William H. Partridge Alaska photographs

William H. Partridge Alaska photographs, 1887

Overview of the Collection

Photographer: Partridge, W. H. (William Henry), 1858-1939
Title: William H. Partridge Alaska photographs
Dates: 1887 (inclusive)
18871887
Quantity: 61 photographic prints, 1 album (1 box) ; 8.5 x 5.25 in.
Collection Number: PH0322
Summary: Photographs taken by William H. Partridge of a trip on the steamshipAnconup the southeastern Alaskan coast in 1887, also photos of a Northern Pacific Railroad survey crew
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 is required to view originals. Contact Special Collections for more information.
Languages: English

Biographical NoteReturn to Top

Born in 1858 in West Virginia, William Partridge was already listed as a photographer in a Boston business directory in 1878. He was soon joined by his older brother Edward, working with their father at A. C. Partridge & Sons. By 1884, William and Edward had moved to Portland, where they established their own studio. In September of that year they exhibited a series of photographs made at night by electric light. Both Edward and William Partridge traveled to Alaska and brought back photographs -- William in 1886 and Edward in 1887. Then in 1887, shortly after marrying Emma Abell, daughter of Portland photographer Frank Abell, William moved back to Boston. Both Edward's and William's Alaska and Oregon views sold briskly on the east coast, and many of their Pacific Northwest boudoir cards found today include a Boston imprint. William continued his studio in Boston for many years, from 1886 until 1914. After his career in photography, he became involved in real estate. He died in Wellesley in 1939.

Content DescriptionReturn to Top

This collection contains photographs, referred to as "Boudoir Cards" probably made on one trip, on the steamship Ancon up the southeastern Alaskan coast with stops in Fort Wrangell, Juneau, Killisnoo and Sitka. There are several photographs of the ship and the scenery, as well as a few shots featuring passengers and the native Tlingit Indians. These photographs are from Partridge's "Catalogue of Alaska Views." The collection also includes one boudoir card photograph album of "Alaska Souvenir Photographs", which contains a list of the photographs. There are also photos of a Northern Pacific Railroad survey crew.

Other Descriptive InformationReturn to Top

Introduced in the 1880s, the "Boudoir Card" size (5.5 x 8.5 inches) is a larger verison of the "Cabinet Card" size (4.5 x 7 inches), and was originally produced for marketing purposes. The "Boudoir Card" consisted of a paper photograph mounted on a cardboard mount and usually cost more money than the smaller size "Cabinet Card". This collection contains one "Boudoir Card" photograph album. The following 15 photographs were originally contained within the album: item 3, 9,19, 22, 31, 34b, 36, 38, 40, 44, 45, 48, 49, 50, 52.

Use of the CollectionReturn to Top

Alternative Forms Available

View the digital version of the collection

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

Acquisition Information

Source: 3 photographs, Joan Perkal Books, 1980.

Processing Note

Processed by Erin O'Brien, Megan Peacock, and Marion Brown, 2008.

Detailed Description of the CollectionReturn to Top

WashingtonReturn to Top

Container(s)		Description	Dates
Box/Folder	item
1/1	1	View of the valley at train depot in Starbuck Junction, Washington Territory, Columbia Co. (5591)	1887

AlaskaReturn to Top

Container(s)		Description	Dates
Box/Folder	item
1/1	2	View of Chilkoot, Alaska, from the water (7591)	1887
1/1	3	View of Peril Straits (7731)	1887
1/2	4	Steamship Ancon at dock in Sitka, Alaska (7764)	1887
1/2	5	Passengers aboard ship, possibly the Ancon (7949)	1887
1/2	6	Interior of ship (7816)	1887
1/2	7	Steamship Ancon in Salmon Bay (7988)	1887
1/3	8	View of Davidson Glacier from the water (7958)	1887

Fort Wrangell, AlaskaReturn to Top

Container(s)		Description	Dates
Box/Folder	item
1/4	9	Tlingit totem poles in ground before cedar homes (7316)	1887
1/4	10	Tlingit Indian graves with carvings on top (7740)	1887
1/4	11	Interior of Tlingit house (7903)	1887
1/4	12	Large group in Tlingit canoe (7905)	1887
1/4	13	View barracks and warehouse along the waterfront at Fort Wrangell (7948)	1887

Juneau, AlaskaReturn to Top

Container(s)		Description	Dates
Box/Folder	item
1/5	14	View of the harbor (7328)	1887
1/5	15a	View of Juneau from the harbor (7504)	1887
1/5	15b	View of Juneau at boats in the harbor (7952)	1887
1/5	16	Tlingit village (7551)	1887
1/5	17	View of Juneau looking down from above (7758)	1887

