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William Conser Photographs of the April 1949 Earthquake, Olympia, Washington, April 1949
Overview of the Collection
- Photographer
- Conser, William
- Title
- William Conser Photographs of the April 1949 Earthquake, Olympia, Washington
- Dates
- April 1949 (inclusive)19491949
- Quantity
- 9 photographs (1 folder)
- Collection Number
- PH1265
- Summary
- Photographs of damage to the town of Olympia and the state capitol after the 1949 earthquake
- 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
Historical BackgroundReturn to Top
On April 13, 1949 at 11:55 a.m., a 7.1 magnitude earthquake occurred in Western Washington, centered between Olympia and Tacoma. The effects were felt over a 230,000 square mile area, affecting all of Washington state, northwest Oregon and parts of southwest British Columbia, Idaho and even northwest Montana. The most damage occurred from Seattle to Chehalis. At Olympia, nearly all large buildings were damaged, water and gas mains were broken, and a large portion of a sandy spit jutting into Puget Sound disappeared.
Content DescriptionReturn to Top
Photographs of damage to the town of Olympia and the state capitol after the 1949 earthquake.
Use of the CollectionReturn to Top
Alternative Forms Available
View the digital version of the collection
Restrictions on Use
Copyrights unknown. Restrictions may exist on reproduction, quotation, or publication. Contact Special Collections, University of Washington Libraries for details.
Administrative InformationReturn to Top
Detailed Description of the CollectionReturn to Top
| Container(s) | Description | Dates | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Folder | item | ||
| 1 | 1 |
Earthquake damaged Insurance Building, Olympia,
Washington
Written on verso: Olympia, Washington, State Library, 1949.
|
April 1949 |
| 1 | 2 | Scaffolding on Legislative Building, Olympia, Washington | April 1949 |
| 1 | 3 | Earthquake damaged old state capitol building, Olympia, Washington | April 1949 |
| 1 | 4 | Damaged building with army and navy recruitment flags, Olympia, Washington | April 1949 |
| 1 | 5 | Earthquake damage at Washington Street intersection near the Liberty Garage, Olympia, Washington | April 1949 |
| 1 | 6 | Fire engine in front of damaged building with M. D. Pharmacy, Olympia, Washington | April 1949 |
| 1 | 7 | Steenson construction company truck parked in front of damaged Bettman's Men's Shop Inc, Olympia, Washington | April 1949 |
| 1 | 8 | Damaged Bill's Place ice cream and hardware shop fronts, Olympia, Washington | April 1949 |
| 1 | 9 | Philips Construction Company scaffolding covering the outside of a building, Olympia, Washington | April 1949 |
Names and SubjectsReturn to Top
Subject Terms
- Earthquakes--Washington (State)--Olympia--Photographs
- Olympia Earthquake, Wash., 1949--Photographs
- Visual Materials Collections (University of Washington)
Geographical Names
- Olympia (Wash.)--Photographs
