St. Helens eruption Ed Kolibaba (Photographer)
|
May 18, 1980 |
| 1/3 | 21 | Mt. St. Helens eruption plume U.S. Geological Survey
|
May 18, 1980 |
| 1/3 | 21a | Mt. St. Helens eruption from a distance Ted Leonard (Photographer)
Photograph probably taken from a plane.
|
May 18, 1980 |
| 1/3 | 22 | Mt. St. Helens eruption plume Jack Leffler (Photographer)
|
May 18, 1980 |
After First Eruption: Pre ExplosionReturn to Top
| Container(s) | Description | Dates | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Box/Folder | item | ||
| OS1 | 22a | Between March 27, 1980 and May 18, 1980 | |
| OS1 | 22b | Between March 27, 1980 and May 18, 1980 |
After EruptionReturn to Top
| Container(s) | Description | Dates | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Box/Folder | item | ||
| 1/4 | 23-24 | August 24, 1980 | |
| 1/4 | 25-27 | Aerial view of the top of Mt. St. Helens |
August 24, 1980 |
| OS1 | 28 | After May 18, 1980 | |
| 1/4 | 29-31 | Slides of Mt. St. Helens Exhibit Reiner Decher (photographer)
|
1980 |
| 1/4 | 32 | Slide of ash and trees Reiner Decher (photographer)
|
1980 |
| 1/4 | 33-35 | Slides of people standing on a snowy mountain watching
the Mt. St. Helens eruption plume in the distance Reiner Decher (photographer)
|
1980 |
| 1/4 | 36-44 | Slides of view of Mt. St Helens eruption plume from
snowy mountain tops in the distance Reiner Decher (photographer)
|
1980 |
| 1/4 | 45-48 | Slides of people camping on top of a snowy
mountain Reiner Decher (photographer)
|
1980 |
| 1/4 | 49-68 | Coldwater Lake Channel Excavation Photographs taken from an airplane
|
1981 |
| 1/4 | 69-70 | Mt. St. Helens lava dome Photographs taken from an airplane
|
August, 1981 |
| 1/4 | 71-73 | Spirit Lake Photographs taken from an airplane
|
August, 1981 |
| 1/4 | 74 | Fawn Lake Photograph taken from an airplane
|
August, 1981 |
| 1/4 | 75 | Elk Rock Photograph taken from an airplane
|
August, 1981 |
| 1/4 | 76 | Four people standing in front of a small
airplane Presumably these are some of the people who took some of the
photographs listed above.
|
August, 1981? |
After Eruption: PostcardsReturn to Top
| Container(s) | Description | Dates | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Box/Folder | item | ||
| 1/5 | 77 | Spirit Lake Ralph Perry (Photographer)
|
May, 1980 |
| 1/5 | 78 | Mt. St. Helens crater north side Kevin Schafer (Photographer)
|
July 28, 1980 |
| 1/5 | 79 | Mt. St. Helens lava dome Jim Quiring-USDA Forest Service (Photographer)
|
After May 18, 1980 |
After Eruption: Debris PhotographsReturn to Top
| Container(s) | Description | Dates | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Box/Folder | item | ||
| 1/6 | 80-82 | Cowlitz River debris taken from in front of the court
house Vickie Richards (Photographer)
|
May 19, 1980 |
| 1/6 | 83-85 | Log jam under bridge in the Cowlitz river Vickie Richards
|
May 19, 1980 |
| 1/6 | 86 | After May 18, 1980 | |
| 1/6 | 87-88 | Debris and ash |
After May 18, 1980 |
After Eruption: Debris PostcardsReturn to Top
| Container(s) | Description | Dates | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Box/Folder | item | ||
| 1/7 | 89 | National Guard rescue helicopter Douglas Kirkland
|
May 1980 |
| 1/7 | 90 | Resident removing ash from a car Douglas Kirkland
|
May 1980 |
| 1/7 | 91 | Toutle River Bridge collapse into Cowlitz
River Douglas Kirkland (Photographer)
|
May 1980 |
| 1/7 | 92 | Mudflow destruction of Camp Baker Dave Olsen (Photographer)
|
May 1980 |
| 1/7 | 93 | Mudflow destruction of a house Ralph Perry (Photographer)
|
May 1980 |
Mt. St. Helens CakeReturn to Top
| Container(s) | Description | Dates | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Box/Folder | item | ||
| 1/8 | 94-97 | June 1980 | |
| 1/8 | 98 | Newspaper clipping of Art and Laura Watson's Mt. St.
Helens eruption cake |
June 1980 |
| 1/8 | 99 | June 1980 | |
| 1/8 | 100 | June 1980 |
Maps, Postcard Memorabilia, and Satellite Images Made During EruptionReturn to Top
| Container(s) | Description | Dates | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Box/Folder | item | ||
| 1/9 | 101 | After May 18, 1980 | |
| 1/9 | 102 | After May 18, 1980 | |
| 1/9 | 103 | After May 18, 1980 | |
| 1/9 | 104 |
Geologic map of the Columbia River Date unknown, but most of the images in this collection are
from around 1980.
|
1980? |
| 1/9 | 105 | After May 18, 1980 | |
| 1/9 | 106 | Mt. St. Helens Blows: A portfolio of this historic
blow-up Postcard collection containing eight photos depicting the
eruption of Mt. St. Helens, including written description of the event.
Photographers include: Tom Adamson, Ray Atkeson, Tim Jewett, Randy Wood and Don
Wilson
|
After May 18, 1980 |
| box:oversize | |||
| XFI | 107 | Satellite image of Western North America at
18:15 |
May 18, 1980 |
| XFI | 108 | Satellite image of Western North America at
18:46 |
May 18, 1980 |
| XFI | 109 | Satellite image of Western North America at
19:15 |
May 18, 1980 |
| XFI | 110 | Satellite image of Western North America at
19:46 |
May 18, 1980 |
| XFI | 111 | Satellite image of Western North America at
20:46 |
May 18, 1980 |
| XFI | 112 | Satellite image of Western North America at
21:15 |
May 18, 1980 |
| XFI | 113 | Satellite image of Western North America at
21:46 |
May 18, 1980 |
| XFI | 114 | Satellite image of Western North America at
22:45 |
May 18, 1980 |
Names and SubjectsReturn to Top
Subject Terms
- Visual Materials Collections (University of Washington)
- Volcanic eruptions--Washington (State)--Saint Helens, Mount--Photographs
Geographical Names
- Saint Helens, Mount (Wash.)--Eruption, 1980--Photographs