Killisnoo, AlaskaReturn to Top

Container(s)		Description	Dates
Box/Folder	item
1/6	18	View of harbor, town and steamship at pier (7723)	1887
1/6	19	Village from the harbor (7724)	1887

Muir GlacierReturn to Top

Container(s)		Description	Dates
Box/Folder	item
1/7	20	View of glacier from the water at 10 PM (7595)	1887
1/7	21 a-b	Close-up of the glacier from the water (7773a and 7773b)	1887
1/7	22	Small boat in front of the glacier (7727)	1887
1/7	23	Group in boat in front of glacier (7968)	1887
1/8	24	Group posing on glacier (7964)	1887
1/8	25	People on top of Muir Glacier (7965)	1887
1/8	26	Two men walking on top of glacier with mountains on the distance (7966)	1887

Sitka, Alaska and vicinityReturn to Top

Container(s)		Description	Dates
Box/Folder	item
1/9	27	View of village and harbor (7147)	1887
1/9	28	Russian fort (7813) On verso: "The Russian blockhouse in left foreground is 5-sided. To its right is the 'Castle' (the Russian governor’s house) above; Custom House below. To the left of post is the barracks, used by Russian, then American troops, which later became a jail."	1887
1/9	29	View of village from the “Castle” (7817)	1887
1/9	30	Cattle on a beach (7670)	1887
1/10	31	St. Michael's Russian Orthodox Church (7603)	1887
1/10	32	St. Michael's Russian Orthodox Church from the front (7935)	1887
1/11	33	Small islands within the harbor	1887
1/11	34a-b	View of Sitka Harbor and Islands from above, at ‘The Castle’ (7341) "a" is mounted on a card from Portland, Oregon. "b" is mounted on a card from Boston and is slightly cropped.	1887
1/11	35	Sitka Harbor and Islands (7971)	1887
1/12	36	Tlingit settlement and Sitka (7346) Looking northwest from the top of Castle Hill, showing the parade ground, cannery, Governors house, Russian block house, native cemetery, and the Sitka native village.	1887
1/12	37	View of town from the Indian Mission (7608)	1887
1/12	38	Training School for Indian children (7604)	1887
1/12	39	View of Indian school with pupils out front (7936)	1887
1/13	40	Tlingit mission students pose on porch of Sheldon Jackson Institute (7666)	1887
1/13	41	Tlingit mission students pose with Sheldon Jackson and teachers on porch of Sheldon Jackson Institute (7982)	1887
1/14	42	View of town and Tlingit women sitting on boardwalk (7974)	1887
1/14	43	Family inside Tlingit house (7812)	1887
1/14	44	Indian women on a boardwalk with a white woman holding baby in cradleboard (7342)	1887
1/14	45	Tlingit artifacts	1887
1/15	46	Indian River near Sitka, Alaska (7821)	1887
1/15	47	Large pine tree and bridge (7689)	1887
1/15	48	Bridge over Indian River (7690)	1887
1/15	49	Animal on path by river (7691)	1887

Taku InletReturn to Top

Container(s)		Description	Dates
Box/Folder	item
1/16	50	Large floating ice chunks (7732)	1887
1/16	51	Small boat in front of ice (7732-b)	1887
1/16	52	Steamship behind small iceberg (7741)	1887

Treadwell Gold MineReturn to Top

Container(s)		Description	Dates
Box/Folder	item
1/17	53	Pier leading to mine (7778)	1887
1/17	54	View up a mine shaft with three miners (7791)	1887

UnknownReturn to Top

Container(s)		Description	Dates
Box/Folder	item
1/18	55	Men in front of a buildings at the waterfront (7891)	1887

AlbumReturn to Top

Container(s)		Description	Dates
Box/Folder	item
1/19	56	"Alaska Souvenir Photographs" Boudoir size photograph album The album contains a "Catalogue of Alaska Views" identifying some of the photographs. Fifteen of the boudoir size card photographs were originally contained in the boudoir size card photograph album.	1887

Northern Pacific RailroadReturn to Top

Container(s)		Description	Dates
Box/Folder	item
1/20	57	James McFadden and crew on Northern Pacific Railroad survey next to locomotive on trestle	between 1884 and 1887
1/20	58	James McFadden and crew with equipment on Northern Pacific Railroad survey	between 1884 and 1887
1/20	59	Northern Pacific Railroad survey camp	between 1884 and 1887

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