Jesse G. Sill papers, 1911-1978

Overview of the Collection

Creator
Sill, Jesse G., 1881-1981
Title
Jesse G. Sill papers
Dates
1911-1978 (inclusive)
Quantity
.61 cubic feet, (1 slim document case and 1 oversize folder)
Collection Number
Mss 2630
Summary
Jesse G. Sill was born in 1881 in Illinois and died in 1981 in Portland, Oregon. He was a pioneer newsreel photographer and the first to take aerial photographs of Mt. Hood. Collection includes correspondence, 1911-1919; script synopses and lists of films, 1915-1948; a travel diary, 1915-1916; and a movie poster for the film "Lone Trapper," circa 1911-1948.
Repository
Oregon Historical Society Research Library
1200 SW Park Avenue
Portland, OR
97205
Telephone: 503-306-5240
Fax: 503-219-2040
libreference@ohs.org
Access Restrictions

Collection is open for research.

Languages
English

Biographical NoteReturn to Top

Jesse G. Sill was born in 1881 in Illinois and died in 1981 in Portland, Oregon. He was a pioneer newsreel photographer who first filmed the Rose Festival in 1912. He started freelancing as a camera operator in the movies in 1912. He was the first to take aerial photographs of Mt. Hood. He worked on a project in 1914 for Robert Bruce. It was a travelogue starting in Portland, up the Columbia River and then to the top of Mt Adams. He was also a freelance photographer for Pathe Newreels. Among his many professional projects, he documented the 1933 fire that became known as Tillamook Burn. He continued to take photographs most of his life. He married Joy Davis in Washington State and they had one son, David.

Content DescriptionReturn to Top

Collection includes correspondence, 1911-1919; script synopses and lists of films, 1915-1948; travel diary, 1915-1916; account book, 1919; bills and receipts, 1916-1919; movie poster for the film "Lone Trapper," circa 1911-1948; and miscellaneous ephemera, 1911-1978.

Use of the CollectionReturn to Top

Preferred Citation

Jesse G. Sill papers, Mss 2630, Oregon Historical Society.

Restrictions on Use

The Oregon Historical Society owns the materials in the Research Library and makes available reproductions for research, publication, and other uses. The Society does not necessarily hold copyright to all materials in the collections. In some cases, permission for use may require seeking additional authorization from copyright owners.

Administrative InformationReturn to Top

Acquisition Information

Gift of Dave Sill, February 1981.

Related Materials

Mr. and Mr. Jesse G. Sill residence plans, Mss 3104, Oregon Historical Society Research Library.

Related Materials

Vertical File: Biography - Sill, Jesse G., Oregon Historical Society Research Library.

Names and SubjectsReturn to Top

Subject Terms

  • Motion picture industry--Oregon
  • Photojournalists--Oregon

Personal Names

  • Sill, Jesse G., 1881-1981

Form or Genre Terms

  • correspondence
  • diaries
  • financial records
  • lists (document genres)
  • printed ephemera
  • synopses