Archives West Finding Aid

The Susan Aldrich-Markham Photographs consist of color slides taken and assembled by Aldrich-Markham in her work as a Field Crops Extension Agent. The images were used in slide presentations and Extension publications for weed and native plant identification. The images also illustrate agricultural methods and techniques such as companion planting, sprayer maintenance, roadside grass seeding, nurse crop planting, conservation, and pasture management. Most of the farms and farming operations depicted in the photographs are identified by name. Images of a tour of Polk County, a visit to the Centro Internacional de Mejoramiento de Maiz and Trigo (CIMMYT) research facility in Mexico, and a national meeting of county agricultural agents are also part of the collection.

The collection includes 4083 slides that are arranged in general topics; many of the images are annotated with detailed descriptions. Most of the images were taken by Aldrich-Markham. Slides by Extension Agent L.C. Burrill and others are also included.